[CH] another helpful hint

Andrea L. Paysinger (asenji@earthlink.net)
Sun, 07 Feb 1999 14:21:10 -0800

To avoid burning chili.

A young friend called me this morning to ask if I had a "Flame Tamer"
she could borrow to make sure 'this'  batch of chili  would not burn.
(I was told a sad story about a batch on Superbowl Sunday  that  ended
up tasting like singed cat)
Well,  duh!    I  don't  own a Flame Tamer,   though it is an excellent
idea, that is,  to keep the bottom of the chili  pot from being in
direct contact with a flame or heat source when one is doing the  long,
slow  simmering that makes the best chili. ( In my humble opinion)
What I do have and use  if I have to cook in a pot that is less than
ideal (and which I recommended to my friend)  is a cast iron skillet
that is big enough for the chili pot to sit in.
All a Flame Tamer is, is a disc of metal that  distributes the heat over
a wider area so there is no "hot spot"  .
Well,  a cast iron skillet  is also a disk of metal  that just happens
to have sides.
Cast iron skillets can be found in thrift shops, swapmeets, tag sales,
garage sales, estates sales, etc.    If you come across one with
Griswold on the bottom,  those are collectibles.  There are other
collectibles, however  Wagner and Lodge are more modern.    Any will do.

--
Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON Basenjis,Teafer,Cheesy,Singer & Player
asenji@earthlink.net    So. Calif. USA   "In the face of adversity, be
patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent, be canny, be on your
guard!"
http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/