Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix

The frost came Thursday. An overnight 31 that killed the last of Gayle's garden and turned my truck windshield to crystal and made the kids wear hoodies for the first time. Frost is the starter pistol for fall. The first hot chili was Sunday — a bigger pot, the second of the season, eaten on the back porch with the sun going down and a breeze that insisted on itself. The kids wore sweatshirts. The dog lay under the table. Dave ate three bowls because he is Dave and chili is a purist religion with him.

Drove an Omaha run Monday-Tuesday. Ate in the cab. Wrote three pages in my notebook Monday night on the second book. A woman named Delia Harper from Nevada — 43 years old, single mother of three, drives ice cream freight coast to coast — was my fifth phone interview. She told me about cooking on the truck using a plug-in rice cooker. She taught me how to make a rice cooker curry with Thai basil she carries in a small planter in the cab. I am going to try it. I am going to try everything these women teach me. The second book is going to be a different book than the first. The first was mine. The second is theirs. I am a conduit. I am fine being a conduit.

Justin had his fourth varsity game Friday — home, against Hastings. 8 carries, 66 yards, 1 touchdown. The coach bumped him to second-string running back. Justin said nothing at dinner. Nothing. He ate. He went to bed. In the morning he was up at 6 lifting. Nothing changes externally. Internally he is a boy on fire.

Amber texted Thursday: "Declared my major. Social work. Officially." I wrote back: "Proud." She wrote back: "Love you." I wrote back: "Love you more." We usually do not do this. This is the softening of a relationship in the absence of daily life. I welcome it. I do not yet know how to manage it. I am new at long-distance mothering. I am learning.

Gayle and I made applesauce Saturday. Four pounds of apples from Mr. Hagen, peeled and cooked down with cinnamon and a little sugar. We ate it warm from the pot. Gayle said, "Your sister loved applesauce." I said, "I know, Ma." She said, "She used to put cheese on it." I laughed. Only Darla would have eaten applesauce with cheese. We both laughed. We made four pints. I took two home. Gayle kept two. Small rituals get you through.

Dave ate three bowls of that Sunday chili, and I’ll be honest — part of what makes his devotion feel earned is that I stopped reaching for the store packet years ago. With frost settling in and a bigger pot already waiting on the back porch, this is the time of year I mix up a fresh batch of homemade taco seasoning to keep on hand. It goes into the chili, into weeknight ground beef, into anything that needs that warm, smoky backbone that says fall is here — and it takes less time to make than it does to find a parking spot at the grocery store.

Prep Time: 5 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 5 minutes | Servings: 6 (about 1 tablespoon each)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional, for heat)

Instructions

Measure and combine. Add all spices — chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes if using — into a small bowl.
Stir to blend. Whisk or stir until the spices are evenly combined and no streaks of individual spices remain.
Taste and adjust. Pinch a small amount and taste. Add more salt, heat, or cumin to suit your preference.
Store. Transfer to a small airtight jar or zip-top bag. Label with the date. Store in a cool, dark pantry for up to 6 months.
To use. Use 2 tablespoons of this blend per pound of ground meat or per large pot of chili. Add to browned meat along with a splash of water and stir to coat, or add directly to chili during the simmer phase.

Nutrition (per serving)

Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix — The Spice Behind Dave’s Chili Religion