Liveblogging Mule Breath’s chili
Via Ambulance Driver, I found a link to Mule Breath’s “Hell on the Bravo” chili recipe.
I am always up for a challenge, and I love good chili. My usual chili fix is Alton Brown’s pressure cooker chili, which has the advantage of being quick, quick, quick. Since NewbieMom started teaching today, leaving me home with NewbieDaughter, it seemed like a good time to give it a try.
ND loves cooking with me. She is a beast in the kitchen. She even can wield the chef’s knife, under supervision, of course.
So far, so good. The meats are seared, and we are on dump one. We had to make a few modifications:
1) No Texas 1015′s in North Carolina. We substituted Vidalias.
2) Browning the meat was a bit of a challenge. Normally I would brown in batches to prevent overloading the pan. Beef gives up a lot of water when it cooks, and with all that water it is hard to get a good sear. “Simmer” seemed to imply that that was the point. So I compromised. I simmered until the meat was browned all over, then poured off the excess and did a quick sear. The browned beef went into the reserve bowl with its juice.
3) We went with a nice piece of chuck that I got at Costco. We trimmed most of the fat.
My onions and garlic are simmering in the stock. Sadly, an error in reading the recipe has left me with one flat beer, and four warm ones, a situation I am rectifying as quick as I can!
Update #1:
Dump 2. Man, that’s a lot of cumin. Normally I’m not a fan. I hope you know what you are doing, Mule Breath!
Update #2:
Dump 3. In go the chilis. We went with dried Ancho. The stock has reduced quite a lot. I’m going to add a bit more (say 1/4 cup) and back off the heat a bit. It smells amazing.
Update #3:
Dump 4. Back in the pool, everyone! It was a bit of a trick to get back to a simmer, but now things are bubbling nicely. I was concerned about the liquid level, and added another splash of stock. Mule Breath says water, but that doesn’t bring much flavor.
I decided to split the difference and go with 2 jalapenos and 2 Serranos. If it was just me, it would be habaneras, but I have the kid to think about.
Smells wonderful. I added some seasoning: sea salt, just a pinch, and some pepper. I might add a splash of lime at the end, just to brighten the flavor a bit.
Update #4:
Things are progressing nicely. I decided to lid up for this part of the simmer. I want to make sure the meats connective tissue dissolves properly.
Update #5:
Lid is back off. I’m going to let it reduce a bit more.
Update #6:
OK, we are off the heat. I can’t wait for tomorrow!
Quote of the Day
“Deadly situations can happen in the blink of an eye,” she said. “If you are not proactive … you are a vulnerable target.”
Linda Smith was the victim of an attempted robbery and rape. Fortunately, she was armed.
Good Advice
From JayG…
* Your kids must know the Four Rules as soon as possible
* They must also know the Eddie Eagle program’s “What to do if you find a gun”
* All unattended firearms should be stored under lock and key.
* Most importantly of all, kids should know that guns are not toys, that they are tools that can cause injury or worse if misused, and must be treated with respect.
I’ve made it a point to make sure that my little one knew this stuff from the time she was very small. Eddie Eagle at three, the four rules at five.
I’d only add one thing. I’ve tried to take the mystery out of firearms. My daughter and I have a deal. She can see the guns any time she wants, as long as I am with her. She just has to ask.
It’s official…
I’ve been awarded a degree of Master of Business Administration. Go me! Now to find gainful employment…
Pelosi: Unemployment Checks Fastest Way to Create Jobs
This story is so shockingly made of fail it makes my brain hurt.
“It injects demand into the economy,” Pelosi said, arguing that when families have money to spend it keeps the economy churning. “It creates jobs faster than almost any other initiative you can name.”
Nance, honey, stick to something that you understand, like…umm…that well is pretty dry.
Where to begin with the fail?
- For one thing, Nancy baby, in order to create jobs, you need to grow the economy. Very few folks I know on unemployment (including yours truly) make MORE money than they did when employed. In my case, my weekly benefit is about 1/6 of what my regular take home pay was.
- In case you can’t figure it out, I’m spending a little bit less than I used to. My economic activity is decreasing, not increasing.
