Lentil Burgers

I had some leftover filling from my breakfast burritos (potatoes, onion, bell pepper, vegan cheese and tofu), and leftover cooked lentils from my mushroom lentil loaf... I decided they would be a perfect mix for some burgers. (One of my bosses told me that I'm not allowed to call anything vegetarian a "burger," but I think it's less incorrect than the "meatloaf" I brought in, sans meat.)

I'm finding that I can make a burger out of anything fairly pasty (for example, sweet potato, or in this case, the cooked lentils), then by adding breadcrumb and binder. I added some tahini to this mix, breadcrumb, and about two chia "eggs" (1/2 cup ground chia seeds, plus about 3/4 water). Mix, season (I used cumin, chili powder, a little ground fennel and salt and pepper). Mix by hand, keep tasting, and separate into patties to toast up in a pan.

I pre-cooked all of them, and then froze them in packs of two in aluminum foil in the freezer for re-heating.

Now that's so simple, we really need to talk about something else. I was wondering, are we really sure that Matthew Crawley is dead? I mean, he looked pretty dead. I realize that he was underneath the front wheel of a car and bleeding out the head, and then there's that frozen stare... But I'm thinking that there JUST might be a chance.

There's a small chance, right?

Mushroom Lentil Loaf

I wanted to try my hand at a veggie "meat" loaf... I do love a hearty loaf, and I love the leftovers on a sandwich. I ran across this recipe, and since I love mushrooms, too, I started there. (Vegan dishes need that umami for deeper flavor, and I figured this one would be loaded with it.)

Of course I substituted the eggs for vegan chia "eggs," and the parmesan for "parmezano sprinkles," which I make up in large batches (I use raw cashews, however). Still, I found that while this loaf came out of the oven in loaf form and had great flavor, it was much too crumbly and fell apart. I made some adjustments, and came up with the following recipe - which includes cooked lentils, breadcrumb, and lots of (chia) binder to hold the whole thing together. I also squeezed out the mushrooms and the green veggies after cooking - the veggies stay juicy but don't add extra water). I was really happy with the results.

I recommend doing some of this ahead of time to ease the prep - the peppers can be roasted the day before, and the mushrooms cooked down and refrigerated. I also use my food processor on "pulse" to do all the chopping. I do them all separately, and add them to the mixing bowl as I go.

 Mushroom Lentil Loaf

Ingredients:

• 32 oz. white mushrooms, cleaned, chopped semi-fine
• 3/4 cup nuts (cashews or walnuts work the best) pulsed small but not too fine
• 2 blackened green peppers, peeled, patted dry and chopped semi-fine  (see link for prep - I use a plastic bag to steam them before rinsing and peeling)
• About 1 1/2 cups green beans, asparagus, cooked down spinach, or any combination thereof, squeezed in a clean tea towel after cooling and pulsed semi-fine - I use frozen veggies and just microwave them
• Binder - about 1/2 cup chia or flax powder, added to 2 cups water, whisked, and refrigerated for 15 minutes or more (this is your "egg")
• About 1-2 cups cooked lentils - I followed the instructions and cooked a whole bag, putting the leftovers in the fridge - I'll tell you what I did with the leftovers later
• About 1/4 cup Parmezano Sprinkles
• Seasoning to taste - you can taste a vegan meatloaf mix as you go! I added salt and pepper, cumin, thyme, marjoram, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, and dry mustard (about a 1/2 teaspoon of each)
• 2 Tblesp. BBQ sauce
• 2 Tblesp. ketchup
• About 1-2 cups panko breadcrumb, seasoned or otherwise

Topping:

• About 1 cup ketchup
• about 1 1/2 tsp. ground mustard
• about 1/2 cup brown sugar

So after you've given everything a good squeeze in a clean tea towel, pulsed it into the food processor and combined it, it's time to use your noodle. It's a "feel" thing. I leave the breadcrumb until last - then I add it until I feel the mixture is pasty, with enough body to be a little on the stiffer side. Your mixture shouldn't be soupy, and it shouldn't be so dry that you can construct a massive Devil's Tower out of it. Clear enough? You can mess quite a bit with the proportions, but try to make sure that the base is still mostly mushroom mix. This is what keeps it juicy, and less like a dense loaf of bread with ketchup on it, and more like an entrée.

I like to line my pan with aluminum foil, with some sticking out the sides to form handles to pull it out with after it has cooled. Then I spray the lining with nonstick spray.

