12 years ago
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
NaBloPoMo Day III: Chili
Inspired by FluidPudding's post on putting "the meat-free thing on hold when it comes to chili".
Here is the current framework for my chili recipe. Warning: subject to change based on mood, supplies, moon phase!
First, I sneak in some vegetabley goodness by sweating/sauteing onion, carrot and celery, & garlic at the end. Set aside.
Trim chuck steak very lean and into 1" chunks. Salt & pepper then sear in dutch oven with vegetable oil. Work in small enough batches that searing does not become steaming.
Set aside and brown lean ground beef, ground turkey, sausage, your pick.
Remove from pan and deglaze with sherry or beef broth (I prefer Swansons low-sodium broth or their beef stock.) After reducing till very thick, add beef or chicken broth along with vegetables set aside earlier.
Using immersion blender, work until smooth. If your family doesn't like lots of tomato chunks, add a can of crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes are wonderful, or Red Gold) before blending.
Add meat back in, along with a can of kidney beans, black beans, and/or Bush's Chili Magic Chili Starter and another can of tomatoes.
Toast cumin seeds and pulverize in spice grinder. Add to pot, along with ancho chilies in adobo (minced) or ancho chilie powder, chipotle chilie powder, adobo (if these are not in your spice rack, try Penzey's Spices) a bit of black pepper, a dash of Franks Red Hot Sauce, oregono, thyme, kosher salt, and chopped onion (I prefer vidalia or sweet at this point).
If you are feeling adventurous, add a bit of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and if you are really wild and crazy, a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Let cook at low temperature for a few hours and the beef will be fall-apart tender.
A dish of corn bread or corn pudding is called for. My favorite is a package of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. Mix according to directions, adding about a 1/3 can of sweet corn (drained) and topped with hot pepper cheese before popping in the oven.
Serve chili with garnishes such as sour cream (mellows the heat for those that have a sensitive palette,) the remaining drained corn, leftover sweet onion (chopped), lime wedges, cilantro, bell pepper, and of course, shredded cheese! My mom always said we should eat chili with peanut butter on crackers, as together they make a complete protein (or something like that.) I'd rather have with a small salad with a citrus dressing as the perfect side.
Leftovers are very tasty, and can be recycled into a fantastic dip by adding Velveeta cheese and tortilla chips. Or warm slightly, spoon onto tortilla and top with shredded cheese and crushed Fritoes, then fold and sear on griddle. Or spoon generously over the top of a hotdog on bun. Freeze single portions for some wintertime comfort food. It won't go to waste!
Here is the current framework for my chili recipe. Warning: subject to change based on mood, supplies, moon phase!First, I sneak in some vegetabley goodness by sweating/sauteing onion, carrot and celery, & garlic at the end. Set aside.
Trim chuck steak very lean and into 1" chunks. Salt & pepper then sear in dutch oven with vegetable oil. Work in small enough batches that searing does not become steaming.
Set aside and brown lean ground beef, ground turkey, sausage, your pick.
Remove from pan and deglaze with sherry or beef broth (I prefer Swansons low-sodium broth or their beef stock.) After reducing till very thick, add beef or chicken broth along with vegetables set aside earlier.
Using immersion blender, work until smooth. If your family doesn't like lots of tomato chunks, add a can of crushed tomatoes (Muir Glen Organic Fire Roasted Crushed Tomatoes are wonderful, or Red Gold) before blending.Add meat back in, along with a can of kidney beans, black beans, and/or Bush's Chili Magic Chili Starter and another can of tomatoes.
Toast cumin seeds and pulverize in spice grinder. Add to pot, along with ancho chilies in adobo (minced) or ancho chilie powder, chipotle chilie powder, adobo (if these are not in your spice rack, try Penzey's Spices) a bit of black pepper, a dash of Franks Red Hot Sauce, oregono, thyme, kosher salt, and chopped onion (I prefer vidalia or sweet at this point).
If you are feeling adventurous, add a bit of cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and if you are really wild and crazy, a bit of unsweetened cocoa powder.
Let cook at low temperature for a few hours and the beef will be fall-apart tender.
