Easy Chili Powder...

I prefer to make my own chili powder, instead of buying a commercial brand. I take the easy route, with ground spices. I did put the oregano through our small grain mill, since I was only able to buy the whole dried leaves.  A Magic Bullet® also works great.  The combination of the two chile powders makes for good, rich color, while the Ancho/Pasilla chile powder adds a nice fruity accent.  The Mexican oregano (Lippia graveolens) has a different flavor from the more familiar Greek/Italian oregano.  I strongly recommend its use in Mexican and Tex-Mex cooking.  It can be purchased in Mexican grocers, sometimes in the Mexican spice section of supermarkets, and is available online.

Homemade spice mixes, I have found, are a good, inexpensive, and often appreciated gift.  I've had requests for more of this one.

Steven's Easy Chili Powder

8 tablespoons Pasilla or Ancho chile powder
4 tablespoons New Mexico chile powder
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons ground Mexican oregano

• Mix all the spices together thoroughly in a bowl.

Makes almost two cups of chili powder.  It can easily be cut by half, or even to a fourth of the recipe, if you don't use a lot of chili powder.  You only want to make enough for about six months usage, and be sure to store your spices in a cool, dry, dark place.

If the New Mexico chile powder is unavailable, California chile powder or paprika can be substituted. Similarly, conventional oregano (Italian/Greek) can be substituted, though the flavor will be different.

A hot chile such as Cayenne can be added to the mix if you want the heat. I prefer to leave the heat out of most of my spice blends and add it as desired to whatever I am cooking. Heat can be added easily - it's much more difficult to remove it.

Steven