Day 124: Election Week Special Part 3 (Chili Dogs)

Credit for tonight's entry goes to my friend Tom.  As I was getting ready to leave the office tonight, he asked me what I was having for dinner tonight.  This question had actually been plaguing me all afternoon.

If you've been reading the blog this week, you know that I made a big vat of chili on Sunday.  I knew I should either eat that up or stick it in the freezer, but I have a great track record so far off not repeating dinners within the same week, so I was hesitant.  Tom suggested that I make chili dogs - brilliant!!

Believe it or not, I had never actually cooked a hot dog before, so my husband stuck them on the grill.  I know now that I could have just boiled them, but as you know, everything tastes better when grilled!

To stick with this week's All American theme, I probably should have chosen Nathan's Famous Franks.  Do hot dogs get anymore American than that?  However, I went with Hebrew National.  I literally eat about 3 hot dogs a year and I know that HN are tasty - so sorry for not sticking with the program 100%.

We did, however, have some Tillamook Cheddar from Oregon and a nice red wine produced by BV, here in California.  I know - wine and chili dogs?  

Day 123: Election Week Special Part 2 (Buffalo Wings)

Left or right.  Blue or Red.  Donkeys or Elephants.  Whichever way you lean, today was an exciting day to be an American.  The air was absolutely electric here in San Francisco and all day I just looked forward to going home to glue myself to CNN and their funky maps (although I could really do without their overly dramatic "Projection" intro and what the hell was that Will.I.Am hologram thing??  Creepy!).

I planned to be so glued in fact, that cooking dinner was really out of the question.  I managed to whip up a simple salad (greens, tomatoes, bell pepper, roasted beets, and sliced almonds) and then as you can see, we winged it.

We haven't had great luck with wings in SF - not meaty enough - not spicy enough - plain old not tasty enough.  Perhaps this is due to our very high standards given the killer wings back in NYC.  We finally did find some damn good wings and lucky us!  They are less than a 10 minute walk away at Perry's, a popular San Francisco joint for yummy sandwiches, pancakes, burgers, and other basic but necessary dishes!  In addition to perfectly spiced, big fat wings, I would like to hail the chunky, delicious blue cheese dressing that comes with.  Yum.

Of course, I downed some good ole Sam Adams beer tonight.  I great night to be an American, indeed!!

Day 122: Election Week Special Part 1 (Chili)

In recognition of Election Day, this week will feature all American dishes.

It's been raining for DAYS here in SF.  That kind of weather makes me yearn for soup, stew, or chili and so on Sunday, I whipped up some chili for dinner tonight.  Everyone knows that chili is better a day or two (or three) later, once all of the flavors have mixed just right.

I've tried many chili recipes over the years and some are definitely better than others.  The best one I've found yet is from Bon Appetit magazine:

Ingredients:

1 T vegetable oil

2 medium onions, chopped (I used one large one)

1.5 tsp dried oregano

1.5 tsp ground cumin

1.5 lbs lean ground turkey

1/4 cup chili powder

2 bay leaves

1 T unsweetened chili powder

1.5 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1 28-ounce can whole tomatoes in juice

3 cups beef broth

1 8-ounce can of tomato sauce

3 15-ounce cans small white beans (I used 2 cans of white and 1 of kidney)

Heat oil in a heavy large pot over medium heat.  Add onions and saute until light brown and tender, about 10 minutes.

Add oregano and cumin, stir one minute.  

Increase heat to medium-high.  Add turkey and stir frequently until no longer pink, breaking up with the back of a spoon.

Stir in chili powder, bay leaves, cocoa powder, salt, and cinnamon.  Add tomatoes with juice, breaking up with the back of a spoon.  Mix in broth and tomato sauce and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat and simmer 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add beans (rinsed and drained) and simmer for another 10 minutes.

I highly recommend serving chili with lots of sharp cheddar cheese.  Some of my favorite brands are Cabot, Tillamook, or Trader Joe's Extra Sharp Canadian.

If you have a favorite chili recipe, please share.  I do love this one, but I love to try new ones, too.  Here's to keeping warm this winter!!

Day 121: Sneak Peek

Sunday is my favorite day to cook.  I can start early, make something more involved, not feel rushed, and really enjoy the process.  Often, I will make two dishes on Sunday - one for dinner that night and one for later in the week.

That was my plan tonight.  It's been a wet and rainy few days in San Francisco - perfect chili weather.  But more about that tomorrow, since that's when we plan to eat it (everyone knows that chili is better a day or two after you make it).

Tonight's dinner was mustard crusted lamb chops and asparagus.  For the lamb, I revisited an amazing recipe by Emeril Lagasse.  This is a favorite recipe in my house.

For the asparagus, first I parboiled it (4-5 minutes in salted boiling water).  Then, I used some of the sauce from the chili I had cooked earlier in the day to cook it the rest of the way.  All I did was heat up a few tablespoons of the sauce (leaving the meat and beans behind for tomorrow) and then saute the parboiled asparagus in it on very low heat for about 10 minutes.

For the actual chili recipe, you're just going to have to return tomorrow.  Sneak peek tonight - all of the details then!

Day 120: A Sure Sign of Autumn

I love to cook, but I also love when someone cooks for me!  Tonight we went to our friend Julie's house for dinner.

I have been resisting the purchase of a butternut squash, as I feel they are a true sign that summer's over and autumn has arrived.  This dinner got me over that hump, though, and reminded me how delicious this ingredient is.

As you can see, the butternut was incorporated into a pasta dish.  It was roasted in the oven with some onion first.  Once cooked, it was added to the pasta along with turkey sausage, fresh spinach, fresh sage, and freshly shaved parmesan cheese.

This was comfort food at its best - warm, hearty, and without the guilt that comes along with a lot of other comfort foods.  If you'd like to try this dish out, the recipe is available at Allrecipes.com. Click here and get ready to welcome autumn with open arms!