Mix the topping in a separate bowl, and glaze that sucker. Next time I make this, I'm thinking of doing it in individual muffin tins, just to increase the surface area that will accept glaze. It's all about the glaze.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 for about an hour. If the top gets too brown, cover with more foil (mine doesn't). Shown here with purple cabbage...

Let it cool just a bit, then lift out with your foil handles, and unwrap fully.

Slice.

I like to put more ketchup on mine, because that's just how I do.

Great the next day, with, or course, more ketchup on a sandwich. Stay tuned for leftover lentil ideas.

Tiana's Red Beans and Rice

I purchased "Tiana's Cookbook" after noticing it had good reviews on Amazon.com. My daughters both love Tiana, so it was a no-brainer to pair it with a Tiana doll and a Tiana pillowcase for Christmas. Tiana, Tiana, Tiana! (Of all the princesses, I like her the best... She has better writers than most of the others).

The cookbook is full of simple recipes that you can do with kids, and they've given them a real cajun or creole flair. We made the "red beans and rice," and it has andouille sausage and peppers in it. I used chicken andouille sausage and turkey bacon, and it came out delicious!

Smoky Greens and Beans

"Soul Fazzole" remix! In the past, I've used leftover collard greens to make a soup, naming it this because it's a bit like pasta fagioli, but with collards and smoky meat. This time, I started from the beginning and made one or two additions. It's a great way to get rid of a couple hot dogs, or a little bacon, ham or whatever you got. ***

1 bunch collard greens
1 red onion (regular will do)
2 or 3 turkey hot dogs, small diced, or 4 strips turkey bacon
32 oz. chicken stock
64 oz. water
1/2 pound large rigatoni noodles
1 15 oz. can white beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup BBQ sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Add the diced onion to a dutch oven or other pot with a little oil. When softened, add diced meat and brown a minute or two. Add large diced, washed and drained collard greens and a splash of the stock. Cover, let soften and cook down, stirring occasionally. When reduced, add 1 container good stock, and about twice that amount of water. Bring to a boil, add pasta and beans, and cook until al dente. Add BBQ sauce, taste, and season. This dish is good for you, and costs pennies per serving. And even the picky child loved it.

*** I'm not a hot dog advocate in general. Though I'll admit I love the way a good hot dog tastes, this is not a regular menu item around our house (despite the fact that I powered down God knows how many during my pregnancies). However, thanks to Mickey Mouse and his goddamn "hot dog dance," and a certain Mo Willems pigeon, the elder child was asking for hot dogs non-stop (having never had one). Fool that I am, thinking she would actually try one, I stood in our grocery store for 20 minutes reading hot dog labels. Most of them, including the veggie dogs, are filled with horrible things even BEYOND whatever it is they do to the meat (liquid smoke, nitrites, nitrates, phosphates etc.) I finally settled on some turkey dogs that had none of the "ates" in them. Naturally, she wouldn't eat them. Hence, the need to use them somewhere. They actually added a nice smoked flavor to this dish. You could use anything with a smoked flavor that you have lying about, even smoked sliced turkey.

Chili Con Carne

I don't know how chili and the Superbowl came together, but somehow it became defined as "man food." Probably because of the farting that sometimes follows. Still, despite the risks, I've made a lot of chili recipes, and I've enjoyed most of them. Chili con carne is usually made with sliced up chuck roast instead of the usual ground beef, and it seems kind of special. (In the "black bow tie" way, not the "Church Lady" way. No, wait, in that way too.)

I made a chili con carne recipe from either Eating Well magazine, or Cooking Light... And I'll be darned if I can find it, even on their websites. I remember, because there was a misprint about when to add the beef back in, and they typed a correction in the next issue (I have a LOT of issues. Yes, also in that way). Well, if I find the exact recipe, I'll update the post. Meantime, it was very, very similar to this one. Many recipes for chili con carne don't have any beans in them, but this one is a little more healthy.

Chili is all about the toppings, so don't forget the light sour cream, the avocado, the limes and the cilantro. And if there are some, hmm, undesirable side effects later on, just remember this too shall pass (yes... in that way).

Baba Ghanoush

Baba ghanoush is an Arabic dip made from eggplant that I'm thinking most of us have had by now. Don't worry if you can't pronounce it. Just make it, and eat it.



I've purchased baba ghanoush in a can that was, believe it or not, fairly decent. But it is so inexpensive to make, like, a metric ton of it. Like dude: a TON. Anyway, I froze several containers of it for later. I'll let you know how that goes.

