Chili

Timpano II and Other Journeys There and Back Home

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I have some really good friends in Colorado. That puts it lightly.  We never need a reason to get together, but…

Last year, we had a party we called “The Big Night” after the movie “The Big Night”  starring Stanley Tucci, Tony Shaloub, Isabella Rosselini, Marc Anthony, Minnie Driver, et al.  In this cult film-lover’s movie, two Italian brothers try to save their New World restaurant (and their lives) by throwing a huge party to which Louis Prima is supposedly invited.  I won’t spoil the story, but while Prima is the no-show star, a dish called “Timpano” (Italian for timpani) does make an appearance and steals the dinner scene. (See my post on our first Big Night, October 29, 2010.)

The Timpano (Italian for timpani) is a monumentally-large dish that feeds 20+.  Baked in a washtub, it features a sort of pizza crust filled with a multitude of layers that can include pasta, sauce, meatballs, Italian Sausage, Proscuitto, salami, Pecorino Romano, boiled eggs, beaten raw eggs, and so on.  Allowed to cool for nearly an hour after a long bake, the drum is then turned over and carved carefully, served with a great salad and lots of Chianti.

Doing this thing ourselves–having a party and making the timpano “just like in the movie”– was next-door neighbor Sara’s idea, I think, but it took a long time to make it happen.  For a while, we searched stores and Good Wills for a big, huge washtub pan…I promised to order one and didn’t.  We found dates and canceled them.  Went on vacations and forgot about the whole deal.  In fact, there were a lot of places our own first Big Night almost didn’t happen.  Except Sara kept envisioning it and never let us give up the dream.  She gave up on me briefly, however, and ordered the pan herself.  She planned the night in 2010, and while I did finally search out the recipe, Sara was the mastermind behind the entire enterprise. (Here’s the website with the newest crust.) In the end, we made it together, we did, Mary Pat, Sara and I.  Invited the ‘hood and various friends and ate most of the night, watching the movie for the rest.  We then talked about it the rest of the year.  And…

The night was so wonderful that we made a pact to do it again and set the date for October 29, 2011.  Despite moving to St. Paul, we made it back to Colorado Springs just in time for what turned out to be an even better and improved (delicious, in fact) timpano.  Here’s a photo album from


THE BIG NIGHT 2011

First things first.  Wash the wine glasses, said Chef Sara.

Megan:  Timpano Dog Extraordinaire

 

Chopping, chopping–Mary Pat
This new dough chilled for only an hour before rolling out.

Sara’s Sauce–Yum.

Dough-We took turns rolling this mother.

 

In pan with only a few places to patch.

 

First: Sauced Pasta topped with salami and eggs.

Thatsa meatball!  (And pepperoni)

Layer, layer, sauce.  More sauce is MP’s idea this year and it’s tastier.
Get it all in there.  Waste not.

A bit of crust piecing that worked.  Years of pie baking paying off.
In the oven.  Time for a glass of wine.

TA-DA!

Just out of the oven and resting for 30 minutes.

  

Turned over, pan removed and another 20 minutes rest.

A slice for you.

Inside the Timpano

Another slice for your friend

Waiting for its closeup

Sharing it all:

How shall we carve this?
We follow Dave’s plan and it’s a good thing.  As Alyce has always known.

 

Slideshow of last year’s Big Night

Ipad has more pics

Let’s get started.

 Two-Dog Kitchen (Three this week) or Around the ‘Hood


More on the week’s travels:

 

Back in Princeton and loving it.  Got a great version of Ps 147 for worship.

Dave and Emi up ahead

Looking back at the well-worn steps on the way towards chapel.

Talking with her hands–our Emi

On to Colorado….  Gotta Love It

Grandpa and Rhyan out for pizza again in Colorado!

Back home:  work on our kitchen while we’re away.

Back in St. Paul puppy sitting.

 

Newman..It’s a 3-Dog Kitchen, but in a borrowed house!

Writing recipes on ipad now. A new world.

Read the DinnerPlace post on Chicken-Pumpkin Chili?  Yummy and easy for fall.

Listening to Cantus, “There is a Meeting Here Tonight”  Want to feel good? Watch and listen.

Reading THE PASTOR by Eugene Peterson.  A great read.  Also listening to the choir’s cantata on nearly a loop.  Come hear our performance of “Canticle of Joy” by Joseph and Patricia Martin, on Sunday, December 11 at 9:30 am during worship.  Love to have you.

