The 5th Annual V-day Chili-fest

So, I’m only about a month and a half late with this post…but it’s for such a worthwhile topic, I figured I may as well post it anyway (I will give updates on radiation, pottery and other tasty treats that have been coming out of the kitchen later this week).

That many pots on one table can only mean one thing: It’s time for Chili-fest! What started as an inexpensive, inclusive alternative to the absurd annual tradition that is Valentine's Day in NYC - an overpriced, unexciting prix-fixe meal for which you spend weeks trying to get a reservation only to end up having to eat dinner at either 5:30 or 10:30pm while the server is pushing you out when you're still working through the second course - has since turned into an increasingly larger event that is anxiously awaited once the new year hits, if not year-round.

Back in early February, we hosted our fifth year party celebrating this spicy stew. And what an event it was! Somehow we managed to squeeze 40 adults and two kids into our 700 square foot apartment. There were seven different chilis (all loaded with different meats and combinations of meats) and a ratatouille. We also had spicy polenta bread, a simple cornbread and my own spicy bacon (yeah, yeah, shocking, I know) cornbread. For the few people that were interested, there was also a green salad and a pickled bean salad (in all seriousness, both salads were delicious…but who goes to Chilifest to eat salad?).

And the desserts…homemade chocolate pudding, chocolate cupcakes with chocolate frosting, Italian pastries, oreo cookie cookies, and rice krispy treats (I think our friends' daughter ate 90% of these). Needless to say, everyone pretty much rolled out of here – after a few Tums of course.

But the best part of the night was the company. We had friends coming in from the tri-state area, of course – Brooklyn, Queens, Jersey and Long Island all representing. We also had friends coming down from Boston and even as far away as Chicago! And all of my various education institutions were represented – Colgate, FCI (yes, all of my culinary school friends cooked) and even pottery class.

Unlike most of the parties we throw, this is the one event where I don’t spend most of the time in the kitchen – Eric is the one who makes the chili. However, I do like to round out the dinner with some guacamole, pigs in a blanket, desserts, and my kitchen sink cornbread (although I’m not sure I should be using that phrase after this article in the NYTimes).

Unsurprisingly, my signature cornbread has a package of bacon in it…and the rendered bacon fat is used in the cornbread in place of vegetable oil…and then the cornbread is cooked in a cast iron pan that the bacon is cooked in (that has bacon fat coating it).

We can't wait to see you at the 6th Annual V-day Chili-fest in 2009!

Bacon-Jalapeno Cornbread
While you don’t have to use a cast iron skillet, I find that cooking the cornbread in the hot cast iron pan with the rendered bacon fat makes for a nicely browned, well-seasoned and very crispy crust - a nice contrast to all of the goodies inside the moist cornbread. But if for some reason, you are opposed to bacon fat (to whom I say, who are you?), feel free to cook this in a vegetable or canola oil-greased baking dish.

6 slices thick cut bacon – cut into ½ inch pieces
1 package frozen corn – defrosted (fresh would be even better, but hard to find in Feb)
1/2 cup chopped scallions
6 ounces pepper jack cheese – shredded coarsely
½ cup sliced jalapenos (fresh of pickled) – chopped
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil or rendered bacon fat

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Cook bacon in large cast iron pan, rendering fat out. Once cooked and slightly crisped, remove bacon keeping a good layer of fat in pan (if not using a cast iron pan, grease a 9-inch square baking dish with a few tablespoons of the rendered bacon fat or vegetable oil).

While bacon is cooking, mix together flour, cornmeal, baking powder, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, mix together milk and eggs. Add milk mixture to flour mixture and stir just to combine.

Once combined, fold in scallions, cheese, corn, jalapenos and cooked bacon pieces. Smooth top and cook in oven for 30-35 minutes (cornbread is ready when a wooden skewer poked into the middle of the cornbread comes out clean).