[.ca] Chili Nation (ISBN 0767902637)

Just Plain Fun!:
I bought this book on a whim about a year ago, and simply love it. Its both a cultural adventure and a delicious trek accross America. If you are a chili purist, you might have trouble with some of the recipes. If you just like tastey food, you'll love the variety of recipes paying homage to what is arguably our nation's favorite food. The cultural anecdotes preceding the recipes for each state and the District of Columbia are interesting and lend insight into why the ingredients for the recipes were selected. They are fun, easy to make recipes that your family will truly enjoy. We particularly love the Whistle Stop Chili from Alabama, the Arizona version featuring pork, and the Nebraska Chili Mac and Cheese. I think you will enjoy this trip across America as much as we did.

If you love bold flavors and variety, you'll love this book!:
Chili Nation has quickly become one of the most frequently used cookbooks in my collection. Each recipe I've tried has been good, while most have been delicious. There is plenty of variety here; no one chili tastes like another. The recipes run the gamut: from green to red, mild to fiery hot, full of beans to beanless. Meats used include sausages, beef, pork, shrimp, veal, chicken, and lamb. Two vegetarian chilis are also included. A recipe is given for each state in the nation plus an extra one for DC. Sometimes the distinction will be the inclusion of popular local ingredients (chocolate in Pennsylvania chili, corn in Iowa chili, etc.), while other times the recipe will be a version of a chili the authors have eaten in a restaurant in that state. Also included are a few side dish recipes: guacamole, three-bean salad, corn pudding, coleslaw, and jalapeno cornbread. Because this is my first exposure to the Sterns, I can't really comment on how this compares to their other books. Though, if this is "coasting", as another reviewer states, I can't wait to get my hands on the rest of what they've written! Downsides - Many recipes are very heavy on meat and fat. This is not a good book for people who are dieting or watching their cholesterol. The amount of salt used also seems rather excessive. I have found these problems easy to remedy by simply cutting down the size of the meat, using less oil, and not adding the extra salt. The recipes still turn out just fine. Some ingredients (fresh chilies, jalapeno powder, sweet chili flakes) may be difficult for people in smaller cities to find. However, they do offer some mail order resources at the front of the book. Recipes I've tried that have been excellent include: Chili a la Whistle Stop (Alabama)- The inclusion of oats in this delicious beef-and-tomato chili gives it a wonderful silky texture. This recipe is from the famous Whistle Stop Cafe, the focus of Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes. Hot Springs Chili Tamale Spread (Arkansas)- A chili powder infused barbecue sauce is poured over homemade beef tamales, with fabulous results. Gilroy Super Garlic Chili (California)- Fresh chilies and plenty of roasted garlic spice up this bowl of green. Tall Corn Pork Chili (Iowa)- Corn, boneless pork, and green chilies, and jalapeno powder lend zip to a tomato sauce based chili. American Chop Suey Chili (Maine)- Macaroni, Rotel tomatoes, celery, onions, and spices are mixed into a chunky chili and then topped with cheese and chow mein noodles. Church Supper Chili Mac and Cheese (Nebraska)- Homemade macaroni and cheese topped with a barbecue sauce based chili. 16-Times World Champion Sirloin Chili (Oklahoma)- A chili pepper puree is poured on top of grilled sirloin or porterhouse steaks. Recipes that have been merely "good" include: Chicagoland Chili Mac (Illinois)- Macaroni topped with a Worcestershire sauce infused chili. Good, but just not as bold and spicy as the others. Homage to Hershey Chocolate Chili (Pennsylvania)- Features unsweetened cocoa powder and chicken breasts. Plenty of jalapeno powder makes this recipe quite spicy. But it still lacked the depth of flavor of some of the other recipes.

I'm a citizen!:
I have to admit that I enjoy reading the Sterns' books primarily for their food writing. Even if I never prepared a single recipe out of any of their many titles, I would still value their books and, generally, give them pretty high ratings. In other words, I'm a fan of "food lit." From that standpoint, this book was a little disappointing, in that it's split fifty-fifty (almost literally, given the fifty states plus D.C.) between recipes and commentary. This utilitarian little guide doesn't have the foodie allure of "Roadfood," which remains, to this point, my favorite Stern book. I readily admit that for most people, though, and especially for chili-heads who may not necessarily be Stern fans, this title has a lot to offer. Specifically, what it has to offer is chili -- fifty-one recipes ranging from the classic (Massachusetts' Rock-ribbed bean-and-beef chili) to the exotic (Hawaii's Paniolo macadamia nut and chipotle chili) to the, frankly, bizarre (West Virginia's Fried bologna chili). I was expecting Washington to offer some kind of salmon-based chili, and was intrigued to find instead a recipe featuring our other well-known export, coffee. What you won't find is a "basic" chili -- each recipe is an unusual, not to say unique, regional variation on a theme that is left unstated (kind of the "Enigma Variations" of food, I guess). With all this diversity, there's something for every taste, including vegetarians. Even if you're not a chili-head, it's worth the effort to track down this book and give a few of the selections a try.

Creative chili book:
One of my culinary quests in life is for the ultimate bowl of chili. Just when I think I've found it, someone comes up with a new idea to create another savory and spicy chili recipe. This book is full of recipes like that, and they often contain ingredients reflecting the local cuisine or some aspect of the local food culture. For example, the Hawaii recipe contains macadamia nuts, the Vermont recipe has maple syrup in it, and the Wasthington state one is spiked with coffee (appropos of Starbucks), and the Pennsylvania recipe has unsweetened cocoa powder. The recipes also very quite a bit; most contain meat, but some are totally vegetarian, and some don't even have beans. There are red chilis, green chilis, spicy and not so spicy recipes, and the meats include beef, pork, sausage, chicken, lamb, shrimp, and veal. Some of the recipes stretch the definition of chili to the breaking point or perhaps beyond, such as the Maryland recipe that calls for shrimp and crabmeat in a cream sauce with a little chili powder. But whether this counts as true chili or not, I found the ingenuity and creativity of many of the state's recipes a delight and an interesting theme around which to build a cookbook about chili. If you're into variety as well as spicy food, you'll probably enjoy trying out all the recipes here. The ones that don't have a locally famous ingredient often come from a restaurant the Sterns ate in that had a recipe that they liked. The authors also include a lot of information on chili history and trivia and a mail-order list of places to get spices and chilis. And last but not least, the Sterns also include a few side-dish recipes, such as coleslaw, jalapeno cornbread, corn pudding, and a three-bean salad. Overall a witty, well-written, and interesting cookbook on a great American dish, and with some nice, extra features thrown in for good measure.

A great little book that's worth more than the ticket price:
I admit--I first got this book on a whim to top up an order for Super Saver Shipping. It's now one of my most reached-for cookbooks, and is almost falling apart from use! CAVEAT: Don't buy this book unless you have access to most of the various chilies--fresh, dried, and canned--in the book; using the listed ingredients really DOES make a difference. However, the Internet is a great resource for finding hard-to-find items, and dried chilies stay forever in a bag in the freezer. Also, the contents of an opened can can be frozen in a baggie...having said that, I have won more than one informal pot-luck prize with the gems in this book. Not all chili has to be watery, or contain starch--many of the recipes are for what I call "Texas-style" recipes--all meat, no beans--which leaves you to choose your own side-dish to temper the heat. This book runs the gamut of recipes from ultra-mild to very hot, vegetarian to carnivore paradise. Almost every single recipe requires only one pot, and can easily be increased for a crowd. For solitary folks, nothing beats a batch of chilie--eat half over a few days and freeze the rest for a great meal when you're in a rush. Get this one and have fun!