Yesterday I woke up to a brisk morning – temperature in the high 40’s – and I was elated. Fall! I feel it in the air! I pulled on a pair of warm socks and one of my favorite sweatshirts and cuddled up with the husband and cats on the sofa while sipping hot coffee. A perfect morning. The only thing that could make it more complete was to pull the pressure cooker out of the cupboard and make my first chili of the season. So I did just that.

Over the weekend I made a quick dash through Whole Foods and succumbed to an impulse purchase. A bag of pretty, pinkish beans grabbed my eye and somehow the legumes landed in my cart – Anasazi beans, to be specific. Anasazi Indians lived in Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada. These heirloom beans were cultivated by the Anasazis and are similar to pinto beans.

The package indicated that the legumes are slightly sweet, which made me think a spicy pairing could be just right. I did what I always do – grab whatever produce I saw on the counter and refrigerator and started slicing and dicing.

A quick look in the spice drawer, to find the right seasonings for the chopped bowl of veggies destined for the pressure cooker, and I was ready to go!