Original Essays
by Crystal Wilkinson, January 24, 2024 12:41 PM
We are so thrilled to be able to feature a recipe from Crystal Wilkinson's revelatory new cookbook, Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts.
This is a mild chili, similar to the one I grew up with. It’s the perfect meal for a frosty fall evening. It’s perfect for a family of all spice preferences; you can increase the heat for those who want it (like my husband) or enjoy its tomatoey mildness. At my house, we now top it with a scoop of sour cream and a sprinkling of cheddar cheese and serve it with saltines on the side. When we owned Wild Fig Books and Coffee in Lexington, we served our chili with goat cheese underneath and cornbread that had a touch of sweetness. It makes a great meal on its own, or you can serve it with grilled cheese or peanut butter sandwiches on the side. The addition of spaghetti — typical in this region — stretches it to feed a large family.
10 to 12 servings (makes about 14 cups)
2 pounds ground beef or ground turkey
1 large onion, chopped
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Crushed red pepper flakes
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices, or 2 cups diced fresh tomatoes
1 (14- to 16-ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
46 ounces tomato juice (5¾ cups)
Table salt
7 ounces dried spaghetti
Sour cream, for serving
Shredded cheddar cheese, for serving
Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Working in batches as needed, brown the ground meat just until no trace of pink remains, stirring often. If there is a lot of rendered fat, drain that off.
Move the meat to one side of the pot and add the onion. Cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until it has softened, then stir in the chili powder, garlic powder, and a small pinch of red pepper flakes into the meat.
Add the diced tomatoes with their juices, the kidney beans, and tomato juice. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
About 15 minutes before the chili is done, bring a pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Salt it generously. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente following the directions on the package. Drain the pasta and add it to the pot of chili. Cover and cook for the remaining minutes so the pasta absorbs some of the chili’s flavor. Taste and add more salt and/or red pepper flakes as needed. Serve hot, with sour cream and cheese.
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Crystal Wilkinson, Kentucky’s Poet Laureate from 2021 to 2023, is the award-winning author of Perfect Black; The Birds of Opulence; Water Street; and Blackberries, Blackberries. She is the recipient of an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Poetry, an O. Henry Prize, a USA Artists Fellowship, and an Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence. She has received recognition from the Yaddo Foundation, Hedgebrook, The Hermitage Foundation, and others. Her short stories, poems, and essays have appeared in numerous journals and anthologies. She currently teaches at the University of Kentucky in the creative writing MFA program.
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Reprinted with permission from Praisesong for the Kitchen Ghosts: Stories and Recipes from Five Generations of Black Country Cooks by Crystal Wilkinson copyright© 2024. Photographs by Kelly Marshall copyright ©2024. Published by Clarkson Potter, an imprint of Penguin Random House.
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