Do it all with joy and sing a new song,
Alyce

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Sooper Bowl Chili-Chop and Stir-Into the Crockpot for Half-time 

 NOTE:  originally posted February, 2010…..

I don’t know where the idea of chili for Super Bowl came from, but it’s a hit most places if you’re not having pizza.  If you’re not having pulled pork.  (I noticed that top Yahoo! searches were including “pork recipes” this last week.)  So maybe pulled pork, but maybe ribs.  The pork case at the market looked like July 3, it had so many racks of ribs in it.  Prices weren’t bad either.  Still, I was on the path to chili…could I be led away?

I was drawn to a recipe in the NYT (Mark Bittman)  for Chicken Sausage Jambalaya.  Actually, I think it first came from a site called sundaysauce.com; it’s in the left side bar under blogs I follow.  Chicken, sausage:  it all sounded so good.  Rice.  Hmm.  But, chili beckoned.  I haven’t made chili since Halloween and I usually make it pretty often.  Somethings just yelled.

At the store…

Italian sausage (Sara’s-made right up near Palmer Lake) hit the cart.
VEEEEry lean beef fell in on top of it.  I know; it should have been turkey.  But, hey, it’s the Super Bowl.

Did I have enough canned tomatoes?  Italian ones?  Beans?  Unsalted, organic?  I knew I had dried beans, but had a thought about a Super quick chili using canned beans.  Up the canned aisle; it’s not my favorite place. (Produce is my favorite.)  No big cans, so I grabbed 2 pinto and 1 black.  I can never bear to make chili with only one sort of bean.  What else?  Nothing.  OH, I had to have (and this is critical)

TORTILLA CHIPS

Fritos are good, too, especially with cheddar cheese on chili.  But tortilla chips… hmm.  Just right. I actually like to eat this chili with tortilla chips, not a spoon.  I rarely eat chips of any kind, still… Oh well.

Grab some Dos Equis or make a pitcher of margaritas?  I might be the only one who likes zinfandel with chili and I thought I had a sweet bottle of Seghesio. Still, the better half probably needed his Dos Equis; the winter ales in the garage frig were going to pale compared to a Mexican brew. (not bad, eh?)  Note to self:  hit the liquor place next door before going home. Oh, and go back through produce (yeah) and get limes.

By then, the cart was a dead giveaway; anyone going by (and aren’t there a lot of cartsnoopers?) knew I was making chili.  Like, regular old Irish kinda chili.  Not fine Texas fare with big hunks of beef slowly simmered in a thick, spicy sauce; not NM green, mild, hot or in between.  Just the kind of big pot my learned-to-cook-during-the-depression mom made, using her own home-canned tomatoes, some jars of which were  full of other small goodies like celery, green pepper, etc.  We had a ferocious garden out back.  Summers were literally  full of “what a row to hoe.”  Of course, over the years, the recipe morphed.  (There never was a written recipe, just we kids’ memory for the pot, the shelves full of quart jars-“Run bring me a jar of tomatoes.”- and its smells.) Nowadays, I like lots of different vegetables. I like different kinds of meat. I like wine in it.  Lemon.  Dijon mustard. Cinnamon, just a tish.  Yeah, it’s a bit different than mom’s.  It smells as good.  Even the milk man smelled it outside. 

“Smells so good in there.”   “I’m going to your blog tomorrow for that recipe.” (ok!)

Ah, yep.  I’m cookin’ chili. Get outta the way, dogs.  Makes me incredibly happy for some reason.  Makes me feel rich to have a great big pot of the stuff cooking away.  Odd what makes us feel rich.  You?

This particular pot of chili can be pulled together in 20-25 min and then thrown in the crockpot, well, not literally.  I do pour it pretty quickly into the crockpot insert in the sink!  Or, make it the day before.  Whichever way, it’s an easy meal.  Buy or make some corn bread.  Get some tortilla chips and salsa.  Of course, the Dos Equis.  A pan of your favorite brownies?   A veggie tray and you’re on your way.  Why be troubled? 

                                                      We like Manchego with chili.

