Laurel and Hearty Tomato Chili

My preference is for the deep brown gravy you get with Brooks Chili Hot Beans, and that is usually the base to which we add our meat and veggies. But I've wanted a good tomato based chili, like you might get in a cup at a lunch counter with a packet of oyster crackers on a snowy afternoon surrounded by shopping bags full of holiday presents while the lights twinkle among the bare trees along the street outside the diner's picture window. Know what I'm sayin'.

Laurel and Hearty Tomato Chili

My wife prefers pasta with her chili, and discretion being the better part of valor, the art of marriage being the art of compromise, as well as wisdom residing in knowing when to pick your battles, I have learned to live with it. We used medium pasta shells for this recipe, instead of elbow macaroni, and topped the chili with shredded Parmesan, instead of cheddar. The combination was fabulous. But please, feel free to eschew the noodles, and enjoy this dish with saltines.

Serves eight

1 and 1/2 lbs ground chuck

1 medium purple onion, chopped

1 medium green pepper, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

6 ounce can tomato paste

12 ounce can tomato sauce

15 ounce can diced tomatoes

15 ounce can whole tomatoes

15 ounce can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1/4 cup tomato juice

1/4 cup beef stock

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon celery salt

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 lb medium shell pasta (optional)

1 can sliced black olives, for garnish (optional)

Fresh Parmesan, grated, for garnish (optional)

Saltines (optional)

Brown ground beef in Dutch oven. Drain and set aside. Wipe out Dutch oven with paper towel. Heat Dutch oven and add vegetable oil to coat bottom. Saute onion and green pepper until translucent, about 15 minutes. Add garlic, just to bloom aroma, 1 minute. Stir browned ground beef into Dutch oven. Add all other ingredients (except optional garnishes), stirring gently after each addition. Bring to simmer. Cover, and continue simmering for one hour, stirring every 15 minutes.

In separate Dutch oven prepare pasta according to package directions. Make sure to bring water to boil in time to serve pasta with chili.

Place small helping of pasta in bottom of bowl. Ladle a serving of chili over noodles. Top with olives and cheese. Alternately, ladle a serving of chili into bowl, and break two saltines over bowl. You can even ladle a helping of chili into bowl, top with olives and cheese, and serve saltines with butter alongside.