We received a lot of response from our Feb. 12 Inland Northwest History column about Spokane's old Bob's Chili Parlor. Obviously this subject evokes nostalgia of a particularly spicy variety.
Here's what reader Doug Fisher had to say: Dear Jim. You can't imagine how excited I was to see the article on Bob's Chili Parlor in the Sunday Paper.
I am a Culinary Instructor at the Inland North West Culinary Academy at Spokane Community College.
I teach a class in Modern American Cuisine. I just on Friday was telling my students about the fabled
Bob's of yesteryear in Spokane and then on Sunday here is the article. What a nice surprise My students
were quite excited to see the article. I'm sure the circulation of your paper jumped at least by 3 or 4!
I have seen articles in the past for the recipe for Bob's Tamales.I actually eaten them there once when
I was a kid. My Mom loved that place. Thanks for the article, signed, Doug Fisher Chef Instructor Spokane Community College.

We also received a number of requests for the "original recipe." I will give it to you here with a couple of warnings. First, several recipes claim to be authentic, but at least this one was endorsed by the former owner's daughter-in-law and is obviously geared to restaurant proportions. Second, it includes several unexplained references, including one for "a quart of red." Is that standard chili powder? Or some kind of pre-prepared sauce? Who knows?

Here's the recipe:
General directions: Start with 120 pounds of meat for a full batch of chili of 30 gallons. Run meat through meat chopper and place in a big vat. Add 1/2 ounce onions and 1/2 ounce garlic for every pound of meat and add about 1/3 pound more onions than garlic (3 and a half pounds garlic and 4 pounds onion for a full batch).
Add scoop of salt and more later if needed to please taste. Add 2 and a half gallons of more of melted tallow, put in a bag of bay leaves and start fire (two center burners). Let braise for about three-quarters of an hour or until red color has disappeared from the meat, then add mixed seasonings.
About 15 minutes after adding mixed seasonings, add peppers, about three gallons. Turn off all fires but center burner. Cook a half-hour then add about 3 gallons of beef stock. Add one ladle of chili capino, sprinkling over the top and then stir it in. Add one quart of ketchup, 1 and a half cups of herb sauce, stir occasionally and let cook 1 hour.
Add about one quart red (enough to thicken as desired). Put on all fires and bring to a quick boil for 5 minutes, then turn off all fires. One half-hour later try for taste as to salt.
To prepare peppers: Take about 10 gallons peppers and soak in warm water, pour off water and run through grinder three times, once through medium-sized plate and twice through fine plate. Put in ice box, use as needed.
When ready to use, take four or five handfuls of ground peppers and about four gallons of hot water, put on fire and bring to near boil, stirring as it heats until peppers are well dissolved and right thickness (about like ketchup). Run through strainer to take out pulp before pouring into chili.

To prepare mixed seasonings: Mix one quart comino (cumin) to two parts oregano after they have been well-dried. Run through the grinder, grinding them fine. When ready to use, take one heaping teaspoonful of mixed seasonings for each four pounds of meat and about one gallon of water and bring to a boil, stirring until well-mixed and partially dissolved; add to chili when meat is braised.

To prepare bay leaves: Take small cloth about the size of a man's handkerchief and put two good handfuls of bay leaves in it. Tie the corners together and put in chili when ready to start fire. The first time you use the bag of bay leaves, you can leave it in the chili only until about the time you put in the peppers. After that, you can leave them in until the chili is done. A bag of bay leaves is good for four batches of chili.

To prepare special herb sauce: For two gallons, take one pound mixed herbs, two gallons cold water, boil four hours. Strain, add enough water to bring the amount to two gallons; add two lemons ground very fine, three-quarters cup salt; let boil 10 minutes. Remove from the fire; strain again through cheese cloth and add two tablespoons oil of cloves. Cork up tight and set away until ready to use.
Yield: About 30 gallons.

Whew. Now, that's a chili recipe. Anybody have the nerve to try it today?

Here's a comment that arrived via e-mail:
Dear Jim, I wanted to let you know I enjoyed the article about Bob’s Chili Parlor.

I am 77 years old and have lived in Davenport Wa. All my life. When I was a child, trips to Spokane were few and far between..but I remember coming to Spokane for the Halloween Parade and going to Bob’s to eat. Maybe it was cheaper than other places. And then if the weather permitted, we came in to see the animated windows at the department stores.

What nice memories you brought back…Thank you!!

Virginia Hutsell

Davenport WA

Here's an e-mail we received from Barbara Nobles recently:
Hello Jim,
I am the daughter-in-law mentioned in your interesting feature of Feb.12. My husband, Laurence Nobles is Harry's son. We now live in Port Ludlow, WA. As you mention, Jim Spoerhase was the last to publicly feature Bob's. He and Laurence grew up in the same West Boone neighborhood. Since then I have had a few mentions of Bob's printed in NOSTALGIA magazine. We would be interested in where you found all that early history? Also, I can send you a few other pictures that we have. Thanks for the article. Nice to know Bob's is among the gone but not forgotten!
Barbara J. Nobles