Yummmmm I love chili with a hint of dark chocolate, DH does it that way. I like to make beef stew, a pretty simple one. I keep cut-up beef for it in the freezer, and in the pantry Lipton mix, Campbell's, red wine, and root vegetables. So it's not gourmet, but it sure is warm comfort food that simmers in the crockpot all day, and is even better the next. With fresh bread.

But right after shoveling I like nachos! Crunch, salt, cheese, guacamole.

Not wanting to disappoint my soon to be 10 y/o, who requested ribs for her birthday dinner that we are celebrating tonight (birthday is tomorrow but we are going skiing), dh got up early and has been braving the low temps today with negative wind chills and gusts up to 40mph to smoke them outside on his smoker. Since he was going to all that trouble, he is also smoking a pork butt which he will freeze for pulled pork.

On top of that, he saw a recipe for Ding Dong cake, which is a layer cake with some sort of marshmellow filling and a salted caramel ganache and decided to make that for her birthday cake, with her blessing. He's been in the kitchen all day while I've slothed around, reading and trying to fix my computer (to no avail).

We are now supposed to be getting a snow storm tomorrow night, but we will be spending the night at a ski lodge and returning on Tuesday after a day of skiing. I hope the storm doesn't ruin our plans. My kids are already off on winter break tomorrow-Wednesday, but they will be bummed if this storm (we haven't had snow yet this year, just ice and rain) cancels our plans! But alas, if it does, we will have plenty of food from all that dh has been cooking up today!

That chili recipe with chocolate sounds great and it looks great too. We also love chili and it is a great comfort food.

Nothing says comfort to me like a big pot of chili. Thanks to the cooking forum I found the Joan of Arc clientele beans I've always used in mine.

Robo that chili looks so good that I want to ladle a bowl right up.

Having chili tonight so the leftovers will be in our fridge should we need them. We are having very low temps for the south and expected to have sleet/snow mix with possible accumulation tomorrow. I bought stuff to make vegetarian lasagna tomorrow since I will be off. I really hate it for you folks up in the N & NE who have been hammered.

Aren't stews and chili's just the best in cold weather?? 4kids4us, your husband is brave! What a nice dad. My husband likes bbqing in winter but today would have been just too much for him! Actually our city has told us to keep off the streets for the next 36 hours...flooding and flash freeze.

I have a friend who said her DH's favorite storm food is hot nacho cheese dip and chips! You know, the gooey cheese and rotel with sausage. Party on!

Would you mind saying what dark chocolate you use? We love chili and I'd love to try it with dark chocolate. Thank you.

I also would like that chili recipe if you don't mind sharing. I cook a fair amount but would you believe I have never made chili. Would like to give it a go.

Asked dh about the chili.

He said:

1.5 lbs Ground chicken (browned in the bottom of the pot with cumin and garlic)

Add 3 cups diced veggies (Onions, mushrooms, red pepper, green pepper and celery) - no onions for me though

add can of red kidney beans

add small can of corn

can of diced tomatoes, pureed in blender with with 2 cloves garlic, cumin and curry powder, pepper, then added to rest

1/2 Small can tomato paste

3/4 cup port

4 squares dark chocolate (darkest you can get, ours was Swiss)

Parmesan rind or salt to taste

simmer for an hour or two

I made a boiled dinner with smoked shoulder, I reserved the bone and some of the meat to use for pea soup which I'll make Tues. when we get ANOTHER storm. I'm south of Boston and it feels like the tundra here, high winds, swirling snow, 2 below zero and mounds and mounds of 6,7, and 8 foot piles of snow.

Thank you, robo, It sounds delicious. I'll make it Tuesday. Corn, chocolate, and port…it will be different for us!

Yaya, I have a big bowl of spilt pea soup in the fridge, made yesterday with smoked hocks. Love it with garlic croutons and a Ham on rye sandwich. I have always preferred winter foods to summer foods, though I certainly prefer summer weather!

While we haven't had the big snowstorms here in Wisconsin, the temps have been horribly cold last week and predicted again this week. Dangerous wind chills temps several days. Since there was a break in the frigid temperatures last Friday (high of 20 degrees, wheee!), I went grocery shopping and stocked up on all sorts of winter weather goodies.

I think I'll be making some beef short ribs today or tomorrow, served over mashed potatoes.

Thank you for the recipe robo, I will give it a try.

My favorites are our New Mexican Posole, which is a pork, hominy and red chile soup/stew. Another favorite is my French green lentil soup. Had it last night again even though it was in the 60's here yesterday (and snow predicted for tonight!). I'm thinking about making my French Onion Soup for tomorrow 's supper. That, along with a green salad, a fresh pear, pecans, a chunk of good cheese and a great bottle of wine is my very favorite Winter meal. I love making homemade soups all Fall and Winter.

Here in TN we are under a state of emergency due to an ice storm. We both got home mid-day yesterday and are home today. Last night we had pork chops. Today we splurged and had cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I have cheesy chicken corn chowder simmering in the crock pot. YUM.

We got iced in yesterday afternoon but not before I managed a trip to DSW - priorities!! However, we had a pretty bare bones refrigerator so I'm just back from the market because the rest of the week is looking grim weather-wise. Starting a pot of beef barley soup now - that's my storm food, autumn has arrived food, winter is here food and general I want to feel nurtured food. My grandmother always made it for us so it tastes like love.

