This weekend I asked my mother for some of her Christmas cookie recipes (for something I’ll talk more about later) and as she was copying them on to index cards for me I poked fun at the sometimes esoteric cooking directions she has given me in the past (along the lines of “It’s done just before it turns brown. Sooner than that and it’s underdone, and if it browns, it’s ruined.”) She countered by pulling up this chili recipe I sent to my brother at University when I was about 15 or 16. I don’t actually remember writing this, but I recognize the recipe, I used to make it exactly like this all the time.

“Mark’s Chili Recipe

Finely chop one onion and fry it in oil until it’s almost burnt. Then add a package of ground beef and try not to burn that either. Add a can of kidney beans and stir. At this point you would normally put in a diced green pepper, but mom doesn’t like them. Celina doesn’t like kidney beans either, but without the beans it’s just fried meat in tomato juice. Pour in a can of plum tomatoes and simmer. Put in a pinch of salt and pepper, and some chili powder. Add some more chili powder, because you probably didn’t put enough in the first time. Then try to scoop some of it out. Sprinkle some baking soda over everything to counter the acidity of the tomatoes. (Brown sugar has the same effect, but it doesn’t do that cool foamy thing.) Allow it all to simmer for 20 minutes, during which time mom will come and pour some of the oil and fat out.

Chili may be stored on the stove with the lid half on for several days.”

I like to think my cooking skills have improved slightly since then.