Last night I made chili, and having soaked too many beans, I realized I would need to make two batches. I took the opportunity to experiment a little by slightly varying the two pots, and then I had the grand idea to actually document what I did.

The ingredient lists:

* cumin-pepper mix: 1 tbsp cumin seeds + 4 dried chili peppers. Grind together.

A note about cooking temperatures: I don’t know what to tell you! I cook with cast iron pots and skillets, which means that I cook at medium heat. This will vary according to the kind of pot used, but generally the heat should not be so high that things are burning. :-}

The cooking process:

• Heat some oil. Enough for frying the spices and onions and garlic. When the oil is hot, add the cumin-pepper mix, chipotle pepper, and cinnamon (if applicable). When you can smell the spices (just a few seconds)…
• Add onion and garlic and a pinch of salt. Stir often. Cook until the onions are starting to brown.
• Mix tomato paste and water to … a paste. Add to pot. Add peppercorns. Stir often and add water if the mixture gets too dry or is sticking to the bottom of the pot. Cook for about five minutes.
• Add the hot water, beans, celery, and carrots (if applicable). When it seems like this mixture has gotten hot (a few minutes), add the crushed tomatoes, coffee, and sugar (if applicable). Add some salt (1 teaspoon?).
• Bring this mixture to a simmer – cover if necessary. Adjust heat to maintain a simmer with the pot mostly covered. Stir occasionally. When stirring, check for consistency. If it’s getting too thick, add some hot water, but keep in mind that it should be reducing, slowly. At the end of an hour, my pots had both reduced about an inch or so. If the chili is reducing faster than that, the heat is probably too high, or it should be more covered. Simmer for about an hour.
• If the chili is getting too thick at this point — that is, if it looks like it’s going to turn into pasty bean dip if it simmers for another half hour — add some water, about a cup. Also this is a good point to taste for salt and add as needed. Also taste for heat/spice and add if needed (paprika or cayenne are good choices).
• Simmer for another half hour, still partially covered. Done!

The verdict: I liked the smaller batch better. It was spicier, a little sweeter (obviously), and just generally had a richer flavor. I couldn’t taste the cinnamon at all in the larger batch.

I have never attempted to write a recipe before, mostly because my cooking is mostly guesswork and I fear trying to recreate anything, but here goes…

Shallot-Ginger-Squash Polenta

Serves 6 or so people. (I think!)

Ingredients:

• 2 1/2 cups polenta
• 10 cups water
• 4 medium-large sized shallot cloves, diced
• 2 tablespoons grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon rubbed sage
• 2 small winter squash, or 1 large winter squash
• Olive Oil
• Salt

Preheat oven to 375 if you are baking the squash.

Cook squash
Use any preferred cooking method to fully cook the winter squash. I cut the squash in half, seeded it, and baked it face-down in a baking pan with a little olive oil.
Make sure to do this first so that the squash is done and cooling before you start cooking the shallots, etc. Allow an hour for winter squash to bake. This can be done as far in advance as you want.

Cook polenta
Bring 10 cups water to a boil. Add polenta and a pinch of salt. Find a friend to continuously stir the polenta, keeping it at a simmer. The polenta is done when a wooden spoon stands up in the polenta without falling over … there are other methods of discerning when the polenta is done which can be found on various cooking sites online. I estimate the cooking time for polenta to be up to 45 minutes.

Cook seasoning
Remove delicious squash flesh from the skin and roughly dice the squash.
When the polenta is nearly done, heat enough olive oil for frying in a frying pan. When hot, add the shallots, ginger, sage, and a pinch or two of salt. Saute until the shallots are translucent and browning. Add the diced squash and mix with the shallot mixture until they are fairly well combined, being careful not to mush the squash too much. After a few minutes, remove the pan from heat.

Combine polenta and seasoning
When the polenta is done, remove from heat and add the shallot-ginger-squash mixture to the polenta and mix well. Add salt to taste.

The polenta can be eaten warm just after cooking. It can also be poured into a heat-resistant container (since you’ll want to do this while the polenta is still warm) such as a glass baking dish, bread pan, or storage container, and allowed to set. Allow the polenta in the container to cool completely and then put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour or up to a few days. When you want to eat it, turn it out of the container and slice it into at least 1/2″ slices, which can then be pan-fried.