I refused to read this post earlier because I didn't want to jinx the weather in SE Virginia. Since we got 7 inches of snow last night anyway, I tuned in. Port and chocolate are going into my next pot o' chili! Yum! Maybe accompanied by a glass of port, too? And a chocolate brownie? Do they go together?

Beef stew in the slow cooker. Old fashioned, comfort food for a snow day.

My house is smelling good. We only got about 3 1/2 inches last night but my bff broke her leg/had surgery to give her some bling in the form of pins and plates .. so I am cooking for my house plus her house too. Have a pot of spicy bean and sausage soup on.. spinach stuffed chicken breasts are next. Tomorrow is Ina's baked shrimp scampi-- a favorite here-- while sturdy enough for a cold winter's day, the lemon/parsley/panko gives a reminder of spring.

Robo, your chili recipe sounds unbelievable. How much curry, cumin etc. 1 tsp.? Also, have you tried it with red wine rather than port? Thanks!

I found an unopened bottle of port in the basement today, probably someone brought it to Christmas Eve one year. (can you tell I'm snowed in? I'm down to de cluttering the basement!) I may have to try it in DH's next batch of chili! I'm doing beef stew today, can I use it in that?

I also found a bottle of Harveys Bristol Cream sherry. Haven't tried it since I was 18 and didn't like it then, but I didn't like beer, either, at that age. What can I do with it?

oldhouse - I'm sure I couldn't ask my husband, he's one of those cooks that just puts "enough" in. If I had to guess I'd say 2tsp cumin total and one of curry powder.

Husband has definitely made soup with red wine and I think it would go great in a chili! It would be a little less sweet than the port but would give a nice savory taste.

this is a little late bpathome but I think port would taste really great in a beef stew and sherry is a time honored addition to beef stew! Or casseroles or tomato sauces. I found this quote online that might explain what it adds: "Sherry will add a rancio characteristic, that is, moorish layers of almonds, dried fruits, spices to varying degrees and a grape spirit-ish fruit warmth all rapped in levels of complexity depending on the wines quality , great in gravies and stews " (from http://eatdrinkpaleo.com.au/hearty-paleo-beef-stew-recipe/)

If I recall correctly, I think the older the sherry the worse it will be for drinking (say within 2 years old or so) and the more likely I'd be to use it for cooking instead of having it in a glass alongside a nice cheese plate!

gyr falcon, I wish we could send you some of our snow! We weren't hit so hard compared to neighboring province PEI...although their storm led to some amazing photos!

We are getting another 10cm of snow tomorrow and some forecasts are calling for 20-40mm of RAIN on Sunday. We found out in the last rainstorm that all our storm drains in the city are frozen shut (inside the drain) so I'm guessing there will be a lot of local flooding if that happens.

I ended up putting a splash of Merlot in the beef stew instead of opening the port...maybe next time. I was reading about the Bristol cream, and apparently it's too sweet for savory dishes, but in a chowder it's supposed to be good. Hmm, might have to try that.

Bpathome- have a little glass of port, don't use it all for cooking! It's such a nice nightcap. My FIL introduced me to port, and we always have a little liqueur glass or two late at night when the family gets together. I love it! It's medicinal. And It gets better with age! Sherry on the other hand... use it for cooking!!

I don't care for port or sherry in stews-- too sweet. Shallots and carrots are as sweet as I'll go. I don't have a recipe but many years ago a friend of a friend used to make what he called "crazy killer noodles" -- I don't have a recipe but it was a baked creamy noodle dish with sherry (plus cream, garlic and gruyere and god knows what else!). They were killer good-- wicked good. I wouldn't dare eat them now :(

Funkyart, sounds deliciously fatal :) I'm going to see if I can find it!

Jlc, I'll try it. The Baileys is gone and the Amaretto nearly so. And finally, a chance to use those teeny sherry glasses from grandmama!

Sheesh, I'm with you on the winter foods, I really enjoy them so much more. We have more snow here and now another storm on the weekend. When I walk down the very white driveway the snow is up to my shoulders. Beyond amazing. DH took a fall yesterday going in to CVS today we went for xrays. 2 broken bones in his hand plus they found a cyst. We're seeing my hand specialist who operated on me 3 weeks ago. This is going to be fun. He has a bad left hand and I have a bad right. lol.

Oh, yayagal, sorry to hear he's a winter casualty! But you can wash each other's hands? Together you're a pair :)

Thanks robo! Sounds delicious. Can't wait to give it a try.

Ouch, yayagal, sorry to hear that. Heal fast and well.

While I love sipping port, I chickened out when I made the chili and used red wine instead, like I always do. I figured corn, mushrooms, and chocolate in chili would be enough of a shock! It was delicious with corn muffins and half a beer. Thanks for the recipe …it's a keeper! Oh, and I used gr beef instead of chicken. The mushrooms are a great addition.

So the red wine worked out well? I think I would like that a lot, too!

This chili isn't spicy at all...my husband and I have very different opinions on spiciness so I have to bring my own (habanero hot sauce).

You made me so hungry for chili that I made some today. It was yummy!