"Watch out, Texas!" (that's the chili talking, not me).

Apparently, the Pacific Northwest has its own take on chili. I know this because R+M came back from Spokane with a PNW chili mix for me to try.

Here is Buckeye Beans & Herbs' Rip Roar'n Lentil Chili mix (does it really save time to leave out the "i" in "Roarin'?") in the making. Ingredients: tomato, lentils, meat, onion, spices. No beans. Dan thought to add some mushrooms.

I say anything with lentils counts as health food. You know who makes the best lentils? Eat Records in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. But I digress. The chili was, perhaps, under-spiced, but quite good with scallions and a little cheese. Sour cream would have raised the volume even more.

Lentils in chili - a good idea. I wouldn't say Texas owns chili just yet. After all, if you don't know chilly, how can you really know chili? Washington State's got a lock on spicy soup/stew weather. That's for sure. And so, the Pacific Northwest remains in the game.


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Sidebar: I had the Food Network on in the background for a while this morning. One of the show hosts used the phrase "rock it out" far too much and also gave the instruction (more than once) to set food aside or let it cook without watching it by saying, "treat it like a stepchild." I disapprove. Even hearing her say, "It smells brown," which is the type of inaccurate statement I can find endearing in a tv host (if not overused), couldn't redeem her carelessness.