Mothers Day Tribute

 As posted on USA Today Website

http://yourlife.usatoday.com/fitness-food/cooking-recipes/story/2011/05/Honoring-Mom-on-Mothers-Day-Winners-of-USA-TODAYs-recipe-contest/46770912/1

Jan A. Adamczyk, of Pepperell, Mass., regaled us with her tale of her football-loving mother, who always made chili for the game:

To say my mother, Neola Younker, loved football would be an understatement. From August through January, football was my mother's passion. We would awaken to shouts of "Nail him!" from the kitchen below our bedroom, at 7 on Sunday morning.

We lived in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, and in the 1970s football was live, from wherever they were playing, which meant it started really early in the morning in Hawaii. New Year's Day was the best football day of all. Games all day. My dad would get all the TVs in the family room and have all the games on. My mom would make chili and everyone could stop by and eat, just don't bother mom.

The chili was on the stove, the rice in the rice cooker, and that was what we ate all day. Nothing fancy, but it was good chili and my sister and I always put it over rice, because in Hawaii, there was always rice and it went with everything. Mom passed away in 2001, but I honor her and the tradition and make chili and rice every New Year's Day.

Bonus recipe:

Hawaiian New Year's Chili

(Kim O'Donnel's testing notes appear in italics)

Ingredients

•1 pound ground beef (KOD note: Ground turkey or pork make nice alternatives)

•1 pound Italian sausage, hot or mild, casings removed

•2 Tbs. olive oil

•1 medium onion, chopped

•1 medium shallot, chopped

•2 tablespoons minced garlic (KOD note: About 3 cloves' worth)

•2 bell peppers, whatever color you have, chopped

•1 package sliced mushrooms, leave out if you don't like them or dice them up to hide them (KOD: due to an allergy, I omitted)

•2 Tbs. chili powder (KOD note: I am a big fan of the salt-free Chili Powder blend from The Spice Hunter)

•1/2 tsp. sage (KOD note: None on hand, so I omitted)

•1 tsp. cumin

•1 tsp. dried thyme (KOD note: I was out of thyme and substituted oregano)

•1 tsp. kosher salt

•1 tsp. black pepper

•1/2 tsp. paprika (KOD note: I substituted smoked paprika)

•1 cup red wine

•2 cans diced tomatoes, juice and all (KOD note: I used 1 28-ounce can of tomato puree)

•1 can white beans (cannellini or great northern), drained and rinsed (KOD note: I used 1 cup dried cannellini beans, cooked separately and added)

•1 can tomato paste (KOD note: I omitted)

•2 tsp. chopped parsley (fresh or dried)

•1 Tbs. sugar, or more if needed (KOD note: I omitted)

•Cooked short grain rice for serving

Directions:

Brown ground meat and sausage in a large pot until thoroughly cooked. Remove from pan and drain off fat (if using crock pot, drain and put in there).

Add olive oil to pan. add onion and shallot. Cook 3-5 minutes until translucent. Add garlic, peppers and mushrooms. Cook an additional 3-5 minutes until mushrooms begin to shrink and soften. Stir in spices until the vegetables are coated. Deglaze pan with wine and allow to reduce for a few minutes.

(If using crock pot, transfer mixture now, plus remaining ingredients.)

Add tomatoes, beans and tomato paste and meat to pot. Add water if needed, just enough to stir mixture if too thick.

Simmer 2-4 hours, stirring occasionally, or 8-12 hours on low in crock pot.

Check seasoning, and adjust to taste. Add parsley just before serving. Stir, taste and add sugar as you see fit to counteract acid.

Even better when made the day before.

Serve over steamed rice.