Can you smell it?                                                                             

Sooper Bowl Chili
serves 8-10;makes a little more than 6 quarts

2T olive oil
1/4 t each: cinnamon, dried red pepper flakes, cumin, black pepper, chili powder
2 onions, chopped (food processor if you have one)

4 cloves of garlic, ditto                                                            
4 large celery stalks, ditto
1/2 ea red and yellow peppers, ditto
2-3 small zucchini or yellow squash, ditto
1 lb each:  sweet Italian sausage and lean ground beef
3  15 oz cans no salt, organic beans (pinto, kidney or black)
6 T chili powder (or to taste)
1 t fresh ground black pepper
1/2 t dried red pepper flakes
2t kosher salt (+/- to taste)
2T each, dried oregano and basil                                                        
2 32 oz cans Italian tomatoes
2T honey
2T Dijon mustard
1/4 c lemon juice

2 c ea: red wine and water

opt: grated Manchego (or cheddar), chopped onions, tortilla chips, hot sauce                                                              

Saute  first five (1/4 t each) spices in the 2 T olive oil over low heat  in a 10 or 12 qt. stockpot while you chop the vegetables (2-3 batches) in the food processor (or by hand.)  Spoon veg out into pot and cover, turning heat up to medium-high.  Meanwhile, brown both meats in another skillet over medium-high heat.  Stir both pot and skillet frequently.  When vegetables are tender, add rest of ingredients to pot. Drain meat well; add to the tomato mixture.  Stir well and taste; season as needed. 

Bring to a boil and turn off the burner. *Place crockpot stoneware insert  in sink and pour chili into it.  Replace insert into crockpot.  Set heat to low and let cook 4-6 hours.  If too thin, take lid off and let cook 15-20 minutes on high to thicken.

Serve with tortilla chips and chopped onions and cheese if you like.
Pass a bottle of your favorite hot sauce for those who want to burn their taste buds.

*Option:  Cook on stove.   Lower heat to medium low and simmer at least an hour.  More, if you’d like.  Some people like to wait and add the beans during the last 15 minutes.

Enjoy the day.  Have a little more if you like.  There’s plenty.  You’re rich.
no spoon needed

If you still don’t know anything about football (I don’t want to know; it’s a good time to read the NY Times), you can click below and get a very quick lesson on how the game is played….

http://football.about.com/c/ec/7.htm

Sing a new song  (Go Colts?  Go Saints?), as I pray for two dear friends, s and c and for Emi, taking the Biblical Content Exam today at Princeton………..
Alyce 

Turkey Taco Soup or Sneak Peak at Blue Cheese Biscuits with Steak

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Easy, healthy and truly yummy, as a good friend would say

I’m sure this could have a better name. 

Sometimes people ask how I name recipes and my answer is always the same, “It must say what it is.” 

Do I want catchy names?  Yes.
I just seldom use them.  How about Taco Trouble Soup?  Tonza Turkey Soup? 

Of course, as a working cook  of sorts, the recipe must also be FINDABLE IN WORD DOCUMENTS.  You could think about that and come up with wonderful storage ideas for people who cook on multiple levels and must maintain articles, recipes, photographs and so on.
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This could be Turkey Chili Soup  or Taco Soup (of which there are many) or Turkey Vegetable Chili–etc., but it’s very soupy and it tastes like tacos.  Without the gazillion calories of the tortillas.  Without the cheese (though you could add that at the end, if you’d like.)  And it’s quick.
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This hot bowl of fuel fulfills the black bean, onion and tomato portion of my series on meals or dishes including the “12 best foods,”

  1. Broccoli
  2. Black beans
  3. Tomatoes
  4. Salmon
  5. Soy
  6. Sweet potatoes
  7. Oats
  8. Onions
  9. Blueberries
  10. Walnuts
  11. Spinach
  12. Chocolate

  Nearly everyone I talk to about food just wants things fast.  I like everything at Alyce-speed.  I don’t like to rush; I don’t think it’s worth while.  If I don’t have time to cook, I always can have an omelet or grab a piece of cheese and an apple.  But, hey, I hear you.  I hear everyone who works,  everyone who has kids, everyone who just wants time to veg and I don’t mean eating them in the kitchen.  So, for all my students, friends and family hard-pressed for time, here’s something scrumptious that makes a ton (save some little containers for lunch) and can be frozen in batches.  So you can skip cooking next Saturday, too.  See below….  (For more really quick recipes, check out my examiner.com recipe page –link at right and below–some are labled “Dinner Now!”)
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Frozen Soup in the Crock-pot:  Place your container of frozen soup (or stew or casserole) upside down in the sink and turn on the hot water over it for a minute or two.  Dump that container into the crock-pot; add a 1/4 c water to the bottom, cover and turn on low.  Dinner that night is on the way.   You will have a hot and ready meal by late afternoon.  (Make sure you freeze your meals in containers that will easily turn out into your crock-pot.  This is worth buying a couple of extra containers just for this very purpose.)

