1 acorn squash

3 sweet potatoes

1 bunch of kale

1 shallot

1 yellow onion

1 box of vegetable stock

3 cloves of garlic

bay leaf

minced ginger

dried mustard

white pepper

salt

paprika

olive oil

1/4 the acorn squash and toss it on a cookie sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Peel the sweet potatoes and cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Toss is a baking dish with olive oil, paprika, and dried mustard. Roast both of these uncovered in the oven at 375 for 35-45 mins. The squash should be soft enough to be poked through with a tooth pick but still solid enough to peel off and cube. Remove and let cool for an hour or so. Remove the squash from the skin and cut into 1/2 inch cubes.

Small dice the onion, shallot, and garlic. Toss in a stock pot with olive oil and salt. Cook over med high until soft and translucent. 10-12 mins. Peel the leaves of the kale off of the stems. I prefer black (locinato) kale for this but you can sub other kale or collard/mustard/turnip greens. Toss is the pot with the onions and stuff and cook until soft and wilted.

Add the veg stock, 1/4 tsp of white pepper, 1 bay leaf, ginger, squash, potatoes, enough water to cover and salt to taste. Bring to a boil and then turn down to simmer for 30 mins covered.

You can add cannellini beans if you like. I use the Dorot frozen ginger cubes b/c they are easy and last forever in the freezer. Roasted garlic crostini would rock as well.

Tally it up

Gun show and lunch at a restaurant with scantily clad waitresses with a buddy $45

Sleeping in and getting my favorite breakfast tacos $12

Purchasing beer and margarita fixins for a family dinner $20

Not having to change a single poopy diaper on fathers day PRICELESS

Cauliflower and Brussel Sprouts

I hijacked and adulterated this recipe from Kalyn's Kitchen. She does some great gluten free and South Beach friendly recipes of which I enjoy but I can hardly resist putting my own spin on them.

I started with a head of Cauliflower and a pound of Brussel sprouts. I know people have a love/hate relationship with these little cabbage balls but I promise if you stop steaming them to skunky funkiness you will like them better. Most veggies deserve a little accoutrement so by all means indulge them.

Trim the Cauliflower with a paring knife and toss into a baking dish. Sprinkle on some salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Toss them into a 350 degree oven for 30 mins.

Cut the bottoms of the sprouts off and score an X in the bottom. This will help the core steam faster.

Put the sprouts into a steamer to open up their pores a bit. (10-15 minutes)

Shock them in a bowl of ice cold water to stop the cooking process. This works with all steamed veggies. It helps set the color and keep them from turning brown. Strain the ice and water and toss with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Be sure you have the proper libations to make your cooking experience enjoyable. RineyRitas are a good recommendation.

After you drain the sprouts add them to a roasting dish. I choose my personal favorite multi-tasker. The good 'ol cast iron skillet. Get this a little pre-heated first. 20-25 minutes in the over should be good here.

Toast some pecan pieces with some brown sugar and a dash of salt. Watch the heat so that you don't burn the sugar. Add a couple of pats of butter to get things coated.

I found and tried this little product. Pre frozen ginger. They also have garlic, basil, parsley, and cilantro. Seriously economical and really handy. This comes in during the sautee process.

My secret ingredient and biggest deviation from Kayla's was my little magic tin back there behind my salt pig and my golf ball. It has some bacon drippings in it that come in handy when you want to and a little flavor.

You know you all have a golf ball in your kitchen. They are handy for rolling out thins strips of veal and chicken and for making, "Bumponi" which is a classic italain pasta that has small lumps to cling to the sauce. Ok, I made up that last part.

And when it is time to deglaze keep things consistent. I don't think the original recipe had agave squeezings in it either.

So after the sprouts and cauliflower are done roasting, and by done I mean soft when you poke them with a knife and are soft through the middle, take them out and add them to a large mixing bowl. Add some onion, garlic, shallot, and the ginger to the cast iron pan with some olive oil and salt and pepper. I added some Za'aatar seasoning but that is not the easiest to find and not essential. I got lazy and added some precooked chicken breast to the sautee, which is also optional. After the onions are translucent add a 1/4 cup of wine, tequila, or Everclear depending on your demographic and socioeconomic status of course. Add all of this to the large mixing bowl with the pecans and feta. I chose Feta because the wife is not a fan of gorgonzola, and we all know that marital harmony is prime. Toss together and enjoy.

