Archive for December, 2010

Christmas Gift Baskets


2010
12.19

With Christmas coming up this year, we got a mail-order catalog for food baskets. We, of course, thought: “What a great idea!” But rather than order baskets, we, of course decided to make them ourselves!

Even as I am writing this, we are in full cookie production mode. At the current rate, we’re producing approximately a dozen fresh cookies every 4 minutes. Kat made the dough, and rolled it into sugar-coated balls. My job is to manage the rotation of three cookie sheets: every four minutes, one comes out of the oven to cool, the bottom shelf sheet rotates 180 degrees and moves to the top shelf in the oven, and a fresh sheet of uncooked dough-balls goes in.

We made Molasses Spice Cookies, Snickerdoodle, and Delicious Pumpkin Bread. Also a few lucky folks got Chocolate-Dipped Jalapenos!

CRAZY Amazing Chili


2010
12.05

This was by far the best rendition of Amazing Chili we’ve ever made- and we named it “Amazing Chili” from the first iteration… so this is some GOOD stuff! As always we took the ingredients list to the grocery store, they started adding whatever looked good.

  • Meats:
  • 1.3 lb Top Round Beef
  • 1.3 Pork
  • 1 lb Ground Beef (93/7)
  • 2/3 lb Jimmy Dean Sausage
  • 1 lb Ground Lamb
  • Fresh Vegetables:
  • 4 lbs. Roma Tomatoes
  • 1.5 lbs. Tomatoes on the Vine
  • ½ Fresh Jalapeno
  • 3 Poblano Peppers
  • 4 Annaheim Peppers
  • 2 Green Bell Peppers
  • 1 ½ medium-sized onions
  • 1 large carrot
  • 1 stalk celery
  • 12 mushrooms
  • 8 cloves Garlic
  • Canned Veggies:
  • Great Northern Beans
  • Red Kidney Beans
  • Chili Beans (seasoned pinto beans)
  • Black Beans
  • Corn
  • Seasoning:
  • Red Wine
  • Beer (Fat Tire)
  • Pico de Galo Powder
  • Chili Powder (red)
  • Chili Powder (dark, sweat- Fairway)
  • Ancho Chili Powder
  • Cumin
  • Garlic Powder
  • Garlic Salt
  • Pickapeppa sauce
  • Kosher Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Cinnamon
  • Bay Leaves (5-6)
  • Rosemary

Directions:

  1. Brown Meats
  2. Sautee Vegetables
  3. Simmer Tomatoes
  4. Simmer Peppers
  5. Simmer Beans
  6. Add Shrooms & Meat

Cube the steak and pork into 1 cm cubes (err larger, than smaller).

In a large chili pot, heat a thin layer of olive oil over Medium-high heat. Add cubed steak, season with kosher salt, pico de galo, black pepper, cumin, a small glug of pickapeppa, garlic salt, and garlic powder. Stir until all sides are just browned, leaving the meat mostly uncooked throughout. Add spices 2-3 at a time between stirrings, allowing them to be absorbed by the oil and cooking-off fat. Remove meat from pot to a large mixing bowl with all juices.

Add another thin layer of olive oil, allow to heat for a minute or two, then add cubed pork. Season with kosher salt, garlic powder, garlic salt, chili powder (dark). Add spices and brown as with the beef. Remove from pot and add to large mixing bowl with the meat, along with all juices.

Add another thin layer of olive oil, allow to heat for a minute or two. Add the ground beef, sausage, and ground lamb. Stir frequently, breaking up into bite-size chunks. I like to leave some larger, while some of the meat falls into small granules. Season with salt, rosemary, black pepper, generous amount of chili powder (dark), pico de galo, garlic powder, garlic salt. When the meat is sufficiently browned (do not overcook) remove from pot and add to the mixing bowl along with all juices, with the pork and beef chunks. Pour 1 cup red wine over the meat in the mixing bowl.

Add another think layer of olive oil, allow to heat for a minute or two. Add diced onion, minced celery and minced carrot. Stir vigorously to lift cooked-on meat residue, coloring the vegetables a dark brown. When the onions are translucent, add the diced tomatoes, reducing to medium heat. Once the tomatoes reach a simmer, allow to simmer enthusiastically for 20 minutes. Season with rosemary, generous amount of dark chili powder, bay leaves, kosher salt, and ¼ cup of red wine, and pickapeppa.

At 12, and 17 minutes, add a large handful of diced poblano peppers, stirring thoroughly and maintaining the simmer. At 20 minutes, add the rest of the peppers- poblano, annaheim, and bell. Stir thoroughly. When the simmer returns, simmer for 5 minutes.
Then add the canned beans and corn, one can at a time, stirring in each. Maintain on medium heat, stirring occasionally frequently until a solid simmer is reached, then reduce to medium-low heat. Add ½ jalapeno minced. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally (whenever the chunks settle).

Add beer, as needed, to attain desired liquid level. Add ¼ cup wine. Add sliced mushrooms. Stir in thoroughly, simmer for 5 minutes.
Return meat to the pot along with all liquid that has accumulated. Continue to cook over low heat, with just a gentle simmer, for 45 minutes for flavors to mingle. Salt & add additional spicy things to taste.