[cmccuist]

After reading Dave's post, I realized I forgot about the garlic and cumin. I'm ambivalent about the cumin, but that's just my own taste buds. I've gone heavy on the cumin and light and it doesn't seem to affect it. Maybe i'm cumin intolerant!?!

Also, sometimes you have to thicken the chili. The purists say you have to use corn flour (masa), but i've used corn starch or just regular flour.

I go back and forth on the use of tomato. I applaud Dave's effort to forgo tomato products altogether, but i've found that most people (non-chili fanatics) like a little tomato in there.

The key technique in the whole process is to simmer those dried chilies so you can remove the paste off of the skin. The good taste (and heat) is in the paste.