Tailgating at Home

Well, the Super Bowl has come and gone...and not with the outcome we would've liked to have seen...at least not here in the Boston area! Nonetheless, it was an exciting game, and a great opportunity for some good food and great company! I decided to take the route of tailgating recipes. They were easy to make at home and set out for the night, but would be just as easy to bag up and bring to the parking lot of your favorite arena, as well!

I spent the afternoon cooking, and trying to keep the kitchen as clean as possible at the same time. I cooked one thing at a time, and finished up right as our friends arrived. The table was full of goodies, and I was free to enjoy, have a beer, and watch the game!

It wouldn't be a "tailgating" party without chili, so first up on the menu is a very straightforward chili, but what intrigued me about it was the molasses and balsamic vinegar I was asked to add at the end of the cooking process. It added a lot of depth to an otherwise normal chili. I served it in mugs, with some sour cream and grated sharp cheddar garnishes, and the spices were spot-on!

We needed to have some dips so I whipped up some guacamole and hummus to go with the delicate tortilla chips I bought from the gourmet section of the grocery store. I also cut up some veggies (fennel, radicchio, radishes, celery, carrots and broccoli) and paired them with a delicious and tangy Roquefort dip, which I'm enjoying the leftovers of as I write this, right now. Yum!!

While the chili was simmering away, I made some Mediterranean meatballs! Now, these aren't just any meatballs. The seasonings are distinctly Mediterranean, but on top of that, the recipe called for chopped currants and pine nuts to round out the mix. The flavors meshed so well together, and the meatballs had a really nice bite to them, because of the substance of each one. They were simmered in a simple tomato sauce after being browned on all sides in some oil! I'm so happy I've got leftovers of these too!

If you looked at the current menu, you'd see a line mentioning some mini tuna burgers on pita bread, but it's apparently very difficult to find tuna these days. I went to a few different stores, before deciding to scrap this menu item. Don't worry, I will definitely be making them in the future, because I was very much looking forward to trying them! So, all that was left was to make a few side dishes to round out the table. I made a green salad with a red wine-Dijon vinaigrette. I also made an orzo salad with caramelized onions, spinach and shiitake mushrooms. The soy sauce and sesame oil-based dressing gave this salad a nice Asian twist, but still went with the mainstream flavors of everything else on the table!

All in all, a successful spread, I'd say! I enjoyed having everything done in time for kickoff, so I could pick at all the goodies, just like all of my guests! The guests may leave at the end of the night, but we get to enjoy all the leftovers for days to come...and these leftovers, they're delicious!

A History of Chili

Prime Rib chili, corn pudding with poblanos, and spicy sweet potato chips with blue cheese dip leftovers have overrun my fridge, so we had it again for dinner tonight...and it was just as good as the first time! I was pleasantly surprised to find that everything tasted just as delicious! It's so often that you make something amazing, look forward to leftovers for the next 24 hours and then are stunningly disappointed by the lack of taste and substance left over in your tupperware. I'm so glad this one worked out because I plan on it being lunches for the rest of the week as well! In honor of "chili week" here at my house, I thought I would give a little background on chili as a dish, and where it has come from, as well as what it once was.

In the epilogue to this chapter in Tyler Florence's cookbook, Dinner at My Place, he mentions that this Prime Rib Chili is a Texas-style chili, and Texas-style chili has no beans. He also goes on to explain that Texas-style chili got its start in prisons, where the cooks wanted to try serving something different than bread and water, and so took some cheap cuts of meat, cooked it down until tender with lots of spices, and chili was born. Inmates would rate jails on the quality of their chili, and freed prisoners would even write for the recipe, saying that what they missed most about prison was a great bowl of chili.

Obviously, that's not the first time chili was ever made, but it's where it got it's start in Texas, in the 1860's. Another form of chili that American frontier settlers used was a mixture of dried beef, suet, chili peppers and salt that was formed into large blocks left to dry, that could then be boiled in pots along the trail. I found some really interesting terms in the Wikipedia entry on chili. Apparently, there were women called "chili queens," during the 1880s. These brightly dressed Hispanic women operated around large gathering areas, appearing at dusk to light fires and reheat pre-cooked chili for sale by the bowl to passersby. The first version of a food truck? Maybe! Unfortunately, when the San Antonio health department imposed new sanitation laws that made the "chili queens" adhere to the same laws as indoor restaurants, they disappeared virtually overnight.

from Flickr - by *mewot*

Before World War II, you could find "chili parlors" all over the state, run by families who each claimed to have their own "secret recipe." Dating all the way back to 1904, "chili parlors" were opening outside of Texas, and in fact, as recently as 2005, one of these "chili parlors" is still known to exist on Pine Street in downtown St. Louis.

from Flickr - by armadilo60

The arguments about what ingredients do and don't belong in chili are long and drawn-out but whatever way you like it, it's a hearty meal that warms you on a cold day, fills you up when you are feeling hungry, and makes for great leftovers!

