It’s cold and snowy in Chicago, which means it’s a perfect time for a big pot of chili. There are as many different chili methods as there are cooks, so I know I’m stepping into dangerous territory sharing a chili recipe! This is just how Niles makes chili. (Correction: He says even that’s not consistent, and this is just how he happened to make chili THIS TIME.)

Anyway. THIS TIME, we started out with Ali Slagle’s technique for browning ground meat!

I have to confess that this isn’t even exactly how Niles made this chili. He started by toasting dried ancho and arbol chiles in a pan until they were fragrant, and then blending them up in a food processor with a little bit of broth, a heaping tablespoon of gochujang, cocoa, ground coffee, and a number of dried spices. I decided I wanted this to be a more basic chili recipe, but maybe a future newsletter should include his chili paste technique.

Maybe it should also include what he made for breakfast this morning, which was skillet-fried hash browns, topped with leftover chili and copious amounts of melted cheese. (^_^)

Current events:

Folks. It feels so useless to be writing dumb comics about food at this terrifying and troubling time, when children are wailing in detention camps and the government murders people on the street and lies about it. If you can’t join a protest or a general strike please, please consider calling your reps. 5 Calls makes it SO EASY, they even give you a script, and it’ll take just seconds out of your day. Call your reps even if you know they agree with you; call them even if you know they don’t agree with you. If there are no consequences for their actions in Minneapolis, they will repeat those actions in every city and town in America. ICE can’t be allowed to terrorize our cities. No one should be gunned down for protecting a woman from tear gas.

Shameless Self-Promotion:

AGAIN. I can’t stress how dumb it feels to be talking about food comics while our republic crumbles around us, but last week I got some advance copies of Let’s Make Cocktails! IT’S SO LOVELY!

I have to share this too: David Wondrich, legendary cocktail historian and writer of many excellent books, (including most recently The Comic Book History of the Cocktail) wrote me the loveliest blurb:

"As an introduction to the fine art, craft–whatever it is–of mixing drinks, Let's Make Cocktails! is as charming as it is thorough. If it doesn't set you to mixing, I don't know what will."

That took my breath away! The book will be out in April, but you can preorder it here or at your favorite indie bookstore today!

What I’m into lately:

So, I bought Persona 5 Royal for the Switch. I have played this game already. I played the original version (multiple times) and the Royal version (multiple times) on the Playstation. It was on sale, so I bought it again for the Switch, and now I can play it in bed. I am such a sucker for this series! I have played multiple versions (again, multiple times) of Personas 2, 3, 4, and 5 now. I have always been a big fan of the magical-realism mix of mundane life and fantasy, and the series’ Jungian approach to the psyche, self knowledge, and relationships. Persona 5’s additional themes of authoritarian injustice and combatting tyranny are hitting extra hard these days. (ㆆ_ㆆ)

What Toki’s into lately:

It is cold! Toki needs body heat, and he will be seizing the snuggles, by any means necessary.

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