Clove-Hot Chilli con Carne

In my experience, children like much stronger tastes than adults assume. When I make a chilli con carne for them – well, I’m a child of the seventies, what do you expect? – I use spices – cloves in particular – to infuse it with heat rather than chilli. I love it, too.

If you don’t want to soak and cook dried beans, by all means use tinned ones and add them 15 minutes before the end. I often soak pulses at night and cook them at breakfast time, letting them cool in their cooking liq