A Tale Of Two Chili's

It was the best of reds and it was the worst of reds... There is a fierce debate among chili heads about whether beans belong in "real" chili.  I for one like both but feel that a real Texas Red Chili should be a NO BEAN chili, Period!  I like to use whole dried chili's of various heat and types.  I usually combine a hot with a smoky with a mild in my recipe.  I hydrate them and use the liquid paste for the chili flavoring and use chili powder just as a boost to the flavor and heat.  Dried chili's are easy to find in the grocery store, generally in the produce section or in the ethnic or spice aisles.  Once you use them you will find they have a much better flavor than just powdered spice.  It's a smoother creamier texture in the chili.  I'll post My Texas Red recipe in the recipe page.  Nothing better on a cold late winter afternoon! Take a look and if you want a good resource on dried chili's check out this link....   http://www.foodsubs.com/Chiledry.html