Halloween Chili Tradition

Over the past 13 or so years it has become tradition around the Chapman house that we make chili for Halloween. Two batches - one super spicy and one mild (ostensibly for the children). I brew a pumpkin ale (this year - pumpkin porter) and make homemade caramel for caramel apples. We invite a whole bunch of friends and their kids. Everyone takes turns walking with the kids to trick-or-treat; drinking pumpkin ale and eating chili all the while. A week or so ago a friend asked about our Halloween plans. Would we have the usual celebration? Would there be beer, caramel apples and ... chili?

Don't get me wrong. I love our chili - I still do "quality control" daily. The latest batch of mild I borrowed a brewing technique called dry hopping - hop oils, like toasted dried chile aromatics, are quite volatile and boiling drives them off. If you want an extra wallop of hop aroma in your beer (yes please) then you soak fresh hops in the beer while it conditions in secondary fermentation. I did something similar with the mild chili; fresh-from-the-oven ancho and cascabel aromatics are preserved, integrated and embedded in every bite. I love our chili. Love it! However - do I serve it for Halloween? I wonder if Ray Kroc served Big Macs on special occasions at his house?

So that is the question - should we continue our tradition or find some new scary spicy Halloweeny type food to serve? What would it be? Durian braised sweetbreads? Habaneros stuffed with ghost chiles? All suggestions welcome.

Start your own chili Halloween tradition! Come on by for 32 ounce containers - if you need larger quantities just give us a call (214-887-8872) and we'll work something out. Also, kids just love stuffed jalapenos in their trick-or-treat goodie bags! If you need chili or jalapenos at the last minute don't forget that Fran is down at the Dallas Farmer's market - even on Sundays! It's kind of like the liquor store being open an extra day - now you don't have to plan ahead for those last minute football parties.