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Vegan Chili
Healthy, cozy comfort foods belong in our weekly meal rotation, and this vibrant chili delivers plenty of plant-based goodness. With a special blend of seasonings, it hits all the savory notes we expect in a meat-based version, except the protein comes from two different types of beans. Consider vegan chili a great option for meatless Monday or simply treat yourself when you’re in the mood for the tastiest dinner. The beans and vegetables in this recipe can easily be swapped for your favorites, especially when garden and farmers’ market options are plentiful. Backyard peppers and squash become so abundant at a certain point in summer that you’ll be happy to…
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The Language of Spice: Chili, Chile, and Chilli
If you enjoyed reading last week’s hot chocolate recipe and happen to be interested in the language surrounding food, you may have wondered about the spelling of one of the key ingredients: chile. As I write up the recipes that hopefully will inspire your own home cooking, I occasionally come upon the name of an ingredient or traditional dish that requires a little bit of editorial finesse. Take, for example, my recent pasta e fagioli. I faced a decision of whether to translate the name into English for those who were not familiar with this Italian soup. Since my grandmother pronounced this dish and other Italian classics so fluidly, it’s…
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Chile Hot Chocolate
Decadent hot chocolate spiced with ancho chile, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon is a dessert I love to serve in demitasse or espresso cups. Less thick than my French-style hot chocolate, but much bolder than hot cocoa, this drinking chocolate is satisfyingly rich and requires no extra sugar than what is already included in the chocolate you select for this recipe. I finish mine with whipped cream and a touch of extra cayenne pepper on top. With Valentine’s Day almost here, consider serving this chile hot chocolate to a loved one or treat yourself to some. While the correlation between romance and chocolate may be attributable more to lore than to…
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Spicy Blood Orange Mocktail
There’s festivity to be found in citrus indulgences when the days turn crisp and chilly. This spicy blood orange mocktail heats things up from the inside out with tart-sweet juice, honey jalapeño syrup, and a smoky chipotle salt rim. Maple and pumpkin are the comfort flavors of the moment, but blood orange reminds us of the bite to autumn days, particularly when paired with chile pepper heat. After the wind whips you about, come inside and tame the chill with this spicy drink. If you decide to make a pitcher instead, scale up the recipe below based on the number of guests, as each makes one drink. Ingredients 2 thinly…
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Stuffed Jalapeño Skins
Perhaps the coziest time to be in the kitchen is after the snow falls, bouncing light between its crystals and making everything just so quiet. While I was working on this recipe, gorgeous light filtered through the window, allowing me to capture the smooth green of jalapeños which would soon be split and seeded. Harvested when young, they were the color that comes to mind when we think of this type of chile, but scarlet jalapeños can be found as well, their redness a sign of maturity and growing heat. In the middle of winter I crave foods that bite, not only with heat but with crispness that stings just…
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