Red lentils take less time to cook and cook easily in a soft mass, which is ideal for soups and stews.

Yes, we like red lentils too, but their texture is not right for this particular chili.....they do indeed work very well in soups and some stews, however. Thanks!

From Janet Francis of Leesport, PA, via email: Hello! I love your column. And by the way, I also love lentils! Did you know that according to biblical scholars, the "mess of pottage" for which Esau sold his birthright to Jacob, was basically lentils and rice? This is supposedly what the porrage consisted of. I have actually made this myself, and it is very good (especially with the salad on top, which I very much doubt Esau was able to enjoy). The ancient dish is called Mjeddrah: 1 1/2 cups lentils 2 large onions, coarsely chopped 3 Tbsp olive oil 2 tsp salt 1 1/2 Tbsp butter 3/4 cup brown rice Rinse lentils, place them in a pot with 4 cups cold water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover tightly. In a large skillet: Saute onions in the olive oil until golden, stir in 1 tsp salt. Add onions to the lentils. Melt the butter in same skillet, saute rice until it just starts to brown (about 3 minutes) Add the rice and remaining 1 tsp salt to the lentils Cover tightly and simmer until the rice and lentils are tender (about 1 hour). NOTE: If additional water is needed to cook the rice, just throw it in, up to 2 cups. These days, the Mjeddrah is still eaten, but traditionally has a salad on top of it. Suggested salad below: lettuce, spinach, tomatoes, green onions, cucumber, radishes, bell pepper, sprouts, feta cheese dressing: 3 T olive oil, 2 T lemon juice, 1/2 t paprika, 1 clove garlic, 1/4 t dry mustard,1/4 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp honey

From email: They may call this stuff " chili " in North Carolina, but down here in Texas ( where REAL chili is cooked ), it's just plain old vegetable soup. Bobby Morrisson Kemp, Texas