Homecoming Eve

Its Friday night and I've filled my apartment with the smell of browned beef and onions. Next to fresh bread in the oven, this is one of my favorite scents (food-nerd alert)! Tomorrow morning when I wake up it will be a nice reminder of the wonderful chili to come. My parents, Tony and Connie, are driving down for a visit and will be arriving around noon, aka the middle of Badger football! It also just so happens to be the homecoming game versus Minnesota. I told my dad that if he chooses to wear his Gopher sweatshirt I won't be speaking to him for the entirety of the weekend. Actually I think the heckling he would get from the swarms of Badgers on campus would wear down any opponent's pride, driving anyone to switch into red camouflage! I've seen it happen.

But what better way to enjoy football festivities than hot chili and cold beer? My fridge is currently stocked with Capital Brewery Octoberfest, New Glarus Moon Man, O'so Brewery Hopdinger (new from Milwaukee), and a few cans of Hamm's for nostalgia. In the morning I will turn on my trusty crock pot and let the chili simmer during the time my parents are traveling. I think I will also toast up some sourdough bread and shred some swiss cheese for garnishing (why swiss? its all I have at the moment next to processed orange-something but I think it might work out nicely). And the best part, we don't have to worry about paying out the nose for a parking spot downtown.  The worst part, however, is that the game isn't available on my basic cable package and the weather is forecasted to be in the upper 70's! I think I'll just make sure the beer is extra cold and may even turn on my air conditioning. Chili is only good with a side of chill! It is probably how it got its name (and partly due to the capsicum plant). 

The recipe I used is called "Spicy Chili" out of the Joy of Cooking cookbook. The beef that I had on hand was so lean I added some olive oil. I also misread the recipe last night and scribbled down on my grocery list only half of what was needed for tomato products (sauce and stewed tomatoes) so I compensated by adding a can of tomato paste and extra water. I may add some beef bouillon at some point tomorrow. The amount of spices the recipe called for was a bit much, in my opinion, of the wrong flavors. It asked for heavy helpings of Italian seasoning, basil, and oregano. Although it called for chili spices, I added some dried chili pepper flakes, cumin, and molasses instead of brown sugar.  I feel like a chili should be less like an Italian tomato sauce and more like a hardy, spicy stew. Next time I would like to try using cubed steak and real minced peppers (serrano or chili piquin perhaps).  

Go Red!