Cafe Latte Chicken Chili

Chili. I love chili and could probably eat it at least once a week throughout the winter. There are just so many different kinds...there's white chili and red chili and vegetarian chili and meaty chili. And, if you're from Green Bay, there is chili with noodles in it. I'll talk about that another time because I have more chili recipes to post over this winter.

I have great memories of this chili. Paul and I used to go to Cafe Latte on Sunday evenings and each get a bowl of this chili when we were dating. I came across the recipe years later and am glad that I can re-create this great meal...especially now that I don't live close enough to Grand Avenue in St. Paul to stop in and get a bowl.

The version I have uses garbanzo beans instead of hominy, so that works also. I do use only 1 T or so of olive oil rather than the 3 that are mentioned in the recipe not because I'm virtuous but rather that I choose to have that fat portion in the toppings. This is a chili I have made for years....I think my boss when I worked in St. Paul somehow got this recipe...that was before it could be found on the internet because there wasn't the internet!

When Paul returns from Asian travel it's a bit unpredictable if he'll be hungry or not on his return. I used to make a nice dinner in anticipation of his homecoming; but I soon found that I was disappointed. Sometimes he ate a burger and fries on his return to American soil (like in Detroit or Minneapolis). Sometimes he hasn't eaten but falls asleep before dinner. So, this is my answer to his return...chili. Eleanor isn't a tomato fan, so I'm really ready to eat something with tomatoes. And, if Paul isn't interested in eating, it DOES taste better the next day, so I'm not too disappointed.

I top the chili with chopped red onions (rinsed under cold water to take a bit of the bite out....a Rick Bayless hint), tortilla chips, cheese, a lime wedge, and/or sour cream.

I think I'm going to have to try some of their other recipes also. This one does use quite a few canned items (as you can see). It was luck that I made it the weekend before our monthly recycling pick up....look at all those cans!