- Oh, and that money? I’m getting in unemployment? You are taking from other taxpayers. It’s a zero sum gain, sweetie.
- And, BTW, we are running at a deficit. So, you aren’t even taking the money from current taxpayers…your stealing it from my kids.
- By your logic, the best way to grow the economy is for EVERYBODY to go on unemployment. Then we will create jobs like wildfire.
And these jokers think they are the smartest folks in the room…
Microstamping update
NSSF has some updated info on microstamping in NY.
Microstamping moves forward in NY
North Carolina is my adopted home, but New York is where I grew up. Thus it is with great sadness that I note that the New York microstamping bill has passed out of committee. The NSSF has launched a media blitz in opposition.
I’ve got some friends in Albany, and the rumors that I am hearing is that a certain big city mayor is pressuring the Senate, trying to convince them it is a done deal. Remington and Kimber are both in New York, and both of them would be (pardon the pun) impacted by a bill that effectively bans semi-automatic handguns in New York by mandating an unproven, expensive, single source technology that can be easily defeated, one has to wonder if they would continue to manufacture in the Empire State. New York is hemorrhaging jobs as it is. It would be a shame to loose two manufacturing giants, and the associated jobs. The Democrat side of the aisle recognizes this, and is getting nervous.
Keep the pressure on, New Yorkers. Call your state senator. Right now. If this goes through in NY, they are coming for the rest of us next.
Amazing Guatamalan sinkhole
A 30 story deep sinkhole has appeared in Guatamala City. The picture of this thing is amazing. It looks like something out of a science fiction movie!
To the young gentleman on I-77…
While driving home this afternoon, a young gentleman in a Kia drove up behind me, abruptly pulled to the right, and displayed the international driving signal known as “The Bird.”
Now, I am no stranger to being told that I am number one…but this one puzzled me. I was moving with the flow of traffic, I hadn’t tried to merge near her…why was I being honored with his display of affection?
Then I realized…it was probably because of this:
Stay classy, buddy.
Thoughts from Russia
Some thoughts from my trip to Moscow:
1) Russians love to play American music. Unfortunately, they also believe that the American music scene stopped in 1987, and they LOVE to play American music. I should have known when I got off of my Aeroflot flight when they were playing an instrumental version of “Porgy and Bess” that something was not quite right. There was a lot of Abba and mid 80′s Madonna.
2) You cannot swing a dead cat in a Russian business hotel without hitting one, if not several, young ladies offering “professional companionship.” Sunday evening there were several ladies of the evening in the hotel but by mid-week the guest::hooker ratio was rapidly approaching dangerous proportions. As near as I was able to discern, the going rate is $100-$200 US$ per hour, and pre-payment is encouraged. There is no pay-at-the-pump option as far as I can tell.
3) Contracts. In Russia contracts are more like guidelines, really. Kind of like a fantasy baseball: a fun enough diversion, but not having any relation to the real world. True story: one of our speakers showed us a building that they were building that had received the necessary approvals. The mayor of Moscow happened to be driving by the site, and decided it was “too tall.” They were forced to shorten the tower. Total cost to builder: $4.5 million $US.
4) Related story: When they told us the above story, it was being relayed through a translator. Being a finance guy, I asked “How much contingency is generally budgeted for in Russian building projects?” I got a blank stare. “Contingency? You know, like for unexpected things that might come up?” “Oh, you mean bribes!” “Err….no.”
I’m had a good time, and learned a whole lot. Moscow, architecturally, reminds me of the South Bronx. The architecture is about of the same period, and like the Bronx it looks like it was built and then never maintained. The Russian economy is very dependent on oil…the price of oil drives everything, and building projects shut down when it gets too low. The food was, surprisingly, very good. The food at the hotel was essentially inedible, but I was able to go to several restaurants that were excellent. Including, incidentally, Макдоналдс. A cheeseburger is 25 rubles…about 85 cents at the current exchange rate. I got 2 burgers and”Coca-Cola Light” for 90 rubles. It was a little slice of heaven.
Do your part!
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