Chili Tidbits (by http://www.tpoint.net/~wallen/chili.html) Info for you to think about when making your chili for the Feb 19th chili cook-off! Using Dried Chiles vs. Chili Powder - Some recipes call for preparing dried chiles such as Ancho or New Mexico varieties. You can substitute a chili powder for these, but I don't know what an accurate equivalent would be. I think one tablespoon of powder per pound of meat is a good place to start. As with the blended chili sauces, add half of the total amount of powder initially, gradually adding more until it's right for you. Chile powder is not the same as chili powder. The former is pure powdered chiles, while the later is chili powder plus a bunch of other spices (Ex. instant chili"). Preparing Dried Peppers - Most peppers can be re-hydrated by removing the stems & seeds, and soaking or simmering them in hot water for an hour or so. They can then be blended into a sauce using a little water or a stock for thinning. (Some people claim that leaving the seeds in adds to the heat sensation, but I've heard that the seeds don't actually contain much capsaicin.) Dried New Mexico or Anaheim chiles require more work. The New Mexico/Anaheim varieties have smooth, tough skin. Do not try the soak-and-blend technique; you'll get a mess that resembles ground-up plastic! Instead, cut off the tops of the peppers to remove the stems and seeds and to expose the interior. Steep them for an hour in hot water. Then cut the peppers in half length-wise. For each half, carefully scrape off the inner pulp with a flat knife. Then scrape the pulp off the knife into the blender. Add a little water or stock to blend into sauce. This take some practice, but the rewards are great! If you have a food processor, you can make your own chili powders. I don't do this, but it probably amounts to, ``put dried peppers in food processor and press the `powder' button.'' Seasonings - I don't mention salt, black pepper, bay leaves, & that sort thing, because you should use them according to your own taste & experience. My recipes are just a starting point. ##