HONGRY!!!

Mangia.

Maybe we should call him Butters

We have a very large dog that has the smallest brain ever encountered in a canine. Is he sweet, gentle, protective, and fun? Yes. Does he exhibit any signs of basic intelligence? No. He knows two commands. Sit, which to him means lay down, and crate, which is where he is told to go when he does something wrong or is being excessively annoying. He has a four word vocabulary. Walk, truck, outside, and drop. One of the breed standards for Great Danes is that they have deep set intelligent looking eyes. His are like looking into green orbs of empty goofiness.

The other day he stole a stick of butter off of the counter. This is not a hard feat considering he can walk up and set his chin on them. He took off with it to the babies play room and proceeded to enjoy his savory snack. After a few attempts to get it out of the wrapper he gave up. This mental exercise must have exhausted him and called for a nap so he could gather his thoughts and figure out how to crack this nut. In an attempt to hide his booty he thought it of no better place to stash it than under his large carcass. Yes, he slept on the butter.

My wife went into the room a half hour later to change a diaper and aroused the slumbering thief. He had apparently forgotten about his previous quest and lumbered out of the room to find other trouble to get into leaving behind an odd looking dark spot on the carpet. My wife thought he had tossed his cookies until she noticed the incriminating evidence stuck to his side. A Land-o-Lakes butter wrapper.

Now we have a butter slick in the middle of the playroom and the dog has an entire side covered in matted but glossy fur. He spent two hours sniffing in circles trying to figure out why he could smell but not locate the yummy goodness he had acquired earlier. I honestly expect no less from a dog that will not lift his leg to relieve himself and ends up pissing on his own front paw. On the upside he does get his first trip to the groomers to be pampered and cleaned. I would change his name but it would take him a year to learn it. Love that dog.

The Nanny Challenge: Butternut Squash Tournedos with a Spinach Sformato over a Cauliflower and Shallot creme with a Pomegranate and Red Beet Gastrique

We were privileged enough to host dinner for our friend's last Saturday before she returned to school for the spring semester. She is a vegetarian which in it's self is a big challenge for my bacon and sausage makes everything better attitude. But toss in the fact that she does not eat cheese and I was stuuuummmmped! So after losing at least three hours of sleep and then dreaming about bean sprouts and rhubarb stalks I finally had an epiphany. I woke up and scribbled down my ideas and only revised them ten or twelve times through out the day. F'ing veggie heads. Ok, I like a challenge. Like Iron Chef or Chopped style.

Happy Nanny

Yummy bites to start

1 butternut squash

2 beets

1 head of cauliflower

1 white onion

1 shallot

2 bunches of spinach

3 eggs

garlic

salt

white pepper

paprika

bay leaf

pomegranate juice

vinegar

cream

white corn syrup (substitute agave nectar if you have it)

blackstrap molasses

vegetable oil

olive oil

Preheat your oven to 350-375. Cut your cauliflower florettes off the head and toss in some olive oil. Put them in a baking dish and throw it in the oven. Peel the squash and cut the longer narrow end into 1 to 1 1/2 inch rounds. Scoop the seeds out of the bottom and cut into cubes. Put the squash in a glazed stone ware or glass baking dish. Drizzel some vegetable oil, corn syrup and a little molasses on the squash. Dust it with a little paprika, toss this together and put it in the oven. Poke some holes in the beets with a fork and drizzle some olive oil over them. Put these in the oven as well. Open a bottle of wine an pour yourself a glass. Roast all of these until they are soft all the way through when poked with a tooth pick. About 20 mins for the cauliflower, 30-40 for the squash, and an hour for the beets. Check them regularly.

Rinse the spinach strain or give it a ride in the salad spinner. Add some olive oil to a hot sautee pan and then add the spinach. Add salt, pepper, and minced garlic. Sautee until soft and wilted. Put the spinach in a tea towel and twist to squeeze out the water. Or you can press it through a strainer.

