Chili

Chili has gotten a bad rap through the years. To many deli lines seem to fill their vats with a tomato-bean goop during the winter time. Well gosh darn it, can't someone make a good pot of chili? As it turns out, I've found a recipe that has topped my old standby, the Better Homes and Garden chili... I don't recall where I ended up getting the recipe (sorry creators), but it is excellent. One thing to note: its home-made, from scratch so prepare for a long ingredients list. Here goes:

Ingredients:

1. 2 lbs ground beef chuck
2. 1 lb Italian sausage (not in casings)
3. 3 (15 oz) cans of chili beans, drained
4. 1 (15 oz) can of chili beans in spicy sauce
5. 2 (28 oz) can diced tomatoes in their juice
6. 1 (6 oz) can tomato paste
7. 1 large yellow onion
8. 3 stalks of celery, chopped
9. 1 medium green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
10. 1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
11. 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and chopped
12. 1 strip of cooked bacon (or 1 Tbs bacon bits)
13. 4 cubes beef bullion
14. 1/2 cup beef (use something good here)
15. 1/4 cup chili powder
16. 1 Tbs Worcestershire sauce (easier written than said)
17. 1 Tbs minced garlic (3-4 fresh cloves)
18. 1 Tbs dried oregano
19. 2 tsp ground cumin
20. 2 tsp hot pepper sauce (Tabasco for example)
21. 1 tsp dried basil
22. 1 tsp salt
23. 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
24. 1 tsp cayenne pepper
25. 1 tsp paprika
26. 1 tsp white sugar

Directions:

1. Heat a LARGE stock pot over medium-high heat. Crumble the ground chuck and sausage into the hot pan. Cook until evenly browned. Drain off any excess fat (makes the recipe healthier...).
2. Throw in the rest. I could spell it out for you, but I won't bother. Let it simmer over low heat for at least 2 hours, stirring every so often.
   
3. After 2 hours, taste and adjust the salt, pepper and chili powder if you feel like it. The longer it cooks the better. Even better, make it ahead, take it off the stove, refrigerate over night and serve the next day... it will be amazing.
   
4. Serve with cheese and Fritos on top.

Recipe says it makes enough for 10, but those would have to be pretty big people. Cut the recipe in half or save it for a big party.

"Music - ie"

I've heard the word "foodie" tossed around in conjunction with my name before and I have to admit that people are probably right. I wonder though, since I've gotten my new computer (which can actually run multiple programs at once, unlike my old one), if people will start using the word "music-ie." Ok, so its not a word (yet) but I would like to think it refers to some form of music snobbery.

How did I get to the point that I want to be a music snob? Well it all started as I prepared to update to the aforementioned new computer. I was transferring all of my music files over to an external hard drive and I started to notice the different file formats. I started to wonder whats the difference between MP3 and M4U and MP4 and WMA? So I googled music formats. There weren't that many good online articles that could help me out. So, I struggled to figure out what it all meant. I knew that some file types were propriatary (only worked with some software/hardware) and I also learned that some types were "locked" or secure tags. In other words, a company (in my case Apple) had attached a little file that locked the music down and forced me to use only certain types of software. As I found out, it also limited what I could do with my music.

I began to think of the Sony debacle a few years ago. The Sony company tried to hinder music sharing back then by placing multiple "layers" on a CD. Those multiple layers could be read by a CD player, but computers didn't naturally read through them. This effectually made the CD quality poorer on a computer and made ripping difficult.

While I was digging through the online archieves I kept finding one word repeated...dBpoweramp. So, being a good little "gen Y-er" I googled that too. Turns out dBpoweramp is a pretty comprehensive CD burning/converting/ripping software tool. I began learning about "codecs" and the difference between lossless and lossy file types. At about this same time I was looking into wireless music players and found one by Logitech that caught my eye - "Squeezebox." I happen to really like Logitech products and kept researching their networked WiFi player. I found it worked naturally with a codec (file type) of FLAC. I immediately said to myself... "Don't give me no FLAC son!" Sorry, bad joke. Anyway, this post begins the series "Music-ie" where I will attempt to share my new found knowledge of the music ripping and encoding world. I'll go through the different codecs out there, what players they work well with, the difference between lossless and lossy formats, the benefits of both and how you can be a music snob in general.

I know that there are many out there that are probably bigger music snobs than me. Please comment on areas that you are knowledgable about and we can have a great music forum of fantasic snobbery... made available to regular folks like you and me :-)

Pasta with Broccoli and Sausage

Here's a real twist on fettuccine alfredo.

Ingredients:
1 lb fresh broccoli, cut into flowerets
1 9-ounce package of refrigerated fettuccine
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms (optional)
1 clove of garlic
1 lb smoked sausage, sliced
3 large eggs
3/4 cup whipped cream
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook broccoli and fettuccine in boiling water to cover in a dutch oven 4 minutes or until broccoli is crisp-tender; drain. Rinse in cold water; drain. Place in a large bowl.
2. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet; add mushrooms and garlic. Saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add to fettuccine mixture.
3. Brown sausage in skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes; drain and add to fettuccine mixture. Wipe skillet clean with a paper towel.
4. Stir together eggs, whipping cream, and pepper in skillet until blended. Add fettuccine mixture; toss well. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, 3 to 5 minutes or until thickened. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss. Serve immediately.

The serving size is about 4 on this.

Enjoy!