Ingredients:

4 eggplants
olive oil
lemon juice
3 or 4 garlic cloves
beans or tofu
salt and pepper

Here's how you do it: I use a simple 4/40/400 rule: put four eggplants on a cookie sheet with foil for 40 minutes at 400 degrees. Turn them over once halfway through cooking. Let them cool. Then peel the skin off and put the "meat" into a food processor with three or four cloves of garlic (yes, this plan of mine will yield a strong garlic flavor. If you want less, use less, but honestly just thinking about that makes me a little sad). Use salt (plenty, keep tasting) and pepper and a little something to thicken the mix: I use either a rinsed can of white beans, chickpeas, or about 3/4 cup of tofu (whatever you have). Then I add lemon juice, and I use the concentrated stuff if I don't have fresh ones on hand.

Blend it all up, and while it is whirring, drizzle in about a quarter cup of olive oil. Serve it with chips or pita, and drizzle it with more olive oil and some paprika. So, so good, and good for you (unless you have a date or a job interview). My friend Lynn recently made me aware of "sale produce" at our local Italian grocery, where they sell produce in big bundles that has only a day or two left. So I made this quadruple batch for about $1.29. What a thrill!

Black Bean Hotcakes

Y'all ready for this? (Nah nah nah neh-neh-neh...) This is something strange that I came up with when Emeril failed me one too many times. I've been using this recipe for close to ten years now, since I was a vegetarian and that was a LONG time ago. Or at least it seems like it. Well, it has a high rating on the website, which kind of shocks me, because I don't think it works too well. It is basically beans and flour, with seasoning and some other ingredients to flavor them. It sure is tasty and filling - but they soak up a LOT of oil, and I'm never quite sure when they are done frying. They just don't crisp up like I want them to. Ever. I've tried very high heat, more oil, less oil... But I've not gotten the result that I think I'm supposed to.

Mainly, I've always wanted them to lift a little. They're so dense and heavy... So I looked up a recipe for pancake batter, and mixed that into the beans. I seasoned them well, and added garlic, cilantro and onion to the mix. Voilà! A black bean cake hybrid that is a bit lighter, less dense, and I could tell just when they were done (flip them when the bubbles come up, just like a pancake).



Black Bean Hotcakes:
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 red onion, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, diced fine
2 Tblesp. cilantro, cleaned and diced fine
1/2 jalapeño diced very fine
2 cups all-purpose flour, stirred with a whisk or sifted before measuring
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
good shake (2 teaspoons or so) salt
liberal dusting of mexican seasoning

Take half of the beans and half of the milk, and purée them in the food processor. Then return them to a bowl and mix the rest of the ingredients together. (Check my lists below: you can dice all of the onion, garlic and cilantro that you'll need for the guac at the same time.) Then drop them as you would pancake batter, about a 1/4 cup at a time in a hot pan. Turn them as you would pancakes.



It's all about the condiments with me, as usual. So top the cakes with lime cream and guacamole, and fresh salsa or your favorite from a jar.

Lime Cream (my version):
1 cup light sour cream
juice 1 lime
2 Tblesp. sugar

Guacamole:
2-3 avocados, diced
juice 1 lime
1/4 red onion, diced fine
2 cloves garlic, diced fine
1/2 jalapeño diced very fine
1 Tblesp. cilantro, cleaned and diced
salt & pepper to taste



These reheat very easily (just keep the toppings separate. And if you put enough lime juice in your guac, it will keep in the fridge for a day or two without browning.) I don't think Chris quite wrapped his head around the whole "savory pancake" concept, but he loves the sweet stuff. But I think these are a filling, tasty veggie dish, and might be good with leftover bacon or ham in them, too - if you've fallen off the veggie wagon, as I did!

Hooters Hot Wings

Chris and I both like buffalo wings. My favorites are actually the ones my brother used to fry up in the kitchen at Ruby Tuesday's, when he and I both worked there. That was twelve years ago now (wow.) He would always make his crazy off-the-menu hot, not so hot for me.

Now Ruby's is under new ownership (the whole chain, that is), and I dunno if their wings are the same or not. Chris likes the wings at the Ram Brewery, and they are actually the ones that remind me most of the ones that David used to make back when. But you know what? I think my favorites are the buffalo wings at Hooters. (I'm taking you to the menu here, sparing you the chatty waitress on the homepage. Click on "chicken wings.") They are breaded (you can get them without), and more like fried chicken. The hot sauce is sort of inside the breading, so you don't get the sauce all over your face (but if you're me, you get the bleu cheese there, anyway.)