Making the gastrique:

Gastrique is a fancy pants French word for a sweet and sour sauce. The nice thing is they are really simple and make a nice addition to your meal and up your "cool" status with your friends. Most ask for wine but pomegranate juice is tannic and deep enough to stand on its own.

Add 3 cups of pomegranate juice and 2/3 cup of vinegar to a sauce pan over high heat. You can use white, red, or what ever you have on hand. Remove the beets from the oven and let them cool for a bit. Peel the skin off and cut into 1/2 in pieces. Add this to the liquid along with a good pinch of salt and a bay leaf. Bring this to a boil and then turn down a scooch. You want this to continue to bubble vigorously but not boil over. Keep and eye on this as it reduces by 2/3. Once it gets to a syrup like consistency remove from the heat and strain. Here is a link to a really good video that shows how easy this can be.

The Sformato:

Sformato is an Italian side dish that proves that custard is not just for dessert. They super versatile and flexible. You will need little foil pastry tins, custard dishes, or a smaller disposable cup cake pan. Spray the inside or your cooking vessels with cooking spray. Scramble 4 eggs in a mixing bowl and add a pint of cream. Rough chop the spinach and add to the custard mixture along with a small handful of bread crumbs, salt and pepper to taste. Fold this together and then pour it into your cups. The amount of restraint exercised to not add some parmesean cheese to this was monumental. Put your cups in a glass baking dish and add boiling water until it comes about half way up the sides of the cups. Carefully put this in oven. Cook these until they do not jiggle and tooth pick comes out clean. Flip the cups over and the lil buddies should pop right out

Cauliflower cream:

Mince half of a white onion and one shallot. Sautee this in olive oil with some minced garlic, salt, and white pepper until translucent. Add a pint of cream and bring to a boil. Turn down the heat and reduce until 1/2 the original volume is gone. Add some chopped roasted garlic and hit it with your stick blender or pour it in a regular blender. Work it until it is smooth.

Assembly:

Brush some oil on a hot grill pan. Add the squash rounds and grill until marked turning a 1/4 turn half way through. Pour the cauliflower cream on the base of the plate and spread evenly by tilting the plate. Pop your sformato on one side and your squash on the other. Drizzle a little gastrique over the top and enjoy.

Oh, the starter was some grilled endive leaves with a little black olive and dried berry tapenade. I used nuts and dried berries as a filler since anchovies were out. I will post that one later.

White Bean and Potato Soup with Black Kale

This is a really good and simple winter time soup. Kale is readily available and super nutritious. If you can't find Black Kale, regular Kale or Lacinato works. You can also sub any other greens like collard, turnip,or mustard. Don't be squeamish. Greens are not just for chitlins and southern picnics. They are a nice hearty way to get your phyto-chemicals, iron, trace elements and vitamins A, C, E, and K. Sauteed in a little olive oil and dressed with a warm bacon vinagrette and shallots makes them sophisticated enough to bring to the dinner table, unlike that dentally challenged uncle that wears cut off shorts and a Miller High Life ball cap as formal wear. You know thats how you think of Greens. Anywho.

1 bunch of Kale

4-5 medium potatoes

1 pound of white (Navy) beans or 2 cans of Cannelinni beans

1 box of chicken or vegetable broth

2 cloves of garlic

1 sprig of thyme

1 small shallot

Zest of 1/2 lemon

Bay leaf

Slat

Pepper

Cotija or some hard salty cheese

If you are using regular beans follow the instructions for over night soaking and rinsing. Otherwise fast forward to tomorrow and get hopping. Simmer your beans with a bay leaf or two for an hour or until they are tender. Reserve half of the cooking liquid and the bay leaf.

Cube up your potatoes into 1/2" pieces. I like to go a little small that normal so that the are closer to the size of the beans. Add them to a pot and add just enough water to cover them. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium and cook until soft which should be about 15 mins. Strain and reserve half the cooking liquid.

Mince your shallot and slice your garlic. Rough chop your kale or tear it up like that 12 page research paper your teacher gave you a C- on back in 7th grade. Add the shallot, garlic, thyme, kale, lemon zest, broth, bean liquid, potato liquid, eye of newt, wart of frog....the rest of the stuff. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a bubble and then turn down to simmer for about 7 minutes or until the kale is cooked through.

