Chili, How Do I Love Thee? Let Me Count the Ways

By Jill Draper

• 7-8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 27
• Red Bridge Mid-Continent Library

Three kinds of made-from-scratch chili will be available for sampling at this program which focuses on how to layer flavors and achieve variations from mild to medium to hot. Presenter Mel Cole will hand out recipes and talk about meat, vegan and white bean chicken chili. He’ll also discuss how he makes his own chili powder with four different types of chilies plus herbs and spices.

Cole is a CPA, but also has a B.S. in chemistry. “I play with my food,” he says. “The chemist in me is always experimenting.” His interest in cooking intensified about 10 years go when he began working from his home in Midtown, taking long lunch breaks and watching the cooking channel on TV. He has completed more than 100 classes at the Culinary Center of Kansas City in Overland Park, and is a member of the Kansas City Barbeque Society and a certified BBQ judge.