The cold weather has breached Chicago. It has breached me, actually, since my winter coat is currently being shipped from across the world. So it’s me and a pea coat against the elements. I have found, living most of my life in the Chicagoland area and especially because I was spoiled for the last two years, that a lot of it is mental. If I even think for a second that this is cold in November, I am done for. Winters last through March here and after the Christmas cheer, they are only more menacing. Also, have you heard about the bomb cyclone? It’s this year’s polar vortex, only it is supposed to be worse. I can’t think about it. Again, it’s mental.
But you know what warms me up? A bowl of my Nonna’s Turkey Chili. What I love about it, is that it’s a comfort food. But unlike most comfort foods, it’s actually healthy. I feel good eating it and warm–two very important things right now. It’s hearty, delicious, and easy to make. Sometimes, when I am lucky, my nonna will surprise me with a frozen container of it. She cannot help but give me food every time I see her. She’s an Italian grandmother. But I also like making it myself. I like knowing it’s my Nonna’s recipe, once made with beef but now with Turkey to serve her health conscious family. And now I am making it. She stirred the same recipe I am stirring now. How incredible is that?
Another pro for this recipe, is the fact that it freezes and defrosts so easily. I can freeze it so that I can enjoy an ease free but home cooked meal while I look out at the city lights from my apartment window.
For me, Nonna’s Turkey Chili combines everything good about a recipe and food: tradition, health, and comfort.
Enjoy!
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