Ladle into bowls and then add some cheese. I am a fan of a nice salty crumbly mexican cojtia seco. You could also use a nice ricotta salata, grated parmesean, or peccerino. Basically anything hard and salty.

Mangia!

Daddy's Little Helper

My little man is growing up so fast. He is totally a chip of the 'ol block. Since he started walking he has been following me around the kitchen. Once he was able to move the chairs around and climb into them he would pull up next to me and watch. He was fascinated by rissotto and grabbed a spoon out of the caddy to help stir. Yesterday while I was making fried rice he reached into the salt ramekin and grabbed a perfect pinch and tossed it in. He just stands there the whole time oohing and ahhing and trying to help how ever he can. In these pictures he was adding rice to the wok for me.

Can't wait to teach him more so that maybe one morning in the near future (let's say 3 or 4 years), he will treat his parents to a wonderful breakfast in bed consisting of eggs Benidict with heritage farms bacon, a perfectly poached egg, flawless hollindaise sauce and some crispy potatoes. Not too much to ask for .

Mashed Potato Flakes

Don't take it personally but if I ever catch you using boxed potato flakes for your side dish I will kick you in the shins.

Roasted Cauliflower

Pork Fried Rice

White bean and Potato soup with black kale

Southwestern Chicken Succotash

Happy New Year

A few years ago I made a New Years resolution to never make another New Years resolution again. Problem solved as far as I was concerned. How could I ever set myself up for disappointment and let myself down again. I did make one a couple of years after that to not make any more friends. Those of you that know my sardonic sense of humor understand where that comes from. YTD I think I am -4 so I have some room for a couple of new ones. That being said I have learned to be realistic about expectations and goals.

This year I have committed to a few lifestyle changes. In a nut shell they are to go wheat, corn, and soy free. I think cutting back on the sauce (booze) would be a good idea as well. I am not as spry getting out of bed these days so apparently I need to get off my ass and be a little more active. And finally, I have committed to giving up so many of the useless time sucks in my life. I deleted my twitter account. Facebook is leaving my toolbar bookmarks. I am actually about to finish a book I started 4 days ago. And I am cutting my scheduled DVR recordings in half. After randomly spending a half day of watching Jersey Shore, Steven Segal Law Man, and some pregnant teenager show on MTV you quickly realize that there is a way to waste 6 hours of your life that you can never recover.

I am looking forward to cooking more, getting my garden together, and getting out with my kiddos as soon as these nipple hardening, dog bowl water freezing, get the "F" back to the arctic where you belong temperatures pass. We have a financial plan for the year that should leave us in much better condition than we have been in lately. I am working on a recurring cleaning/organization plan that should help us keep this house from looking like the Cat in the Hat visits every two days. All together more production, less relaxation.

I am initiating these step gradually as opposed to going clod turkey on a laundry list of changes that would only leave me freaking like Lindsay Lohan three days into rehab. Only I would be craving bread and a Real Stories of the Highway Patrol marathon.

Austin Trip

We took a trip down to Austin the day after Christmas to see the grand parents. It was nice trip and the babies came out with a ton of schwag.

Grandpa and Beck working the tow truck

Grandpa and Ella (aka "What ever she wants") sharing smiles.

Sweet girl and a snowman

The first girl in 51 years in our family gets a lot of attention

My dad and his mom.

Ella taking a ride on great granny's scooter

Grandma and her lil buddy

He is stuck on full speed ahead an his dial goes

all the way up to 11.

Me and my boy.

A chilly day at Barton Springs.

My sweet snaggle tooth.

No trip is complete with out an obligatory stop at

our favorite watering hole.

Mmm...Mexican Martini with Sauza Tres Gen

and Cointreau. Perfection.

I really enjoyed the juxtaposition on this one.

Butternut Squash Risotto

This is pretty much a winter staple at our house. Add panchetta or chicken if you like.

3 boxes of chicken or veggie stock/broth

2-3 cups of Aborio rice or Carnaroli if you can find it

1 Medium onion diced

1 shallot diced

4 cloves of garlic

Olive oil

White pepper

Salt

Bay leaf

1 Medium butternut squash

Blackstrap molasses

White corn syrup

Paprika

Peel the squash and cut off the ends. Cut in half lengthwise. Scoop out the seeds and stringy pulp. Cut into 1/2" cubes and toss in a stoneware dish or glass casserole dish. Add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and corn syrup and drizzle with molasses. Dust a little paprika on top and toss until well incorporated. Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes or until soft when poked with a toothpick.