Turkey Taco Soup  serves 6-8 generously

Note:  These ingredients can be changed to suit your tastes or what’s in your cupboard.  The ingredient police will not arrive if you change what goes into this soup.  Add corn if you like.  Use no rice at all.  Cut down on seasonings.  Add canned chile peppers or roasted red peppers.   Leave out the zucchini.  Add a bag of mixed frozen veg.   Drop in a little Tabasco sauce or let a big jalapeno cook whole in the pot. Get in there and cook, honey.

1T olive oil
3 slices bacon chopped into 1″ pieces (optional)
1 large onion chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1# ground turkey breast
1t freshly ground black pepper
2 t kosher salt
1T ea dried basil and oregano (or 1T Herbes de Provence)
2-4T chili power  to taste (You can make your own or I like Chili 3000 from Penzey’s–Spice Islands is next)
1/4 t ground cayenne pepper, opt.
1 28 oz can chopped tomatoes (no salt)
1 6oz can tomato paste
2 c salsa
1 zucchini, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 yellow squash, chopped into 1/2″ pieces
1 c red wine or water
2 c low-sodium chicken broth or water
1/4 c raw rice or use 1 c cooked rice or cooked small pasta (if cooked, add later)
1 can no-salt black -or pinto- beans (if you use regular ones, rinse and drain)
2T Dijon-style mustard (like Grey Poupon)

Toppings: 2 ripe avocados, chopped; 2 Roma tomatoes, chopped; 2 c shredded lettuce; 1 c grated Cheddar, 1 c crushed tortilla chips-can use any, all or none

Directions: 

  1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat and brown the chopped bacon in it.  Remove bacon and reserve to add in a little while.  Add onions, green peppers, garlic and turkey breast.  Cook, stirring often, until turkey breast is done and no pink remains. 
  2. Add seasonings:  salt, pepper, basil, oregano, chili powder, cayenne.  Cook 1-2 minutes, stirring.
  3.  Taste and adjust seasonings; they should be very strong and bright!  Add tomatoes, tomato paste, salsa, water/broth/wine and uncooked rice if you’re using.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer.
  4. Let cook about ten minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add zucchini, yellow squash, canned beans, Dijon-style mustard and cooked rice or pasta if you’re using that.
  5. Let simmer until all vegetables (and rice if you’re cooking it) are tender, about another 10 minutes.  Add reserved bacon and stir.  Taste; adjust seasonings and serve hot with toppings if you choose.

Around the ‘Hood +Two-Dog Kitchen

Why didn’t anyone tell me to read THE TIME TRAVELER’S WIFE?  I couldn’t put it down.  I ran into June at Costco and she, omnivorous she, had read it and seen the movie–which she didn’t think anyone would understand if they hadn’t read the book.  Often the case, I think.

We watched “The American” with George Clooney.  Well done, slow-moving, sadly violent and just sad.  How many people are that lonely in our world…and why?

Maybe you noticed I updated colors and pics on the blog.   Tell me if you liked it the other way better.  Or if you like this. 

Prayers for my friend L’s dad in the final stages of cancer.  Prayers for healing for C.

Snow:  On the west side of Mesa, you can’t walk ecause of the snow.  On the east (and by our house), it’s all melted except in odd, shaded spots.  It’s 40’s and 50’s every day.  Spring in the winter is what I call January and February in the Springs.

Planning a trip …we are, if I didn’t tell you, in the midst of serious move plans.  To somewhere around the Twin Cities.  A several year topic around the house.   It is a huge thing in some ways; we’ve been in Colorado 15 years nearly.   How I walk away from my loved ones here is more than I can figure out.  To not worship at First Congregational …ach.   On the other hand, this is our 23rd house and…why not have 24?  To live and cook at sea level has long been a goal for us…to be able to plant a big garden and eat a little off our own land is another…for me to find a job is a biggie.   That just hasn’t happened here.
So, it’s time.  There are a few people I’d like to put in my suitcase and you know who you are.

Drank some Chappellete cab Friday night–a soooo sweet Christmas gift from someone we love.  Ye gods and little fishes, that was a tasty wine.  2006.  Mymymy.   And did it have a steak?  Yes.  Thank you!!

Going to the Mondavi wine dinner at The Blue Star Tuesday…a great night and someone’s birthday, too.  Happy Day.

I am working on BLUE CHEESE Biscuits w/ Steak.  Sneak Peak: 

Happy Birthday on Monday to our much loved son, Sean

Be well in 2011 as you sing a new song,
Alyce