"Elana Kehoe" > wrote in message
...
> So I figured out why my chili last week was so...powerful. US chili
> powder is a blend, where the chili powder here is not...it's just ground
> chilis.
>
> Today, I am making chili again (the last batch was inedible, but it kept
> the cats out of the trash), but now it seems like there's too darn much
> cumin in the mix.
>
> The chili powder recipe I used was from
> http://webpages.charter.net/budnscoot/CA3.htm, and it calls for 2 T of
> cumin, 2T of garlic powder, and about 7 dried/toasted chilis. My chili
> recipe calls for 2t of cumin. Is this just going to overpower anything
> else in the recipe? The chili powder and the cumin are the two biggest
> amounts of spice (actually, the only spice, save for 2t of garlic).
> --
> It's Tis Herself

Wayyyy too much cumin. A little goes a long way with that stuff.

If you can, get the whole seeds and toast them in a dry skillet until you
see tiny wisps of smoke. Grind them up in a mortar and pestle to a fine
powder. Use about 1/4 tsp of this fine powder in your chili recipe.

Jack Pungentawny

PS You're using fresh garlic right?