A dish of corn bread or corn pudding is called for. My favorite is a package of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix. Mix according to directions, adding about a 1/3 can of sweet corn (drained) and topped with hot pepper cheese before popping in the oven.Serve chili with garnishes such as sour cream (mellows the heat for those that have a sensitive palette,) the remaining drained corn, leftover sweet onion (chopped), lime wedges, cilantro, bell pepper, and of course, shredded cheese! My mom always said we should eat chili with peanut butter on crackers, as together they make a complete protein (or something like that.) I'd rather have with a small salad with a citrus dressing as the perfect side.
Leftovers are very tasty, and can be recycled into a fantastic dip by adding Velveeta cheese and tortilla chips. Or warm slightly, spoon onto tortilla and top with shredded cheese and crushed Fritoes, then fold and sear on griddle. Or spoon generously over the top of a hotdog on bun. Freeze single portions for some wintertime comfort food. It won't go to waste!
Monday, November 2, 2009
NaBloPoMo Day II: Pizzerias
I have pizza on the brain, just having finished my dinner of leftover Racanelli's pizza: 2 pieces of Meatball and one of BBQ Chicken. I've had some really good pizza recently and would like to give a brief review.
Since we are in Saint Louis, I have to start with Imo's Pizza: the square beyond compare. Growing up in StL, this is definitely an option, but I have to be in the mood for a super-thin crust with a sweet sauce and Provel cheese. There are folks that would argue that Provel is not a real cheese, and I agree it is an acquired taste, but certainly a craving that has to be fulfilled.
Next, we have the national chains, like Pizza Hut and Dominoes (I don't include Papa Johns, as their pizza makes me mysteriously ill to my stomach.) I love the more interesting American Legends pizzas, like Memphis BBQ Chicken Pizza and Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but the last couple of times we have ordered one of these, the crust was undercooked beneath the sauce. So skipping them for now. Pizza Hut's big draw is the boneless Spicy Asian wings from their Wing Street menu. Yummy on their own, but if you set them on the pizza, or dip your crusts in the sauce, really excellent.
On to the best specialty pizza place that actually delivers to our house, Racanelli's. Their New York Style pizza is certainly fold-able, and their sizes are a couple inches larger than comparable sizes at other pizzerias to accommodate this, but their prices are also higher. Right now they have a Recession Buster Menu, with (very tasty) Strombolis and Calzones only $5 and pizzas 25% off on Sunday thru Thursday...if you remember to ask for it. Not a bad deal, and leftovers are excellent.
We discovered Dewey's Kirkwood location over a year ago, but have since introduced friends & family to the UCity pizzeria. Always packed, their pizza is top-notched and they have some unique combination of toppings. Among my favorites:
I had been hearing about Pi Pizzeria ever since President Obama ordered a Chicago-style deep dish from outside his constituency, in great ole STL. I admire their commitment to sustainability: Pi is committed to environmentally benign success. Doing good while doing well is fundamental to our work, and is manifested in our commitment to create an ecologically sustainable restaurant.
The bathroom had a dual-flush toilet and a Dyson hand dryer. Worth a trip, even if you don't have the urge to go.
They offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Their pints of beer (great selection, including local) feature pi to the umteenth degree: 3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288. My math teacher FIL may be getting a set for Christmas...
I greatly enjoyed their deep dish bacon pizza: lots of flavor in the chunky, fresh sauce and a deep flavor profile with a unique crust. Finally, they serve Goshen Coffee, of which I am a big fan, thanks to Foundation Grounds Coffee & Cafe, but that is another post.
In closing, central St. Louis has a few options for great pizza, a bunch for okay pizza, and a few options I wouldn't even mention. If you have some other favorites, let me know and I'll join you for a slice and a pint.
Since we are in Saint Louis, I have to start with Imo's Pizza: the square beyond compare. Growing up in StL, this is definitely an option, but I have to be in the mood for a super-thin crust with a sweet sauce and Provel cheese. There are folks that would argue that Provel is not a real cheese, and I agree it is an acquired taste, but certainly a craving that has to be fulfilled.
