By Halloween. The costume chronicles, year five. Luc: refused to dress up. Genuinely refused. Danielle could not overcome this. He went trick-or-treating with his friends in regular clothes and called it "going as a high school student," which is technically a costume and technically infuriating. Colette: Frida Kahlo. Unibrow included. (She drew it herself. It was accurate. It was commitment.) Rémy: chef. White coat, chef's hat, a wooden spoon in his pocket. My heart. My whole heart. The boy went as a chef. With a wooden spoon. I took seventy photographs. Danielle took more.
Made chili — the Halloween standard. But this year, venison chili from the deer, because the freezer is full and the cycle continues: hunt in November, eat through winter. Rémy, in his chef costume, helped me stir the chili and declared it "ready" by tasting it with his own spoon, which he pulled from his chef coat pocket with the flourish of a man drawing a sword. He's eight. He carries a spoon. He is everything Joey hoped for and everything I'm trying to raise and everything the bayou produces when the water and the love are right.
This is the chili recipe that started it all — the one Danielle and I built our Halloween tradition around before the deer filled the freezer and we started swapping in venison every November. If you’re working with what the land gives you, sub the venison pound-for-pound where the recipe calls for extra beans; the spice blend holds it beautifully. And if you’ve got an eight-year-old in a chef’s coat standing next to you at the stove, wooden spoon at the ready — let him stir. Let him declare it done. He’s probably right.
Zippy Vegetarian Chili
Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 45 min | Total Time: 1 hr 5 min | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and minced (leave seeds in for more heat)
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
- 1 can (15 oz) diced tomatoes with green chiles
- 1 can (15 oz) dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 cup frozen corn kernels
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- Optional toppings: shredded cheddar, sour cream, sliced green onions, pickled jalapeños, crushed tortilla chips
Instructions
- Sauté the aromatics. Heat olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and both bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
- Bloom the spices. Stir in the chili powder, cumin, smoked paprika, cayenne, and oregano. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, to toast the spices into the vegetables. Season generously with salt and black pepper.
- Build the base. Pour in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes with green chiles, and vegetable broth. Stir to combine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
- Add the beans and corn. Stir in all three cans of beans and the frozen corn. Bring the chili to a gentle boil over medium-high heat.
- Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover partially, and simmer for 30–35 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chili thickens and the flavors meld. Taste and adjust salt, pepper, and cayenne as needed.
- Finish with vinegar. Stir in the apple cider vinegar just before serving — it brightens everything and pulls the heat into focus.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with shredded cheddar, sour cream, green onions, and any other toppings you like. Serve with cornbread or tortilla chips on the side.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 285 | Protein: 14g | Fat: 4g | Carbs: 49g | Fiber: 14g | Sodium: 620mg