It's down to 28F here in Cow Hill. What the weatherman calls a
"wintry mix" has been falling all day. Most of it hasn't stuck to the
ground because of residual warmth. The high Tuesday was around 80.
But tomorrow will likely be another matter.

The university was closed at 11 a.m., so I spent much of the day at
home (after packing my paintings for tomorrow's drive to Wichita where
I have a show opening next weekend).

Chili seemed to be the thing to do for dinner tonight. I thawed two
pounds of grass-fed stew meat in the microwave and then seared it in
some olive oil in my chili pot. I added some water and brought it to
a simmer. I skimmed the foam off the top and left it simmering for
hours. The idea is to add some warmth to the house while making
dinner. This batch of chili will be more like stew than most pots
I've made. I'm talking about big chunks of beef this time around. I
put cominos, oregano, powdered chipotle, and Gebhardt's chili powder
in it about half an hour ago. I'll adjust the seasoning and thicken
it with masa about 7:20 p.m.

As the chili simmered this afternoon, I made a bowl of tamale dough to
use up the last of the Thanksgiving smoked turkey. I used Stephen
Pyles' recipe for the masa. The smoked turkey/jalapeno tamales are
made and sitting in the steamer as I type this and as the chili cooks
down. They'll be steamed after the chili is done. The plan is to
draw out the cooking time and lengthen the house-warming cooking some.

I figure the tamales will be a little present for my friends up in
Kansas if I make it there. Wish me luck.
--

modom

http://www.koyote.com/users/modom/home.html