Page 40 - June Banner 2018_Neat

Page 40 June 2018 The Catoctin Banner Newspaper www.TheCatoctinBanner.com Published by www.EPlusPromotes.com

by Buck Reed
The

Supermarket

Gourmet

Chili Na tion

The exact origins of chili are fires from brightly colored carts.
muddled at best. The only sure These women were dubbed “Chili
thing is that it is an American dish Queens” and were considered a
that is only made in Mexico for must-have for both a quick lunch
tourists. In most Mexican culture, or a late-night meal after a night of
chili con carne is considered a vile drinking. By the 1930s, they were
dish served and eaten in the United put out of business due to poor
States, from California to New health standards. A resurgence
York. So, I do not believe anyone of the Chili Queens started in the
would dispute our claim that this is 1980s, when San Antonio began
an American dish. doing historic reenactments, with
Chili can find its origins all a festival dedicated to them held in
the way back to the 1600s, where May.
a nun, Sister Mary of Agreda of The Chili Queens were quickly
Spain, said she ministered to the replaced by chili houses all
American Indians, who never even through Texas, as well as the
met her. She never left Spain, but surrounding states. As this was the
it is said that she would go into Depression, nearly every town had
lifeless trances for days, in which an establishment, and chili, being
she claims she brought spiritual a cheap dish to produce, got many
guidance to a faraway land. The people through the hardest times.
Indians of North America called In these one-room houses, with
her spirit “The lady in Blue.” She little more than a counter and some
is credited with being the first stools, a bowl of chili was served
person to write out a recipe using with all the crackers you could eat.
antelope meat, onions, spices, Cincinnati made its mark
chilis, and tomatoes. Every great on chili in 1922, when Athanas
dish should have a mystical element Kiradjieff, also known as Tom,
in its history. If we only could have made a chili with Greek spices and
worked in how Excalibur was used served it over spaghetti. Five-way
to chop the meat in the first chili. chili is served layered with cheese,
Chili eventually found it’s way to onions, and kidney beans, and
the New World, and firmly found served with a side of hot dogs.
its place in the cattle drives of the If you want proof that Chicago
1850s. Dried beef was mixed with is the home of dirty politics,
dried chilis and spices and formed you can look no further than its
into bricks that could easily travel treatment of chili and its origins.
and be rehydrated into a hot meal First, they spell it with two “L’s”
on the long drives. By the 1860s, to more closely resemble Illinois.
the Texas penal system adopted And in a shameful and immoral
chili to feed the inmates a cheap move, Illinois State Senator Karen
meal. Criminals would actually rate Harasa introduced Resolution No.
a jail house by the quality of the 89 in the Illinois General Assembly,
chili they served. which proclaimed Illinois to be
By the 1880s, Latino women known as “The Chilli Capital of the
would sell bowls of homemade Civilized World.” Texans are still
chili, kept warm over mesquite pretty angry about that one.

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