From a fantastic food blog.
Hearty Autumn Chili
with pumpkin, black beans, and chocolate
1 large onion, chopped
1 heaping tsp. cumin seeds
5 cloves garlic, pressed
2 heaping tsp cumin powder
1 heaping tsp coriander
1 tbs dried chopped oregano
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chili paste (see below)
1/4 cup espresso
.5 Liter dark beer
6 cups cooked black beans
2 cups cooked pumpkin puree
2 cans tomato chunks or diced tomatoes
1 cup water from soaking ancho chilies
50 g unsweetened chocolate
1/2 tbs cocoa powder
2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
2 big tbs tomato paste
16 oz Kidney beans (drained)
salt (to taste)
olive oil
Chili paste:
2 big tbs chipotle paste (to make this, I take one small can of chipotles in adobo, remove all the seeds from the peppers (except for maybe one), and blend it up in a blender, sauce and all. I keep this in my fridge or freezer at pretty much all times. I find if I don't remove the seeds, its way too hot)
2 large dried ancho chilies, soaked in a cup or so of water for at least 30 minutes
1 tbs of the soaking water
First, make the chili paste. Take the soaked ancho chilies, remove the seeds, and chop up. In a blender or food processor, combine the chipotle paste, chopped ancho chilies, and a tbs of the soaking water. Pulse it until it is fairly smooth. Scrape it out into a small bowl and set aside.
Heat a few tablespoons olive oil in a large, heavy pot. Add onions, season with salt, and saute over medium heat until they start becoming clear (around 5 minutes) and add cumin seeds. Cook another 5 minutes or so (don't let onions brown).
Add garlic and let it saute for around 1 minute, then add cumin powder, coriander, dried oregano and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and let cook for a minute or two more. Add espresso and stir.
Add the cooked black beans and combine. Stir in the chili paste, then pour in the beer. Let foam subside then stir to combine everything well. Stir in pumpkin, then tomatoes (with liquid) and the water from the ancho chilies. Stir everything well and let it heat up for a few minutes.
Stir in the pieces of unsweetened chocolate until they are melted and combined, then the sugar, vanilla, and tomato paste. Cover and let simmer on low heat for around 3o minutes.
Add kidney beans, then honey, then slowly stir in the cocoa powder. Stir up every thing real good, then let it simmer on low heat for around 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Taste and season with salt (or additional chili paste or cayenne pepper if you want more heat) as necessary
Get in the mood for Jack O' Lanterns....
Get in an autumn forest mood....
See a nostalgic autumn horror movie....
(All parts are available on YouTube "Dark Night of the Scarecrow")
My very favorite Halloween-feeling movie ever....
(All parts are available on YouTube "Shattered Silence" Made-for-Tv 70s movie will take you back to 70s Halloweens--big time!)
I seriously recommend you follow TVTerrorLand on YouTube--lots of 70s made-for-tv movies--hallelujah!
Make the place smell like Halloween. Bath and Body Works has a Spooktacular shop open.
Be sure and do like me and go to Octoberfarm every day. Jaz is the Martha Stewart of Autumn, cooking, hobbying, collecting, decorating, making the season freaking over the top!