Empty your stock/broth into a sauce pan and heat until it is just steaming. Dice up your onion, shallot, and garlic. Sautee in olive oil with the bay leaf until soft and translucent. *This Step Is Important so DO NOT SKIP IT* Add the rice and mix until the grains are coated with oil. Let this toast for a minute or two. This will help release the starches in the grain and make it more creamy. Slowly ladle stock until the rice is covered. Begin stirring and do not stop. Ever. Even if your wife is in labor. Continue to add stock as the rice soaks it up. You will know the rice is getting close to done when while you are stirring you can no longer feel individual grains hitting the spoon or spatula. Once the grains are soft through the center turn the heat down and add the squash.

Remove from the heat and grate some Parmesean or Peccerino on top. You can add sage leaves or vanilla bean to add different flavors.

Mangia!

Thanks Santa

The three things that will not leave my stove until April. Thanks for the new cast iron grill pan Grace and HC

Potato Leek Soup

I did this the other day and only used 1/2 cup of cream. It could have been totally omitted and it still would have come out yummy and creamy.

4-5lbs of russet or creamers peeled

Chicken or veggie broth

1 large bunch of leeks

1 medium onion

1 medium shallot

3 cloves of garlic

3 table spoons of butter

2 bay leaves

Peel and cut your potatoes into 1/2 " cubes. Put them in a stock pot or dutch over and add just enough broth to cover them. Bring to a boil and the turn down to a medium simmer and cook until soft. Cut the bottom off of the leeks and cut in half length wise (top to bottom). Soak and separate in cool water to get rid of any remaining dirt. Cut them into a small dice from the bottom to about half way up the green part. Cut your onion, shallot, and garlic into a small dice.

Strain the potatoes making sure to reserve the cooking liquid. return your pot to the fire and add the butter, leeks, onion, shallot, garlic, and bay leaf. Sautee until limp and translucent. Return the potatoes and all but about 2 cups of the broth. Let this cook together for 20 mins stirring occasionally. Now you need to puree. You can work this in batches in your food processor on use and immersion/stick blender. If you use either of theses tools be sure and remove the bay leaf prior to pureeing. Or you can grab and old school whisk and get a good forearm work out which is what I did since I forgot to charge my stick blender.

Give it a good working over adding the reserved cooking liquid if it gets a little tight. This is when you can add the cream if you like or go without. There is enough residual starch from the potatoes to thicken it up. Garnish with chives or scallions and some crumbled bacon. A healthy dose of Parmesean run through a Microplane grater is also a good idea.

Mangia

Corn and Potatoe Chowder (With or w/out ham

The wifey has been a little under the weather and requested some soup. This is a quick one that I put together for her.

3 cans of cream style corn

1 medium onion

1 shallot

3 cloves of garlic

6 strips of bacon

4 medium potatoes

1 Box of chicken stock

1 pint of heavy cream

1/2 tsp white pepper

salt

2 cups of Guryer or Cheddar cheese and 1-2 pounds of cubed ham (optional)

Cook you bacon until crispy and let rest on a paper towel lined plate. Reserve the drippings. Cut you onion and shallot into a small dice. For the potatoes, to peel or not to peel, that is your choice. Cut them into decent size pieces. Crush up the cloves of garlic. Add the bacon drippings to a warm cast iron dutch oven or heavy bottomed soup/stock pot. Sautee the aromatics until soft adding the white pepper and salt to taste. Once they are soft and translucent add a splash of the stock to deglaze the pan. Add the corn, potatoes, cream, ham if desired and stock.

Simmer this covered for an hour or so. Remove the lid and check for consistency. If it is a little thin let it simmer for 30 mins or so uncovered. You can always add a slurry of Guar gum or cornstarch if you like. Crumble up the bacon and add it at the end. For some extra flavor throw a cup or two of Guryer or Cheddar cheese in at the end. Diced chives or green onions make a nice garnish for this and some warm cibatta rolls or crusty rustic bread for dipping.

