Homemade Chili Made Magic

A delicious, spicy, hearty meal that'll light a magical fire, too.

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So I always just used to make chili the way my mom made it, which was a lot of tomato and cumin and cheese. Love the way my mom makes it, too—hearty and savory and delicious. But it was actually when I watched Binging with Babish's episode on chili that I realized you could put things like cinnamon in it.

Cinnamon is such an underrated spice in savory meals! In shakshuka, chili, taco meat, curry—it balances out all that otherwise very savory flavor with something a touch different, and it works so well with oregano. It's also a spice that warms you up and helps with blood sugar, anti-inflammation, and more.

It's also a pretty magically potent spice, especially when you mix it with all the many fiery, spicy, and maybe even somewhat baneful ingredients in chili. Today, we're namely looking at cumin, cinnamon, all the peppers in chili, and black beans for our magic.

Magic in Homemade Chili

This may be the first time we talk about it, but you can absolutely curse with food as much as you can bless, and something spicy like chili is a prime example of it. Granted, you don't want to make it so spicy it actually hurts your guests, but the intention to burn and banish is certainly you can add to the pot if you're feeling like someone deserves a kick. For something baneful, you'd also want to ask the garlic and onion to help instead of cinnamon or black beans; doing so will make sure your unwanted guests get the hint and stay away from your high hearthfire.

But! For blessings, it's all the same: rather than the painful burn, it's the warmth of the fireplace, the comfort and safety of the hearth, and the energy and passion of the element of fire itself, that you can infuse this chili with. This is the meal to quite literally light a fire under your ass and get yourself up and moving, perfect for when you're in a creative funk and need a boost, as well as some protection around your new projects.

The elements air and fire, with the Sun, Mercury, and Mars, are giving you a 3 to 1 ratio on energy, passion, luck, and creativity. The idea is easy to get, after all, but the force of will and the luck needed to execute the idea is what makes or breaks a new project. Positivity and optimism abound here, and certainly, with the spice level of your choice, this chili will have you feeling that spark of sacred flame settling in your stomach. Take the bull by the horns with this combo!

Homemade Chili

Prep time: 30 minutes

Cook time: 60-70 minutes

Makes 4-6 Servings

Ingredients:

(Things marked + make it spicy)

• 1lb ground beef

• 2 medium onions, diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 28oz crushed red tomato

• 14oz water

• 3 poblano peppers (+)

• 2 jalapenos

• 3 red chilis (+)

• 2 habanero peppers (+)

• 2 green bell peppers

• 15oz black beans

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 Tbsp cumin

• 1 Tbsp paprika

• 1 Tbsp onion powder

• 1 Tbsp garlic powder

• 1 Tbsp oregano

• 1/2 Tbsp cinnamon

• 1/2 tsp carolina reaper (+)

• Salt & pepper to taste

• Cheese & sour cream

Directions:

1. Burn skins on the poblanos with stove fire & leave to cool

2. Chop, salt, & saute onions until browned

3. When poblanos are cooled enough, rub the charred skins off

4. Add garlic, frying until fragrant, & add all chopped peppers

5. Add beans, tomato, water, & all spices

6. Let simmer for 1 hour

7. Serve with cheese, sour cream, tortilla chips, and chopped jalapenos.

Chili is such an easy weeknight meal, and you can make it all kinds of ways depending on how spicy you like it. Put this on the menu for a hearty, warm winter meal!