Remember when opening a new Hooters was the talk of the town? I remember a big hoopla when they first opened one in Champaign. I dunno why people complained. I'm not really into women being objectified or anything, but I'm just saying that no one seemed to have a problem with the strip clubs just outside of town. The Hooters waitresses are dressed, after all. Somewhat.

I started eating at a Hooters when I lived in Nashville. It was literally in my backyard. I was shy about going in at first, and soon I was going by myself to sit down to a beer and some wings on the way back from work. The menu was more limited then... I seem to remember maybe burgers, an open-faced steak sandwich, the wings, and not much else. Chris likes their burgers.



Now Hooters has salads, healthier options, blah blah blah. I'll probably never try any of those things, because I don't know if I can go in there and not get the hot wings.



Chris accompanied me on a recent trip to get a replacement part for a sofa I had purchased out at Woodfield Mall (I can never buy a piece of assembly-required furniture that doesn't have a broken piece, it seems) and I practically hijacked the car when we drove past Hooters. I know he's been worried about the amount we've been eating out/driving through lately, but what can I do? When baby wants wings, baby wants wings.

Actually, I wonder if it was the hooters baby wanted...

Fredbangers Bowl

A friend of mine has a policeman for a boyfriend... I don't know why it is, but cops and firemen seem to make the best chili in the world. After some begging on my part, he gave me the recipe for his chili (he calls it "Fred's Bangin' Chili.") He is a super-nice guy, and his chili might be the best I've ever tasted. I hope his recipe wasn't a secret. Fred is a really nice guy, but he isn't someone I'd necessarily want to mess with!



This recipe is also the one that introduced me to Adobo seasoning, which comes in handy quite frequently, I find. You can use it to season flour to fry things, or to season any type of meat -- anywhere you would use garlic salt or something like it. You just have to watch it if you're controlling your salt intake (you could substitute garlic powder, or try the low-sodium version). Try it... you'll like it!

Here's the recipe... enjoy, then freeze the leftovers and feed a whole police squad:

Ingredients:
-2 lbs. ground beef (I like to use 80% lean) or ground turkey
-2-28 oz cans Hunt's crushed tomatoes
-2-28 oz cans dark red kidney beans (I did half pinto beans cuz I like them, too)
-1-12 oz bottle of Pilsner beer (your choice)
-6 stalks green onion, chopped
-1 head fresh garlic: minced or pressed
-1 large red bell pepper: diced
-2 jalapeno or serrano peppers: stemmed, seeded, and minced

Chili Spices:
-2 packs McCormick chili spices (powder)

OR (the REAL way)
-6 Tbls chili powder
-2 Tbls ground cumin
-1 tsp paprika
-1/4 tsp red cayenne pepper powder
-1 1/2 Tbls dried oregano
-1 Tbls adobo powder
-1 Tbls freshly ground black pepper
-salt to taste

Preparation:
-In a frying pan, brown 2 lbs ground meat and drain well
-In a large stew pot or Dutch oven, add meat and vegetables and stir over medium heat until onions and peppers wilt (approx 5 minutes)
-Add spices and seasonings, stir
-Add crushed tomatoes
-Add kidney beans that have been drained and rinsed
-Add beer, stir
-Add water (if needed) until desired consistency
-Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low
-Simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 5 minutes or so

One last note from Fred, "Refrigerate over night in pot before eating. Not essential, but I think it tastes better, as all of the ingredients blend together nicely."

We like ours with light sour cream, shredded cheese, and oyster crackers. Thanks, Fred!

Coconut Chili and Bean Medley

Here's something I experimented with the other night that came out quite good. It has a sweet and spicy, vaguely eastern flavor due to the light coconut milk and seasonings. I've been playing with coconut milk a lot since tasting Thai curry a few years ago, and this is another of my variations.

• Sauté half of a yellow onion (diced) and four minced cloves of garlic with a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a deep pan.


• Add 1/2 bag golden raisins, and four cooked and diced Yukon gold potatoes.


• Add 1 can rinsed and drained kidney beans, one can rinsed and drained chick peas, and 1/2 bag steamed or prepared lentils (about one cup).


• Add 1 can light coconut milk, three-quarters of a jar of Trader Joe's roasted red pepper and eggplant dip***, 1/3 bag of cashews, and 1/3 bag frozen peas.


