Chili for the Chilly

I made chili today! Jumping out of bed at 5 a.m., I plodded to the kitchen, barefoot and flannel-nightied, with an inner determination: chili and chicken noodle soup. Still half asleep, I waddled down to the storage room downstairs, and took my 2 largest stainless pots down from the shelves. The floor beneath my feet was wonderful, all warm from the below-floor heating, then up to the very cold stone-floored kitchen. I put the groats on to cook for an hour, and figured that they'd be just about ready for our breakfast, by the time I had the chili ingredients all chopped and caramelized, with all the special elusive spices dug out from the jumbled corner cupboard (one day, I have to make a big effort and clean this space out!). This particular chili was a first for me: it was the first time in my life that I had ever used jalapeno peppers! I continue to fight my lone battle that life can be quite exceptional without hot peppers, but today, because I was making a double batch for the youth chili fest on Sunday I decided to swallow my pride and pull out all the stops. So I chopped the onions and peppers, both sweet and hot, smooshed the 12 cloves of garlic, yes 12! Then I washed my hands and washed them again, then just for good measure, did it again, this time rubbing them on the stainless tap to neutralize the garlic. It worked. The 'carne' had been browned and the onions had turned a beautiful golden colour. I turned out the spice cupboard and found all the herbs and spices, some that had come from Arles in the south of France, some from Paris, a dollop of Marmite that Sophie had brought me from England, some from Puerto Rico, herbes de Provence. What an international chef-d'oeuvre! After this extraordinary mish-mash had simmered for a couple of hours, in went the 6 cans (rinsed) of dark red kidney beans, the pile of chopped cilantro and the juice of a lime. The crowning glory was when Papa, taking a spoon, lifted it to his mouth, closed his eyes, breathed in the pungent delight deeply, then tasted the lovingly prepared offering...I think I held my breath: "I think this has to be the very best chili I've ever had." I have fallen in love all over again, not only with my darling husband, but too, with the idea of never thinking that you've arrived, but there's always another adventure just around the corner, in this instance, chili con carne with jalapenos!!
Still basking in the delight of it all, I went to work on the chicken noodle soup: thickly chopped bacon, a nice little chicken, together with her gizzards, heart and liver, lots of veggies: onions, garlic, leeks, celery, turnip, parsnip, red potato, herbs galore, and carrots. Pop it all in the other pot and cover over with chicken broth. Side by side, the chili and chicken filled the house with delightful smellies, all before the sun came up!! What fun, and oat groats to boot! I'm not so sure I could do it every day, but for this day, at least, I'm in my absolute element: and all's right with the world! Bon appetit!