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plate and let cool. Pull enough breast meat into fine shreds to make 3/4 cup. Reserve 1 cup of the vegetables from the carrot purse. Cover and chill the shredded chicken and vegetables. (Reserve the remaining chicken and vegetables for another use.) Set a fine mesh sieve over a large bowl and strain the broth; chill overnight. Skim off and discard all but 2 tbsp. chicken fat from broth; set fat aside.
    4. Whisk together the reserved chicken fat, club soda, dried dill, and eggs in a bowl. Pour in the matzo meal while whisking. Cover and chill the matzo mixture for 15 minutes.
    5. Bring 2½ qts. salted water to a boil over high heat. With wet hands, form the matzo mixture into 1-inch balls. Reduce the heat to medium and drop in the matzo balls. Cook, covered, for about 15 minutes. Stir the matzo balls gently and simmer, covered, until fluffy, about 10 minutes more.
    6. Meanwhile, transfer the reserved shredded chicken, vegetables, and broth to a large pot and heat over medium heat. Transfer the matzo balls to the broth. Serve the soup garnished with chopped parsley, if you like.

Woody DeSilva’s Championship Chili
    In Texas, chili is practically a religion—and by chili Texans mean cubed beef chuck simmered for hours with tomatoes and chili powder and then thickened with masa harina (corn flour). Don’t even think about adding beans. Each year, scores of the faithful converge in the town of Terlingua, Texas, for the mother of all chili cook-offs; this recipe, created by home cook Woody DeSilva, took first prize in 1968.
4 lbs. beef chuck, trimmed and cut into ½ -inch cubes Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
    4 tbsp. canola oil
    5 medium onions, chopped
    5 cloves garlic, minced
    2 6-oz. cans tomato paste
    4 tbsp. dried oregano
    3 tbsp. chili powder
    4 tsp. ground chile pequín or cayenne pepper
    1 tbsp. sweet paprika
    1 tbsp. Tabasco
    1 tsp. ground cumin
    4 tbsp. masa harina
    Serves 6
    1. Season the beef with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a 6-qt. pot over high heat. Working in 4 batches, brown the beef, about 3 minutes per batch. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the beef to a plate.
    2. Add the onions and garlic to the pot, reserving a few tablespoonfuls of chopped onion for garnish. Cook, stirring, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Return the beef to the pot, stir in the tomato paste, and cook, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the tomato paste is caramelized, 10–12 minutes. Add the oregano, chili powder, chile pequín, paprika, Tabasco, and cumin; cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.
    3. Add 5 cups water to the chili and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the meat is tender, about 2 hours.
    4. Stir the masa harina into the chili, season with salt, and simmer, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Ladle into serving bowls and garnish with the reserved onions, if you like.

Thai Hot and Sour Shrimp Soup

    Tom Yum Goong
    Fragrant with lime juice and lemongrass, this hot and sour soup is served throughout Thailand, with subtle regional variations in heat, sweetness, and pungency. Pictured are Wai Smitaman and his wife, Kiew Krislas, a home cook in southern Thailand who provided the recipe upon which this one was based.
3 large stalks fresh lemongrass
    4 cups chicken stock
    12 fresh or frozen Kaffir lime leaves
    1 cup canned straw mushrooms, drained
    2-4 tbsp. roasted Thai chile paste (nam prik pao)
    8 oz. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
    1½ tbsp. fish sauce
    4-6 Thai chiles, stemmed and smashed with side of a knife
    3 scallions, cut into 1-inch lengths Juice of 1 lime
    2 cups cooked rice (optional)
    Serves 2
    1. Trim tip and root ends of lemongrass stalks and remove and discard tough outer layer. Using a meat mallet or the side of a knife, smash lemongrass to flatten it; tie stalks into a knot; set aside. Pour stock into a 2-qt. saucepan and bring to a boil. Add lemongrass and half the lime