• Season with salt, pepper, a little cumin and coriander, and a more generous amount of chili powder to taste. Heat through and combine until peas are thawed, and the dish is warm.


• Serve over brown rice, and garnish with red bell pepper or scallions.

I think this dish is easy to prepare, even if you don't really cook. It looks like a lot, but it is all "pantry" ingredients, and it is my favorite style of cooking (just combining things in a pan.) Don't be scared if it looks a little strange... The raisins give it a burst of sweetness, and the nuts give it a nice crunch. The leftovers (and there will be a lot), reheated very well, and it may have even tasted better after a couple of days in the fridge.

*** You could make your own by processing oil-packed red peppers (with the oil), garlic, and grilled eggplant until smooth.

Feta Cilantro Salad

Okay, something a bit more "frou-frou," or light and healthy. Mostly because it's getting hot outside! I'm starting to wonder if I should just write recipes for Trader Joe's fliers. Stilll, you could re-create this from any store, I think.



1 serving Trader Joe's Harvest Grains, cooked and rinsed (or other mixed grains in a bag... this one contains quinoa)
1/2 package prepared lentils, or about a cup cooked and drained
1/2 bunch diced scallions
1 medium tomato, diced
1 orange bell pepper, diced
1 tub crumbled feta cheese
1/2 bag cashews or cashew pieces
1/2 bottle cilantro dressing (I used TJ's, natch)
salt and pepper

Pretty simple... Had a nice crunch, and lots of textures -- very refreshing. Next time I will add some Greek or Sicilian olives, I think, if I have them on hand.

Caribbean Bratwurst

Okay, y'all are gonna think I'm crazy after this one. I mean, if you didn't already.



Sometimes pulling together everything in the fridge into a coherent... something is a challenge, even for me (only because I think I have my Dad's gift for that.) And when turkey bratwurst is buy one, get one free, that's a lot of brats if there aren't any cookouts on your calendar. And no buns in the fridge.

But I was up for it. I had an idea for a spicy, fruit-based Caribbean-style bean dish kicking around in my head, and adding brats to that didn't seem too crazy. They're a spicy meat, after all... So I chopped the brats and sautéed them with diced onion and garlic. Then I added chopped green apples (which was also something I needed to use.) I always keep the skin on, because there's a lot of nutrients there, and flavor, too. When those had softened just the tiniest bit, I added:

1 can of kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
1 can of pinto beans (rinsed and drained)
¼ - ½ jar of Trader Joe's Mango purée (peach sauce or apple sauce would work, too)
a generous dusting of mexican seasoning
extra spice -- some extra cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
a handful of cashews
a handful of golden raisins

I topped it with a dollop of low fat sour cream (or yogurt is also nice), and put it on brown rice. I really, really liked it. It was like spicy meat candy, in a phrase that sounds like something my brother might say. Mmmmm. Meat candy...

But it was also low fat and high in nutrients and fiber. It had lots of textures and flavors... what's not to like?

Smoky Bean Soup

I made this soup out of Rachel Ray's "Comfort Foods" cookbook. The name in there is called, "Navy Bean and Bacon Soup," but I made enough changes to it that I feel I might rename it. As long as I give her credit, right?

Here is the recipe, as I made it (not as printed):

1 Tblesp. EVOO, natch
6 slices turkey bacon, chopped
2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, largely diced
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 stalks celery
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 bay leaves
3 or 4 pinches cayenne pepper
3 cans Great Northern white beans, drained and rinsed
1 quart chicken stock
1/2 cup smoky BBQ sauce
salt and pepper
oyster crackers, parmesan cheese, or a nice grilled cheese sammich

Sautee the bacon and veggies in a skillet, then add them to a crock pot. Add the beans and chicken broth, and BBQ sauce. Simmer for four hours until everything is tender. Remove the bay leaves. I also took an immersion blender and went through just for a moment, until it wasn't completey pureed -- just thickened and chunky. It reheats beautifully, and the flavors are smoky and complex. The turkey bacon worked really well in here, and I think added to the slow-cooked smokiness.

Honestly, I can't remember the last time I enjoyed ANY soup this much. I intended to make it as a "multiple portions to get us through the schoolweek" basic batch recipe, but it has shot straight near the top of my favorite recipes list! (That's a mental, hypothetical list -- but it's definitely up there.)

Beans and Greens Fagioli

Okay, I promised to post an idea for a way to extend your leftover bacon and greens (turkey bacon for me) with onions into another meal.
So here it is... I added pasta, rinsed white beans, and chicken broth. It made kind of a smoky bean soup. Of course, had I made the greens without the turkey bacon, it would be a vegetarian soup, so that's an option.

