In article >,
Goomba > wrote:

> FERRANTE wrote:
> > Last week on MasterChef, one of the chefs made chili with 20
> > ingredients. Two were fresh cilantro and cumin, both of which I bought
> > today.
> >
> > I am going to be making the equivalent of about 2 gallons worth of
> > chili. Can you recommend how much of each would be necessary to flavor
> > the chili as I have never used these before?

> I can't imagine ever having *made* chili without cumin!?
> I'd start with about 3 Tablespoons for that big quantity. Maybe more.

The nice thing about using chili powder (which is a mixture of spices),
is that it has exactly the right amount of cumin already in it. Of
course, since no two people agree on how much of *anything* belongs in
chili, it only has exactly the right amount for the person who
determined the recipe for that particular brand of chili powder! Still,
I seldom add cumin to my chili if I spice it with chili powder.

> I don't add cilantro to my chili, but it could be very nice chopped and
> served at the table for diners to top their own bowls with as they desire.

I also prefer the cilantro as a garnish, besides which, if I added it to
the chili, my wife wouldn't eat it!

--
Dan Abel
Petaluma, California USA