My favorite chili ever, and it's definitely not served over spaghetti

On chilly, gray days like today, a heaping bowl of hearty chili is the perfect thing to warm you up. For years now, I've been making Festive Black Bean Chili from a recipe from the Moosewood Restaurant Low-Fat Favorites cookbook. The Moosewood is a famous vegetarian restaurant in Ithaca, New York, where I went to college and held my first newspaper job. The Moosewood sort of had a reputation for vegetarian comfort food--heavy on the oil, eggs and dairy--so this cookbook was a welcome change. Anyway, this recipe is super-easy and flavorful, and even meat-eaters I know who have tried it have sung its praises. It's delicious topped with cheddar or pepper jack cheese, served with tortilla chips or cornbread, or as a burrito filling. I suppose you could add meat or soy crumbles or something if you wanted, but it's seriously great on its own.

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Festive Black Bean Chili

2 cups onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup water
1 Tbs. ground cumin
1 Tbs. ground coriander
1 cup bottled red salsa (I use Green Mountain Gringo medium salsa or Drew's All Natural salsa)
2 red and/or green peppers, chopped (orange and yellow peppers are also good)
2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-oz. can whole tomatoes (I recommend Muir Glen Organic Fire-Roasted Diced Tomatoes with Mild Green Chilies)
11 oz. package frozen corn
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped, or to taste
Salt and hot sauce to taste

In a large pot, cook the onions and garlic in the water on high heat, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the cumin and coriander, and stir for a minute. Stir in the salsa and bell peppers, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the black beans and tomatoes; simmer for 10 minutes. Add the corn and continue to cook for 10 minutes. Add salt and hot sauce to taste. Stir in the cilantro and serve.