I call it the "Soul Fazzole."

Red Beans and Brown Rice

Long ago and far away, I was a vegetarian for four whole years. During this time (now nearly ten years ago when I began) I was not a great cook. I don't even know if I was a good cook, really. Rather than turning to, you know, vegetables -- I subsisted mostly on Cheetos and other non-food items that I wouldn't go near today. Why did I start eating meat again? I often say this can be summed up in one word. And that word is "Cheddarwurst." Surprisingly however, I ended up with a healthier diet as a meat eater than I ever had before.

Back to my original point -- I probably wouldn't have lasted nearly so long in this veggie endeavor without Curtis Aikens' red beans and rice recipe. It has a complex, hearty flavor that keeps even meatitarians interested, and piling it up on the plate. Back in the day, it may have been the one thing I did right.



1 pound dried red beans (soaked overnight)
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 1/2 celery stalks, diced
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped or minced
2 bay leaves
3/4 cup olive oil
3 to 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 to 3 cups cooked rice
I add plenty of Red Hot at the end, as well

Drain the beans, discarding the water, and set them aside in a pot. Place the onion, celery, garlic and bay leaves in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over them and let the mixture sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Don't skip it!

Pour the oil and veggie mixture over the beans and let that mix sit at room temp for 10 to 15 minutes. Add enough of the water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. (Here, you could also place the mix in a slow cooker.) Lower the temp to a simmer, add S & P, cover and cook for 3 to 4 hours. Remove the bay leaves and add final seasonings to taste. Serve the hot beans over the rice.

I also serve this with greens with Trader Joe's turkey bacon, because it has a thick cut that seems like a ham-hock texture (hey, I still try to cut out the pork and the beef whenever possible) and biscuits (these were from a mix.)

Tomorrow, a quick post about what to do with your leftover greens!

Mi Casita

Last time I went to see Ma, we had planned to go to Alfonso's (in Lawrenceville, IL), but when I ran in just minutes before our meal was to take place, the owner was a jerk about me using her restroom. So we decided we wouldn't ever eat there again (we are tiny, yet vengeful people).

So we trotted over to what is pretty much the only other ethnic place in town (this strike on Italian food may not be an easy one for Ma, since she lives there year-round): Mi Casita. Ma said it hasn't been there long, but she loves their food. Well, so did I! Ma had her current favorite, the "quesadilla texana." It had steak strips inside, and a seasoning like I haven't ever had. It wasn't carne asada or anything I'm familiar with, but it sure was savory:



I'm ashamed to say it, but I don't actuall remember what mine was called. I'm also ashamed to say that I tore through half of the dish before I remembered my duty to take a photograph. It was a creamy, chihuahua cheese enchilada platter, with shredded chicken in green chile sauce on the top:



I finished all of it, and you can see in the upper right, a corner of Ma's texana, too. I've had no small amount of Mexican food in my lifetime, and I've been to many places in Chicago (such as one that may have some wonderful guacamole, but was otherwise disappointing) that were much more expensive.... but I can honestly say I don't think I've ever enjoyed any Tex-Mex or Mexican meal quite so much as that one. So if you're ever in Lawrenceville (and believe me, if you are, you're gonna want ethnic food like a parched man needs water)... this is the spot!

And good thing, too, since the Italian joint is dead to me forever... Vendetta! Vendetta!

Chili Mac

About once a month for oh, my whole life, my dad would get a craving for Steak 'n Shake chili mac. We'd have to rush out and get it. I've often said that I think he was under the misgiving that there was a little fetus growing in his little potbelly, and he would get the cravings that would correspond to that condition.

I could never figure out why the chili mac I made at home never tasted like the mac at Steak 'n Shake. I even bought the chili that they sell there out of a can, and it still didn't taste right. Later I realized that there was chili sauce under the chili. Now I put the pasta sauce in the bowl, a healthy glug of chili sauce out of the bottle, and warm chili. Then the cheese, onions, and sometimes some sour cream. Shown in the picture above is my buddy Cameron's fantastic Howitzer Death Fart Chili that he was kind enough to send home with us. Well, that's what I call it. The effects last up to five days (that's tested fact, and not a joke), but lordy. Worth every green swamp cloud that the stuff emanates. Just make sure you look ahead on your calendar to what you have going on during the weekend.