Before I left home for the first time, I sat down with my mother’s recipe box and wrote down my favorite dishes. As I was making my chili California I had thought about using my mother’s recipe. I took it out and looked it over. I was surprised to find that it did not actually include any “chile.” I remember loving my mother’s “chili” as a child, but I am not sure I can call it “chili” any more—it was more of a German beef and beans. Continue reading