Away We Go!

There's a big family to do today. A massive, sprawling 40th birthday party in the works. I was asked to make the hotdog chili. It's one of my talents, that is. Wisely, I made it two days ago. All chili is best after it's had a chance to stew in its own juices for a few days, and then decompose a little so that the flavors all mingle like some kind of wonderful rot. In a tiny way, that makes it a lot like revenge, only served hot instead of cold, and hopefully more pleasurable than deadly.
I have several secret ingredients that go into this hotdog chili, none of which is which kind of chili powder I use. I do use chili powder, but the heat is not the highlight. No, the big push goes from a deep, rich smoky flavor (no, I don't use liquid smoke, but I've talked to people (and by 'people' I mean men) who do and I'm not interested in better living through chemistry cooking).
Hopefully everything goes over like gangbusters at the party, everyone has a great time, and all of the fist fights break after MK and I have departed for the evening. Did I mention that this is a party that my family is having? Well, there you go. It's almost a given that someone will break a toe kicking someone else in the shins while wearing flip flops.