Do try this at home

Don't be scared. No family members or eyebrows were injured during this process.

Deglazing is fun and knowing that the flare up is actually a really cool flame should give some sense of relief. I started tonight with a case of culinary block. I had no idea what to make for dinner. Watching an episode of Top Chef can nip that in the bud. The episode about Pig and Pinots gave me something to go with. We ended up with roasted pork tenderloin and broccoli with Bouchant and garlic mashers and a Chardonnay sage reduction. It really bugs me how complicated that all sounds considering how easy it is.

I peeled and cubed up some potatoes and boiled them in salted water with a splash of vinegar. At the same time I steamed some broccoli and the removed to an ice bath when they were starting to get tender. Actually I went a little too far with the broccoli because I was trying to put a pair of toddlers to bed at the same time.

I diced up an onion, shallot, and a few cloves of garlic and sautéed them in olive oil in a skillet large enough to handle my tenderloins. I added a little salt and pepper during this process. Once the onions were translucent I added a good pour of Bouchant and deglazed the pan. Fireworks!

Once the flames died down I scooped out the aromatics and tossed in the pork. Let these babies rest for a while to carmalize on the outside. Flip once they are nice and brown, insert a meat thermometer into thickest one and put the pan into the oven at 350. Let these roast for 8-10 minutes.

Toss the drained broccoli with some salt, pepper, olive oil, and a spoon full or two of the onion/garlic/shallot mix. Spread on to a baking sheet and drop on to a rack below the pork.

Crap! Taters. These should have been strained and put into a mixing bowl. Add 1/2 stick of butter, 2 big spoons of sour cream, 1/2 cup of milk, a couple of table spoons of the sautéed onions, salt and pepper. Mash and set aside.

Once the pork hits 155-165 internal temp pull the pan out. Place to tenderloin on a cutting board under a tent of foil to rest. Put the pan back on the burned cranked up to high. Duct tape a towel around your non-dominate hand because I have grabbed a pan handle that just came out of the oven more than once. This would be fortunate in the event that I needed to be finger printed because I don't think I have any prints left. Add the remaining onion mix to the pan until it is sizzling pretty good. Add 1 cup of white wine to deglaze and scrape the bottom of the pan to ge the fond off.

Let this mess reduce to about 1/2 the original volume and remove from the heat. Add a 1/2 stick of butter cut into small cubes and slowly stir until completely melted and incorporated. I like to puree this with a hand blender until smooth.

Slice the pork into medallions, drop some potatoes and broccoli on the plate and add the sauce. Viola. Tired and buzzed is not the best blogging combo but I am sure I will return to edit this tomorrow. Just trying to keep it regular.

Out of focus Bouchant. My favorite less expensive orange liquor. Save the Grand Mariner and Cointreau for margaritas.

Deglazing while talking on the phone. True multi-tasking.

Pretty pork cleaned and ready to go.

Proper browning. Don't touch it for at least 5 minutes after you put it in.

Finished product.

The Vemon, she is soooo good.

I picked up a bottle of wine on chili day that I have not seen in quite a while. This puppy is pretty hard to find especially in a retail outlet. It is so top secret Seghesio doesn't even have it on its web site. It is the "Venom."

Seghesio has long been known as a prime producer of Zinfandel. While I appreciate their efforts, Zin is not one of my favorite grapes. Their work with Sangiovese is what I really enjoy. It seems that GrandPa Seghesio planted some vines from his native land back in 1910. While I am sure he was making some kick ass "Chianti Americano" prohibition pretty much put a stop to that. In wines resurgence Sangiovese was not exactly on chic list here in the states. Heck, most people didn't even know what was in those funny wicker lined bottles served in those mom and pop Italian food restaurants. Well, thanks to the new Super Tuscans and odd balls like me Sangiovese is now being not only appreciated but celebrated. About friggin' time you Johnny-come-lateleys.

