Obama's Chili

I’ve been struck by Obama fever these last few days, even from abroad. I’ve been glued to the TV (CNN International, of course) watching every moment of the inauguration and the president's first couple of days. For someone who has been watching this campaign (and Barack Obama, in general) for several years now, this is an incredibly exciting time!

Today I had some leftover beef from the hamburgers we made last night (it’s all-American chez moi these days), and after looking around, I stumbled upon this recipe for the Obama family chili, which he shared during the campaign. Supposedly, Obama has been making this same recipe of chili since college! It’s a fairly simple recipe, nothing too fancy or unusual, but the flavors work well together and it ended up being delicious. Mine was a little too chunky at the end (probably because I let all the juices evaporate while I kept it simmering on the stove forever…oops!), so I added a few tablespoons of tomato paste and a little bit of beef broth, making it just right. With no sour cream, I topped mine with a dollop of creme fraiche---insanely delicious!

Now, if only I could find some decent tortilla chips…

Barack Obama's Chili
serves aprox. 8
from Barack Obama

1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
Several cloves of garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey or beef
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground oregano
1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/4 teaspoon ground basil
1 tablespoon chili powder
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Several tomatoes, depending on size, chopped
1 can red kidney beans

Sauté onions, green pepper and garlic in olive oil until soft. Add ground meat and brown. Combine spices together into a mixture, then add to ground meat. Add red wine vinegar. Add tomatoes and let simmer, until tomatoes cook down. Add kidney beans and cook for a few more minutes.

Serve over white or brown rice. Garnish with grated cheddar cheese, onions and sour cream.