A rainstorm on this summer night brought back a favorite food memory from the fall afternoon I had drill team practice after high school, for what seemed like hours. In the rain. I drove my orange VW bug home through the puddles, and opened the kitchen door. Instantly, the warm, savory aroma of Mom’s chili pulled me in. It wasn’t the kind of stuff that wins cook-offs. It was simple comfort, a cure “for what ails you”. The windows of the kitchen grew steamy, where the warmth of the kettle met the cold, damp outside world. 

Mom ladled the chili over a slice of sour dough toast and cheese. Crunchewy, hearty goodness. Delicious? Satisfying? Those words don’t suffice. In fact, maybe there’s no adjective big enough to cover the sensation of the first bite.

My brother-in-law sent me the recipe, not long ago. Thanks, Ron. When I made it I put a little more zip in it than called for, a nod to my current preferences, but otherwise it recalled the memory of that high school evening perfectly.  I closed my eyes to eat it and was transported back to Mom’s kitchen, with the cares of the world locked outside. 

MILDRED EGAN’S CHILI RECIPE

2 cans Hunt’s small red chili beans [not prepared chili, no meat, etc.]  (28 oz. each)

2 cans tomato sauce (15 oz. each)

1 small onion (to taste)

1 to 1 1/2 lb. hamburger, browned with onion [I added garlic powder too]

1 to 2 TBSP. chili powder (to taste)

[my addition] 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper (to taste)

Combine and simmer for 10+ minutes.