New Arrival

No, it's a little early for that arrival. But it's not too early for this one! Actually, it's two weeks earlier than we were expecting, so we were very surprised and very happy. Now when people come over, this will be a very common sight...

Back In the Kitchen

Amy was out with the girls again tonight, you know what that means.... CHILI! So, I grabbed the recipe from my last experiment and sought to create a still better bowl of red. How did I fare? Read on, loyal reader, read on...

Bald Man Tom's Skillet Chili, Take Three

The Players

The Pan	12" cast iron skillet, well seasoned
The Ingredients	8 oz. chuck roast, cut into small cubes salt 3 oz onion, finely diced 2 clove garlic, minced 3 oz pickled jalapenos, minced ~1-1/2 oz chipotles in adobo sauce, minced ~2 tbsp adobo sauce (from the can of chipotles in adobo) 2 tbsp chili powder 1 tbsp cumin (ground) 1 tbsp coriander seed (ground) 1 tsp turmeric (ground) 2-1/2 c beef broth, plus 3 tbsp 3 tbsp masa harina Vegetable oil

The Method

Season the meat with a few pinches of salt about 5 minutes before cooking begins. Heat the skillet over high heat. Coat the skillet thinly with oil, then sear the meat quickly on all sides, maybe 1-2 minutes max. Remove the meat from the pan and set aside. Lower the heat to medium, sautee the onion and garlic until softened a little, about 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Add the minced jalapenos and minced chipotles, stir and let sautee another 1 to 1-1/2 minutes. Add the meat back to the pan with 2-1/2 c of the broth, spices and adobo sauce, mix and simmer 5 minutes. Make a slurry with the masa harina and the remaining 3 tbsp of the beef broth, then add to the pan and give it a good stir. Place in a 350 degree oven for 75 minutes.

Makes 2 servings.

Notes

Bummer. I started with a 12 oz cut of chuck roast, but by time I got done trimming it, it was down to 8 oz. Double bummer. I was running low on cumin, so I couldn't bump that up. However, I still had plenty of adobo sauce, so I bumped that up for extra smokiness and heat. I threw in ground coriander seed and ground turmeric from my old recipe because I like what they add (I know they're not authentic, deal with it). I increased the amount of onion and garlic, because I could, and I backed off on the cooking time in an attempt to make it slightly less thick.

Cornbread again (is there any better chili go-with than good cornbread?) but I added the chili powder back in because Amy stated for the record that she wouldn't want any.

The Verdict

Good, but not as good as last time. It was considerably hotter than last time, but was lacking the smokiness of the last batch. Not nearly enough beef, though that's my own darned fault. The thickness was pretty much right on, so dropping the cooking time was a good thing. I think if I were to get a lidded pot, something like a cast iron dutch oven, I could safely bump the cooking time back up. As it is, so much liquid escapes from the pan that the shorter cooking time is needed.

Lessons Learned

Lessee:

• Need more cumin
• Bumping up the adobo didn't increase the smokiness, only the heat
• The coriander and turmeric were good additions
• A cast iron dutch oven would be a very nice chili pot (I think)
• I need a "manly" chili bowl
• Chili cornbread = yum!

I Love Baseball

If I haven't said so before, let me say it now: I love baseball.

On last night's news, the sports reporter mentioned that one of my all-time favorite baseball players, Jim Thome, would be playing a few rehab games in town with the visting Charlotte Knights against the Clippers, so Amy and I decided to catch tonight's game. He didn't hit any of his trademark rain-maker homers, but it's always fun watching him at the plate.

But tonight was more than just a chance to watch a favorite player, it was a chance to just enjoy Baseball. I haven't yet developed an attachment to the Clippers, though now that they're no longer affiliated with the Pinstriped Pigheads, I'm no longer averse to rooting for them. And I have no particular like or dislike for the Knights. So tonight was just Baseball for the sake of Baseball, and that's a beautiful thing. I know that some people out there find it boring, confusing, too slow, whatever. I wish I could let you experience Baseball through my senses and background. For me, there's just something right about sitting in the crowd, watching a good pitcher and a good hitter in a battle of wits and talent, watching a shortstop and second baseman execute acrobatic maneuvers to turn a double play, watching a center fielder run down a hard liner and save the inning with a sliding catch, watching the power hitter hit a shot that won't land until next Tuesday. It's all well and good when I watch my favorite teams play, but sometimes it's even more fulfilling when I'm not emotionally invested in either team, because I can enjoy the game completely, revelling in great plays and bruising offense without regard to who is winning or losing. It's times like tonight when I remember just what I love about Baseball.

Something Interesting...

Here's something that might be interesting for runners or walkers who want to plot out their routes.

Also, Soon to Be Joining the Couch

Now, why would Amy and Tom be smiling? Click our picture above to find out...

May Update

I know it is May but guess what my cross-stitch project is not done. It is started I promise. I am just not motivated to work on it. Why? Well, it isn't a pretty pattern. May is such a great spring month- all the flowers in bloom, the bright green grass, the clear blue skies. The pattern is of a potting shelf and it has a lot of boring brown. I will get it done sometime this month- promise. This cross stitch project is one of my New Year's resolutions and so far the only one still active :)
Stay tune to this blog for further cross-stitch updates...