I am not a recipe developer, just a home cook trying new recipes and tweaking old favorites. I will always credit sources and note where I’ve made changes. Photos are my own; you can tell I’m a work in progress. Showing you the steps along the way is what sets us apart from the bazillion +1 other food blogs. That and the bitchin’ playlist that comes with each post. Let’s get to it.

More comfort food. I have a feeling this will be an overarching theme here at the blog for a while as we continue to hunker down at home.
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Fair warning: Chili purists of any stripe should keep on scrolling. There’s not much here that will please you. 

There’s not much of a recipe either. To me, chili is improv theater with the pantry and fridge as co-collaborators. That’s how we ended up with carrots and three kinds of fresh peppers in this batch. Next time will be different depending on what's on hand.  

Today we featured two kinds of beans, ground turkey, the veggies, tomatoes, and plenty of seasonings. You cannot be uptight when making chili. Be willing to have a taste, then adjust the seasonings and taste again. And again, if need be. It’s all good. Chili don’t mind. 

Soak and cook the dried beans ahead of time. Or use canned, that’s fine. Cook the meat, then set it aside on a paper-towel covered plate.

Cook the onions in the meat drippings until tender and add your seasonings now to infuse the oil.   
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Add the other veggies and canned tomatoes chopped up medium-small. Cook until softened, then add the ground turkey back in plus all the liquids you plan to include (such as chicken broth, juice from the canned tomatoes, water, etc.) Slow simmer until the chili looks, smells, and tastes delicious. 

Top with whatever you like – cheese, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado, you name it. I like to serve baked potatoes alongside – or underneath – the chili. You do you … as long as it is comforting and satisfying. 

Surprise ingredients:

• Green enchilada sauce (leftover from a delish Mexican casserole last week)
• Worcestershire sauce – this is my go-to when a dish needs a blast of umami
• Red wine vinegar – just a little splash right before serving. Any dish with beans will benefit from a blast of acid at the end. A squeeze of lime juice would also work here. 

Now how about some music. For the pandemic-related tune while you cook, may I present this classic offering from the late, great Warren Zevon. 

And then a jazzy dinnertime playlist . Although this chili would not pass muster with any true Texan (it has beans for one thing, and no beef -- Texas sacrilege!) I'm going to feature a brilliant Texan, David "Fathead" Newman, for your listening pleasure. Newman was known in his own right as a fantastic saxophonist, and as a talented sideman for Ray Charles's early catalog. Please enjoy.  
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I am not a recipe developer, just a home cook trying new recipes and tweaking old favorites. I will always credit sources and note where I’ve made changes. Photos are my own; you can tell I’m a work in progress. Showing you the steps along the way is what sets us apart from the bazillion +1 other food blogs. That and the bitchin’ playlist that comes with each post. Let’s get to it.

Like many readers trying to make sense of these trying times, I’m cooking comfort food these days with pantry and freezer staples playing a large part. Once a week grocery shopping means that planning ahead is even more important than before. I’ve always cooked with leftovers in mind, and that’s especially convenient now. 

Here’s one of our recent faves: Chicken with Shallots and Cherry Tomatoes. Poultry, onions, and tomatoes. It doesn’t get much more basic. Or delicious.

This recipe from Sam Sifton at New York Times Cooking, complete with drool-worthy photos, has been floating around the internet for quite a while, catching my eye every time. Feeling the need for a cozy, homey dish one recent evening, I knew the time had come to try it for myself. ​

Start by dredging the chicken, then browning it on all sides. (It will not be cooked all the way through when you finish this step.)

Cook the shallots, add wine, seasonings, then put the chicken back in. Simmer for half an hour, then add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a little while longer until you like how it looks.  

Find the full recipe from New York Times Cooking here. 

​My Changes:

• I used bone-in breasts, cut in pieces, instead of thighs. It will cook in less time, so check for doneness earlier than the recipe says.
• Had no tarragon and used fresh thyme instead. It worked like a charm.
• The recipe has you add the tomatoes at the end but I tossed ‘em in earlier so they could soften and burst, blending with the sauce a bit more.

Not a change but a note: Always cook with a wine that’s worth drinking. We used a buttery California Chardonnay and finished the bottle over a leisurely dinner. Cheers!

Now for the musical selections: We’ve got one that expresses my mood in the current self-quarantined, COVID-19 environment. I’ll warn you, it’s loud, ugly and raucous – in other words, CRANK IT UP, as my dear pal EJM likes to say. I enjoy songs like this while I’m cooking as I’m a bit raucous myself then. 

But when it’s time to eat let’s switch gears. I like jazz as a dinnertime soundtrack. Here’s a playlist featuring Jaco Pastorius, an innovative and eccentric jazz bassist whose star burned brightest during the 1970s. Masterful tracks such as these will live on forever.  
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​What are you cooking these days? Tell us in the Comments, please.

Dear Readers,
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During these uncertain and often frightening times I sometimes get overwhelmed by the alarming changes to our world in such a short amount of time. Anyone else? Just me? Relying on faith (in anything - you choose) and inner strength to navigate daily life for ourselves and our families with a modicum of style and grace is about the only constant we have anymore.

I'm grateful for the Helpers and the Fact-finders on the world stage and in the neighborhoods that will be the heroes to get us through the COVID-19 crisis. There is so much useful new information to absorb (and more than a little fiction) it can be challenging to keep it all together.

My point is, we’re now required to consider all our options, think and act in new ways, entertaining all the possibilities for creating a new normal. 

Although this blog has gone dark for a few months, we think it’s time to re-join the conversation about the role that food plays – especially home cooking – in keeping us safe, sane, social, and satisfied.
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Our tag line has always been ‘When home cooking becomes a special occasion’. Now that we’re hunkering down at home this becomes even more important. 

The next post will be a proper one with a recipe, photos and everything. This post is merely to say ‘Hi, we're back,’ recognizing that maybe we could use a little more connection these days, not less. And food is a compelling language that we all speak. 

So pull a chair up to the table, pour a glass of whatever you like, and settle in to read about food. I hope you’ll be inspired to experiment in your own kitchen. It’s time to eat.