This wine is elegance and finesse backed up with some serious fruit and a Megan Fox'esque sexy finish. The bright fruit nose picks up right as you open the bottle. It has a beautiful light red color very reminiscent of a good Dolcetto d'alba but with much more backbone. I wouldn't say it is as feminine as a Barbaresco but this ain't gonna go head to head with a cab. It is 100% Sangiovese so it is a true expression of the grape and the land. I have had a few sexy Spainards like this as well but they are few and far between. I hesitate to tell you the location for fear that you might head out and buy all of the remaining stock before my kidney extraction and sale is completed this weekend.

All in all this has to be one of the best $40 bottles of wine I have ever had. It is hard to find retail but if you do, pick up a case or three. And if you do feel free to invite me over for dinner. I promise to cook a meal that will revolve entirely around the wine.

Happy drinking!

Chili Time!

When the mercury dips into the 50s and football season is in full swing I start to get a hankering. Nothing says fall like a good pot of chili con carne. My wife made the suggestion on the way home today and I was happy to obliged. There are a thousand ways to skin a cat and make a pot of chili. I in no way claim to have a blue ribbon recipe or am an authority but I have learned a few things from trial and error. Here is my contribution which come with the usual disclaimer of; I rarely measure and scarcely use scripted recipes.

The meat is the most important thing. Today I used beef chuck, pork shoulder (boston butt), and some ground buffalo. In the past I have included venison, antelope, goat, turkey, lamb, moose, or any other flesh that can be obtained. They all add their own interesting characteristics and flavors that can add depth and character to your creation. You can buy chili meat from you local grocery store which is little more than ground beef scraps pushed through a different die. I choose to make my own so that I can control the composition and texture.

There is a requisite amount of fat required, since after all fat is flavor. The good thing about making your own chili meat is that you can control this like an OCD kid sorting legos. I am a big fan of beef chuck for the base. It is easy to find and usually has an 80/20 lean to fat composition. I like to add some pork shoulder for lightness and texture, and the buffalo just happened to be available. Stick with the beef if you want to keep it simple.

3/4 pound of beef chuck and pork shoulder and 1/2 pound of Buffalo.

First cut up your meat into 1" cubes. Don't be too fussy since it is all gonna be chopped up next.

Drop a few pieces at a time into your food processor with the standard chopping blade. Pulse 8-10 times to get the desired consistency. Remove and start another batch.

This is what you are looking for. Not completely ground. Texture is good.

Brown the meat in small batches in a heavy bottomed pot or enameled dutch oven with some canola oil, salt, and pepper. Notice all the yummy brown goodness on the bottom. That is called fond. It makes everything taste better. We will deal with that later. Remove and let the meat drain on a plate lined with paper towels.

Add your aromatics. This is 1 large white onion, 1 large shallot, and 5-6 cloves of fresh garlic. a rough chop or dice is fine. Add salt and pepper and cook until translucent which should be 8-10 minutes.

Once your onions and such are cooked down add at least 1/2 bottle of red wine. The majority of my cooking liquid is wine or beer since water really adds no flavor and instead becomes a simple medium to cook in. Make sure and scrape all of the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a flat head wooden spoon or spatula.

This is where you start adding your spices and such. I have previously blogged about my favorite, but that is certainly left to your own personal interpretation. Yeah, most purists would go and hunt and gather their own ingredients but I leave that to food anthropologists and budding sociopaths. My personal fav asks for some crushed tomatoes and water but of course I deviate. A can or two of crushed tomatoes is great but remember to drain the juice. I also add a can of tomato sauce, a can of tomato paste, 2 bay leaves, the zest of 1/2 lemon and the juice of a whole lemon. A splash of apple cider vinegar and a spoon full of brown sugar is always appreciated. Return the meat to the pot and add enough wine or water to ensure that all the goodies are floating.

Bring this whole mess to a simmer and the cover and turn down the heat to LOW. Grab half of your six pack or another bottle of wine and go catch at least 2 hours of a game or some home improvement shows. Come back later and check your creation. If it is a little thin leave the lid off for a few. If you insist on thickening it with assistance I recommend using Guar Gum. It has 8x the thickening power of corn starch and is very flavor neutral.

Remove from the heat and get your fixings ready. I am a fan of Fritos, corn bread, sharp cheddar cheese, diced onion, cilantro, and sour cream.

Pick your poison and you are good to go.

Peace be to you that has a steaming bowl of chili and a team that has a chance of making the play offs.