Forums > Specific Focus > Mexican Kitchen

Bill Phillips

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #1 of 6 (610 views)

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Chili

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Please, I need a receipe for traditional Mexican Chili.

Dorothy

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #2 of 6 (582 views)

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Chili ... the History

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A link to all about Chili with a very entertaining link to the History of Chili:
http://www.geocities.com/NapaValley/4079/History/Chili/ChiliIndex.htm

Dorothy

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

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Chili

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Chili is a U.S. Southwestern invention. It's not Mexican.
So the chili you ate growing up in the U.S. is probably 'traditional'.

Uncle Jack

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

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Spain

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Dorothy;

I, too, occasionaly fall into a "trance" after devouring too much chili and Dos Equis. However, I seldom see either American Indians or blue nuns.

Just a thought. I wonder where those indians in the American Southwest got tomatoes in the 1600's?

UJ

Dorothy

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #5 of 6 (567 views)

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Traditional Chili .... What about Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain

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HI Uncle Jack!

Just to stir up some trouble....

From History and Legends of Chili
by Linda Stradley, author of "What's Cooking America":

"1618 - According to an old Southwestern American Indian legend and tale (several modern writer have documented -or maybe just "passed along") this old story, it is said that the first recipe for chili con carne was put on paper in the 17th century by a beautiful nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of Spain. She was mysteriously known to the Indians of the Southwest United States as "La Dama de Azul," the lady in blue. Sister Mary would go into trances with her body lifeless for days. When she awoke from these trances, she said her spirit had been to a faraway land where she preached Christianity to savages and counseled them to seek out Spanish missionaries.
It is certain that Sister Mary never physically left Spain, yet Spanish missionaries and King Philip IV of Spain believed that she was the ghostly "La Dama de Azul" or "lady in blue," of Indian Legend. It is said that sister Mary wrote down the recipe for chili which called for venison or antelope meat, onions, tomatoes, and chile peppers. No accounts of this were ever recorded, so who knows?"

Could be???

Uncle Jack

Nov 30, 1919, 12:00 AM

Post #6 of 6 (571 views)

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Traditional Chili

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Bill;

Any discussion of what constitutes "Traditional Chili" can become as passionate and devisive as those about the present condition of Lake Chapala or the total tonnage of dog feces on the streets of Ajijic.

It is generally accepted by bona fide Chili Head like myself that what we know as Chili came in to being in or around San Antonio about 1840. It is also a cardinal rule of the Purists that Chile contains: beef, water or beef stock, chiles, onions, garlic, cumin, oregeno, salt, pepper, maybe a little epazote, some masa harena for thickening. Chili does not contain tomatoes or beans. Both go well on the side.

Opinions do vary!

Uncle Jack