Caribbean Chili

If you could make one thing for the rest of your life, only one thing, what would it be? For me, this one thing would be chili. Over the last year-and-a-half, since I've obtained a slow cooker, I've probably made enough chili to feed every kid whose ever been on Double Dare, their parents, and Marc Summers.

Speaking of which, did you know Marc Summers has an intense case of OCD? He freaks out when things get dirty, kind of like myself. With that in mind, slow cooker chili is a great idea. You don't need much else besides a knife and a cutting board and perhaps a sink. A good clean mixing spoon is also essential.

For this recipe, featured at the recent Labor Day Jello Wrestling fiasco, I decided to try a Caribbean style of cookery.

Here is a good vegetarian chili base to start with:

2 cups kidney or black beans, cooked
4 cups tomatoes, halved
1 Tablespoon molasses
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
2-3 bell peppers, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano

Let this all cook on low, all day long. At least 8 hours. From here you can venture out to places unknown to common chili. Here's what I added to get this version of Caribbean Chili:

3/4 cup shredded coconut
2 cups pineapple, chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon allspice

You can let this sit for an additional hour or two before serving.