I put beans in my chili more often than not, but I have also tried several different chilis without them.
I have a nice one in one of the cookbooks that I am recalling.
Now all I have to do is recall which cookbook it is in!
*evil grin
I developed an interest in cooking when I was 12 or 13. It’s an art. But I liked to know how to cook from scratch, and I liked to learn from people that actually came from where the dishes came from. My parents had some great, very old cookbooks, and friends that came from various parts of the country and the world. I continued my self imposed education for many years, so I can cook a huge variety of foods.
In my younger years, one of my favorite things to do was cook for a lot of people. Now that I’m older, not so much. I did cook some meals over the holidays in California.