Staying Healthy

Everywhere you look there is a new diet that promises to trim the fat in weeks. There's the west coast diet, Atkins's diet, low carb diet, low sodium diet, Mediterranean diet, Japanese diet, egg white diet, and so on. How is a person to cut through all the "expert" advice out there to get to the heart of things? Well, this non-expert can answer that for you.

Have you noticed a change in your dishes? That's right, a change in your dishes. Next time you find yourself at a restaurant take note of the size of the dish. They should look familiar to you. They are the same size as a serving platter in your home china hutch. Why the size? Well as Americans we have become enamored with bigger meals.

Lets explore the history, briefly. Think of the saying "bigger is better", now think of the great American SUV. What about the "great frontier" or the great American railway. As a culture we have always had a preference for the extreme. Extreme sports, supercharged Ford Mustangs and now the supercharged meal. First we had a 1/4 pounder, then a 1/3 pounder followed by a 1/2 pound burger.

I don't want to comment on American ego here, I just want to point out that we like our "money's worth" when it comes to things and food is no exception. Eating a balanced diet is great, if and only if you don't eat a double balanced diet, or if you opted for the "extra value sized" balanced diet.

Want the secret to healthy living? Everything in moderation. Don't go back for seconds, in fact don't even finish your firsts. If you want a sure fire way of cutting your meals back, purchase smaller plates. In that way, your psychological experience will still be a full plate, but your waist-line will thank you for it.

Out side of that, stay active. It used to be we all had to "work" for a living. Now days we have to expend even more time in our busy day just to stay active. Here is an added bonus piece of advice, start small but stick to it. Once you have any pattern developed its 100 times easier to expand it than if you started big and then failed. Set yourself up for success - anyone with a pragmatic business mind should appreciate that.

Good luck!

Stogies

If you are a fan of the "good-life," then you would be a fan of Stogies on Grand in St. Paul. There are other GREAT stores out there that offer a small selection of premium tobacco, Heimies Haberdashery also in St. Paul, but few places (none other that I know of) offer a smoking lounge to get you through those cold winter days or hot summer ones at that!

My father-in-law and I sat down yesterday in the Diamond Crown Lounge at Stogies and played a tournament of cribbage. The best part of this, other than almost skunking my dad twice in a row, were the cigars. I warmed up to a Hoyo de Monterry and my dad had an Olivia. Both scored over 92 in Cigar Aficionado. It was the epitome of living it up and I am going to have to make this a regular thing.

Now, in case you're thinking of starting your own cigar shop and lounge I should warn you. As my dad and I were leaving, we stopped to talk over the idea of getting one of these shops in Forest Lake. Well, we were informed that it takes roughly between $300,000 and $500,000 to start one up. I guess real estate, equipment and inventory is still pretty pricey! The racking if Cuba by hurricanes hasn't helped things either. Perhaps President Obama can include lifting sanctions on Cuba to help fuel the economy by bringing more quality cigars into the states.

Ah, cigars. Now if we can only get fedoras to come back into style...

Out for awhile

So, I've been "out" for awhile and have put the hunt for the best coffee houses on the back burner. Sorry if you were looking forward to that. I'll try and take it up to you sometime. In the mean time I'll leave you with something at least:

Try Gingko Coffee in St. Paul or Nina's Coffee House (also in St. Paul). They are great places.

Onto my post. I've just finished A Voyage Long and Strange, by Tony Horowitz. Mr. Horowitz the acclaimed author Confederates in the Attic and (infinitely better in my opinion) Blue Latitudes. Anyway, Voyage, is a great book for those of you that missed the in-between history of the English invasion of America. You will learn about the Spanish explorers as well as the true story of Pocahontas. This isn't just your usual history book though. Like his others, Mr. Horowitz does a wonderful job of sharing with you his researching trek. It becomes an adventure as you learn both the history as well as the adventure Mr. Horowitz undergoes while writing the book. The only problem with this one, there is no fun loving Roger to share the adventure with (See Blue Latitudes). Still it will keep you interested as you relearn your 9th grade history.

Enjoy the read.

Coffee Beans

In preparation for my rating of coffeehouses in the cities I thought I would do a series of coffee related articles.

My first is to explain the coffee bean in a totally non-Wikipedia way. Essentially I want to cut through the etymology, types, processing and anything that is boring and detracts from what we are all really, honestly concerned with...the taste.

Its true, coffee beans start more as a berry than a bean and that there is a large amount of polluted water created by their processing, but what few people realize is that a dark roast typically has less caffeine and more sugar. We usually get a dark roast for a very robust flavor, but in fact it has a smoother flavor and is less acidic...the true reason we like it.

How to keep that flavor in:
Air-tight storage and a cool temperature. Keep them in the fridge if you have the space. I've got a cool little vacuum sealer that I got from Target a few years ago that comes with a series of containers. For my uber-special coffee I will vacuum seal it in a tupperware-ish container. Oh, what is that supper great coffee you ask?? Well it is the basis for all of my comparisons in the upcoming "Twelve Best Coffeehouses in the Twin Cities" article...its a medium-dark roast of beans from Papua New Guinea available exclusively from the home roaster "Spunky Monkey Coffee." Which if you want even more great coffee tips or to order you should check out his site. Also, he has got the coolest...or I mean warmest Spunky Monkey cups...doesn't it take you back to your childhood? I remember having a Spunky Monkey rag doll when I was little...twenty years later I found out that I didn't create that name... foiled again!