Flavor Infusion

Let's get creative! A great way to add your own touch to something is by using infusion. You can infuse all sorts of liquids, with all sorts of flavors, to add your own flair to an otherwise ordinary recipe. Oils, vinegars and even water can act as a blank canvas for your creations!

from Flickr - by quinn.anya

A really refreshing treat for the summer is to add slices of cucumbers and lemons to a pitcher of water and allow it to sit in the fridge for a few hours. When you have a glass, you get a chilled glass of wonderful flavor, rather than a plain glass of water.

from Flickr - by erik boralv

Try infusing some chili peppers in olive oil for a few days before using it to sear some scallops or shrimp, for an added bite to your seafood. To infuse an oil like this, you can do it over time, in a shelf-stable container. You can also heat the oil with the flavors to speed up the process. Herbs and garlic also make a great infusion for oil. I've never tried this, but I'm thinking a scallion-infused rice vinegar might be de-lish-ous!

Do you have ideas or suggestions? Share with us!

In Honor of the Superbowl

Today, I wanted to share a recipe that is healthy, low-fat, and also PERFECT for a football game celebration, like the ones most people will be attending this evening. So much of the food that gets served at these get-togethers is drenched in BBQ sauce, or smothered in buffalo, or dripping with melted cheese...isn't it nice to think that one thing on the table can be good for you and taste delicious too!?

From Cooking Light

That's right, I'm talking about Chili with Chipotle and Chocolate. The original recipe comes from a 2007 issue of Cooking Light, and is only 257 calories per serving, with only 6.6 grams of fat. I've shared this recipe with numerous people throughout the years, and have found that there is an unanimous love for this chili. It's rich, delicious and very deep in its flavors...and guess what? It takes less than an hour to make!


And now, without further ado, here it is!

What you'll need:

Cooking spray

2 cups diced onion (about 1 large)

1 cup chopped red bell pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast

3 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 (15-ounce) cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained

2 (14.5-ounce) cans diced tomatoes, undrained

1 (14-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

2 chipotle chiles, canned in adobo sauce, minced

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1/2 cup light sour cream

Chopped green onions (optional)

Chocolate adds a lovely depth to this chili

Heat a dutch oven over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion, bell pepper, garlic, and turkey to pan; saute 8 minutes or until turkey is browned and vegetables are tender. Add sugar and next 9 ingredients (through chipotle) to pan, stirring to blend; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 15 minutes or until slightly thickened, stirring occasionally. Add chocolate, stirring to melt. Ladle 1 1/4 cups chile in each of 8 bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream. Garnish with green onions. Yield: 8 servings.

And for good measure, here's the nutrition information! :) Enjoy everyone! Go Packers!

Calories 257 (23% from fat); Fat 6.6g (sat 3.8g, mono 1.7g, poly 0.2g); Protein 23.6g; Carb 26g; Fiber 6g; Chol 34mg; Iron 2.6mg; Sodium 603mg; Calcium 78mg

Hug Your Closest Sri Lankan!

Sri Lanka

The other day, I received an invitation to an event on Facebook. The event in question is "Hug a Sri Lankan Day," and it takes place on February 4th. That's FRIDAY! Sri Lanka is located off the southern coast of the Indian sub-continent. It is an island nation. In honor of this day, and my friend Ladali, who is Sri Lankan, I decided to make a fitting dish, complete with how-to instructions, just in time for you to cook dinner on Friday. I chose a Chicken Curry dish, also known as Chicken Dopiaza. The original recipe can be found here. I'm sure that you could make this with other types of meat as well, and for you vegetarians out there, I have a feeling that these flavors would work very nicely with some tofu (you'll have to adjust times a bit, that's all). Now, let's start with what you'll need:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

8 small onions/shallots, halved

2 bay leaves

8 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

3 dried red chilis

8 black peppercorns

2 big onions, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 inch piece of fresh root ginger, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon salt (to taste)

4 tomatoes, skinned and finely chopped (I used canned, diced tomatoes)

1/2 cup water

8 chicken pieces, skinned

plain rice, to serve

This seems like a lot of ingredients, I know, but it's actually a very simple dish, and it's delicious. I happened to have these spices on hand, but if you don't, you can find them at your local grocery store, or order them online if you have a few days before you plan on cooking this dish. Now, of course, the first step is your mise en place. But, for mine, I combined the ingredients for each step into separate bowls, to make it easier for me. If you want to do it that way, this is what should be in each bowl:

