Cooking, Fast and Slow

The more leisurely recipe for this week is on-point for fall, bulgur chili, in which bulgur takes the place of ground meat, providing body and thickening power. While this recipe isn’t necessarily “slow”—the preparation and cooking are relatively fast—but like most stews, this will taste better the next day. All sorts of vegetables can be incorporated: corn kernels; chopped zucchini, squash, carrots, celery, and more. Add them in Step 1. Beans are not essential, though they can easily be added (see the first variation).

This brings us to our Friday discussion: We’ve noticed more chili dishes abound, with a Tex-Mex version sold at one of our favorite newish NYC restaurants, Yellow Rose, in which the beef chili is laced with cumin and cilantro. Other versions around the country have loyalists such as this collection from Dallas and Cincinnati’s Skyline Chili that, yes, it’s a chili chain, but it’s a chain that has birthed limited edition chili-dog sneakers.