"Dad's" Kick-Ass Chili

My son Alex went to school in Rhode Island and had a friend who never tasted chili before. He asked me to write down the recipe so he could make it for him. Naturally, he never did. So Corsini, if you're out there:

2 lb ground sirloin
salt and pepper to taste
1 large onion, 1/4" dice
1 green pepper, same
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 four oz can diced, mild green chilies
3 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
2 tsp oregano
2 tsp coriander
28 oz can tomato puree
28 oz cn diced tomatoes
2-4 c beef broth or water
2 (16 oz) cans chili beans

Brown sirloin in a large pot; season with salt and pepper. Drain the grease and add onion; cook until soft. Add green pepper, garlic and chilies; cook 2 minutes. Add the spices and cook 2 minutes more. Add the tomatoes (both kinds) and water/beef broth. Cook covered over low heat for 45 minutes to an hour, stirring occasionaly. Add chili beans and cook an additional 30 minutes. Serve with fritos, grated cheddar cheese (this is, after all, a Wisconsin chili) and sour cream.

Pesto

Easy recipe, though time consuming. Expensive, unless you grow the garlic and basil yourself. Worth it? I think so.

Yield: 2 1/2 lb pesto

3-4 lg basil plants (free)
5 bulbs garlic (free)
.40 lb pine nuts, toasted (about $12.00)
2 c extra virgin olive oil ($7.00)
4 oz good quality Parmesan- the better the better ($4.00 or more)
2-3 hours labor (free- more or less)

Wash the basil- getting as many stems and bug eaten leaves out of the way as possible. Dry it out in a salad spinner. (Note: no one ever died from a few little ground-up bugs- but do your best to avoid them.)
Work in batches in your food processor: add 1 bulb of garlic, peeled and washed, and 1 fifth of all the other ingredients except the Parmesan; grind until it forms a paste. Place in a separate bowl until your finished
Add the Parmesan last.
Freeze in small ziplocs or those heavy freezer jars.