Bowl #1: Shallots

Bowl #2: Bay leaves, cardamom pods, cloves, chilis and peppercorns

Bowl #3: Onions, garlic, and ginger

Bowl #4: Coriander, cumin, turmeric, chili powder and salt

Bowl #5: Tomatoes and water

Bowl #6: Chicken

We're ready to begin cooking! Before I start with the main part of this dish, I put the rice and water into the rice cooker since that usually takes about a half an hour to cook. Rice cookers are a fabulous invention. All you have to do is press the cook button, and it turns off when the rice is done. When I cook rice, I always use the ratio, 1:2. If you use a cup of rice, you should pour in 2 cups of water. That goes for any measurement of rice...double it for the water. Then, set it...and let it go!



Now, on to the main course, right? It's about time! I promise things are going to go quickly from here! I made this dish in a wok, but you can also use pretty much any large pan. Be sure that it's large enough to fit all the things you are going to put in it.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in the wok, or large pan, and fry the halved small onions/shallots until soft (I used shallots). Remove and set aside. Make sure those shallots are really soft, because otherwise, they are going to be a very overwhelming flavor in the finished product. Shallots get sweeter as they cook.



Add the remaining oil and fry the bay leaves, cardamoms, cloves, chilis and peppercorns for 2 minutes. Be careful here...as the cardamom pods get hot, they can pop. One almost knocked my EYE out!



Add the big onions, garlic, and ginger. Fry for 5 minutes.



Add the spices (coriander, cumin, turmeric, and chili powder) and salt and cook for 2 minutes.



Add the tomatoes and water to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes until the sauce begins to thicken.



Add the chicken pieces and cook for 15 minutes more. Once I added the chicken and it had begun to cook, I found that the sauce needed a little bit more water because it was evaporating quickly. Don't be afraid to trust your instincts and add something if you feel it needs it.



Add the reserved shallots back to the pan, and then cover and cook for another 10 minutes until the chicken is tender. I cut about 4 minutes off this time because I found that my chicken was done, and I didn't want to over cook it. However, it all depends on the size of your pieces, the parts that you choose to use and the temperature of your pan, so you be the judge. Once it looks tender and cooked through, take it off the heat so that the meat doesn't get chewy. Serve over rice.

This was a delicious meal, and I found it to be an educational experience. I have friends from all over the world, and it is always a treat to learn about their cultures and cuisines. It's not every day that you see a Sri Lankan restaurant, or even think about cooking a Sri Lankan meal, so I'm very happy that I took this opportunity to learn about this fascinating cuisine. I will definitely be trying more in the future, and I'll be on the lookout for a restaurant too. I'm intrigued! And a great big thank you goes out to Ladali for pointing me in the right direction for this post. I will be giving her a GREAT BIG HUG on February 4th!

Take a break! Have some coffee!

Happy National Coffee Break day, everyone! In honor of this special day, I would like to pay homage coffee, as an ingredient!



Coffee, in all its forms, is a wonderful addition to chilis, rubs, marinades and of course, desserts. Recipes call for beans, grounds, instant, and brewed...but no matter how you start, coffee adds quite a punch to dishes. It has a natural acidity that makes coffee good for tenderizing meat as well. Marinating the meat in something with acidity will cause the meat to break down and be moist and succulent once cooked.  Incorporating ground coffee into a dry rub for burgers, steak and short ribs brings a lot of smokiness to a dish, and you'll instantly find the difference between using it and not. You can also brew coffee to use in a wet marinade. Try Short Ribs Braised in Coffee Ancho Chile Sauce for an example of spice and the smoky flavor of coffee combining in this southwestern-inspired dish. Plan ahead, you need to cook short ribs for a good 3-4 hours to get the meat really soft and falling off the bone.

Many chili recipes use brewed coffee as an ingredient. Coffee goes well with spice, as we've already seen, and adds smokiness to a dish that's well, supposed to be smoky and spicy! :) Here's a recipe for a Chocolate Stout Chili. Chocolate and coffee go well together as well, and chocolate is one of my favorite things to throw in chili, it adds a richness without even knowing that it's chocolate that you're eating!



Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention the BEST coffee dessert ever. Affogato (Italian for "drowned") is an italian dessert made with scoops of gelato, or ice cream. Hot coffee, or espresso, is then poured over the ice cream, and it is DELICIOUS! The ice cream melts a bit, the coffee cools down a bit, the flavors mix, and it's like a very sophisticated version of an ice cream float! Here, Giada De Laurentiis shows us one way to make Affogato.

I hope this posting left your mouth watering with a craving to try coffee in ways other than in a cup first thing in the morning! Expand your horizons, and put those ingredients to use in unexpected ways!