The reasons for this are plenty – the leaves begin changing (in Los Angeles, the palm trees turn a darker hue), the air turns cooler, Saturdays – and Sundays – are centered around football (and drinking beers), I ditch the sandals and don the boots and – arguably most exciting – it’s chili season.

I love me some chili, but the air’s got to be cool, and football has got to be on TV. Therefore, the time has come.

There is an art to chili, however. One cannot just slosh some beef, chili spice, beans and tomato sauce in a pot and call it “chili.” This is not goulash we’re talking about it. Being from Kansas – we take our chili seriously.

Good chili has requirements. You need fresh ingredients – fresh bell pepper, fresh chili pepper, fresh onion, fresh garlic, fresh tomatoes. You need serious heat – Tabasco, hot chilies, cayenne pepper, red chili flakes, etc. You need lean meat – like fresh ground chuck meat, turkey meat or bison – none of that highly processed, low-grade mystery meat. You need red kidney beans, black beans, etc. – not the chil-doused beans. Like I said, there’s an art to chili.

So, I compiled some delectable chili recipes – of all shapes and sizes – that pay heed to the caliber of dish chili is:

Building A Better Chili – Garlic Style

Turkey Chili

Bison & Bean Chili Recipe

Vegetable & Bean Chili

My Husband’s Homemade Chili

White Bean Chicken Chili

Vegetarian Pumpkin Chili…in honor of Halloween

Three Bean Chili With Garlic

So, cozy up in a blanket, get the fireplace burning, turn on College Gameday and grab a bowl of chili. It’s the season