Next, we have the national chains, like Pizza Hut and Dominoes (I don't include Papa Johns, as their pizza makes me mysteriously ill to my stomach.) I love the more interesting American Legends pizzas, like Memphis BBQ Chicken Pizza and Buffalo Chicken Pizza, but the last couple of times we have ordered one of these, the crust was undercooked beneath the sauce. So skipping them for now. Pizza Hut's big draw is the boneless Spicy Asian wings from their Wing Street menu. Yummy on their own, but if you set them on the pizza, or dip your crusts in the sauce, really excellent.
On to the best specialty pizza place that actually delivers to our house, Racanelli's. Their New York Style pizza is certainly fold-able, and their sizes are a couple inches larger than comparable sizes at other pizzerias to accommodate this, but their prices are also higher. Right now they have a Recession Buster Menu, with (very tasty) Strombolis and Calzones only $5 and pizzas 25% off on Sunday thru Thursday...if you remember to ask for it. Not a bad deal, and leftovers are excellent.
We discovered Dewey's Kirkwood location over a year ago, but have since introduced friends & family to the UCity pizzeria. Always packed, their pizza is top-notched and they have some unique combination of toppings. Among my favorites: - Green Lantern: Red Sauce, Light Mozzarella, Minced Garlic, Mushroom (nix this one!), Goat Cheese, Artichokes, Pesto
- Meatball: Red Suace, Fresh Basil, Fresh Mozzarella, Italian Meatballs, Oregano, Parm
- Seasonally November - December - The Don: Red Sauce, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Salami, Capacola Ham & Oregano
I had been hearing about Pi Pizzeria ever since President Obama ordered a Chicago-style deep dish from outside his constituency, in great ole STL. I admire their commitment to sustainability: Pi is committed to environmentally benign success. Doing good while doing well is fundamental to our work, and is manifested in our commitment to create an ecologically sustainable restaurant.The bathroom had a dual-flush toilet and a Dyson hand dryer. Worth a trip, even if you don't have the urge to go.
They offer vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. Their pints of beer (great selection, including local) feature pi to the umteenth degree: 3.14159 26535 89793 23846 26433 83279 50288. My math teacher FIL may be getting a set for Christmas...I greatly enjoyed their deep dish bacon pizza: lots of flavor in the chunky, fresh sauce and a deep flavor profile with a unique crust. Finally, they serve Goshen Coffee, of which I am a big fan, thanks to Foundation Grounds Coffee & Cafe, but that is another post.
In closing, central St. Louis has a few options for great pizza, a bunch for okay pizza, and a few options I wouldn't even mention. If you have some other favorites, let me know and I'll join you for a slice and a pint.
Sunday, November 1, 2009
NaBloPoMo Day I
NaBloPoMo (National Blog Posting Month) - Post every day for a month. That's all you have to do.
Well, I've had this blog since February of this year, but only have 16 posts so far. Most are about wedding stuff, and don't be fooled, more wedding stuff will be a-coming, but there is more going on in my life and sometimes I do feel like talking about it. But now that I have discovered Facebook, and I'm job hunting and keeping my LinkedIn profile up to date, how relevant is a blog to my life?
I have some very talented writer friends, and I love to read their blogs, and blogs of their friends, and even occasionally post some comments that are worth reading. But do my musings have enough substance (worth, humor, relevance) to merit a blog of my very own?
This month of daily posting should be a good indicator if I will be able to commit and keep it up. I purposefully do not link this to my FB profile, as I would like to have the freedom to rant without my family taking exception. So who will find me? Stop by and stay a while. Introduce yourself, and make a new friend, or chatter with an old one. I appreciate your attention, and hope to keep you entertained.
Most sincerely,
Laura
p.s. Happy All Saints' Day!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Happy 1st birthday, nephew!
My nephew's first birthday this past weekend. SIL had bought the animal figurines for a jungle theme, and suggested chocolate with caramel flavor for the cake, and I took it from there! It turned out tasty, and was fun to make.
I used the 6" and 10" Wilton cake pans, split each layer for homemade caramel sauce plus buttercream filling, iced with medium green buttercream, then piped with dark green then accented with light green. The sand is leftover caramel buttercream that I texturized a bit, then the water is store-bought blue gel. Here is a detail shot:
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