Rain: Three Days and Counting

In our subtropical climate, we don’t ice. Scratch that, we rarely ice. In the twenty-plus years I’ve been a San Antonian, we’ve had freezing precipitation a handful of times. If we aren’t in a drought, winters are wet. I’m not complaining. My friends up North have the right to complain. I see them on the news, digging out daily. In San Antonio, rain is an inconvenience. Especially when the kids are out of school for a week.

This morning, in a quiet house while everyone sleeps in, I’m making chili. Rainy day food. Cooking stirs my creative juice. I work out scenes in my head while I chop and dice. While the soup simmers, I go back to my desk to get the words down before they evaporate.

I’m not a true Texan. I wasn’t born here, so I can cheat on the recipe. Here’s a lighter version I’ve crafted out of cans from my pantry.

Rainy Day Chili

• 1 lb very lean ground turkey
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• olive oil, used liberally
• 1 t chili powder
• ½ t ground cumin
• ¼ t cinnamon (The secret ingredient)
• 1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 1 10 oz can diced tomatoes & green chilis
• 2 6 oz cans tomato paste
• 2 14 oz cans beef broth

Brown the turkey, onion, and garlic in olive oil, add spices and canned ingredients. Simmer over low heat for an hour. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with tortilla chips and grated cheddar. Makes 6 servings.