Life is Just a Bowl of Chili

“Next to jazz music, there is nothing that lifts the spirit and strengthens the soul more than a good bowl of chili”  Harry James, American Musician/Bandleader (1916-1983)

“Wish I had time for just one more bowl of chili”       Last words of Kit Carson, American Frontiersman (1809-1868)

My eternal quest for the quintessential bowl of that historic mainstay of Texan cowboy cuisine recently brought me to Jimmy’s Saloon in Newport, Rhode Island. There Miss Beverly Blaise, “The Contessa of the Con Carne” makes her magic utilizing the traditional trail ingredients. The end result is nothing less than piquant perfection!

But chili, like most concoctions at the hand of man, is subject to a bit of interpretation–and ultimately a whole lot of competition–giving rise to that great national culinary contest known as the “cook-off.”                 

I have not been lucky enough to attend one of those splendid events in the southwestern United States, but on a couple of occasions I’ve enjoyed the yearly Super Bowl Sunday chili competition held at Pearly Baker’s Alehouse in Easton, Pennsylvania. It was there that my good friend Don Garrido first introduced me to his own legendary method of taming the capsicum pepper plant. And like all fabled recipes there were more than a couple of surprises in the mix–one of them being SPAM. So clean out your old footlocker, or just reach into your Carnival Cruise Line survival kit, because Don Garrido has agreed to share his epicurean secrets with the readers of American Public House Review.

523 Chorizo SPAM Chili

 4 dried chipotle chilies
2 dried ancho chilies
1 cup barbecue sauce
1 large onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 ¼ pounds chorizo, casings removed and meat coarsely chopped
1 can SPAM, cubed into ½ in cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
1- 15 oz can garbanzos (or black beans), rinsed and drained
1- 14 ½ oz can diced tomatoes with liquid
1- 15 ½ oz can corn niblets, drained
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons Nutella
1 tablespoon instant coffee
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1- 8 oz can tomato sauce with garlic and onions
1- 12 oz beer (or ale) 

Place the chilies in a large heatproof bowl and cover with boiling water. Let soak for 30 minutes to soften. When soft, seed and stem the chilies. Puree the chilies with the barbecue sauce in a blender or food processor. Set aside.

In a heavy skillet or Dutch oven sauté the onions in butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the chorizo and SPAM and cook over medium heat until browned, about 8 minutes. Drain off most of the fat. Add the chili puree, garlic, garbanzos, tomatoes, corn, chili powder, Nutella, instant coffee, Worcestershire sauce and tomato sauce. Simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the beer, as needed, to keep the chili moist, but not wet.

(A couple of Recommended Beer Pairings)

<Rogue Dead Guy Ale

      Wagner Valley IPA>

Posted by: Chris Poh

Politics as Usual at the Mecklenburg Inn

After every election, no matter what the outcome, I have always held out the hope that those who come to power will quickly cast aside their  political and ideological differences in favor of crafting policy that works for the common good of the American people. There was a time when no matter how visceral or vitriolic  the campaign that leaders afterwards would turn their pitchforks into plough shares–and  put the needs of the country over the needs of the party. 

This notion, however naive considering the present tone in Washington, comes from those  memories of true statesmen like Ronald Reagan and Thomas “Tip” O’Neill extending a warm and genuine hand across the aisle or across the room. 

While I am tempted to engage in the usual postmortem after last week’s midterms, I will refrain from what is usually a fruitless and feckless exercise in trying to gage the will and mood of the American public. I remember those educated pundits of just two years ago that had declared that the Republican party was just a breath away from extinction. After elections of such historic proportions, there will always be those grand declarations about mandates and change; but seldom do those pronouncements correctly reflect the political reality.

There are those voices that claim that this election was about killing healthcare, rolling back economic reform, and bringing about a less intrusive government.  But the real numbers paint a very different picture. Americans are nearly evenly split on all these issues–so there in no clear mandate for either party. But what has been expressed by the majority of the  American people time and time again is the need to end the cancerous partisanship that is threatening the health of this nation. So while many politicians will make the case about some “greater national will of the people,” most politics remains local–and Americans will continue to reward those that serve the needs of their constituents with re-election.

One such honorable public servant is John Doyle of the West Virginia House of Delegates. We caught up with him at the Mecklenburg Inn a few months back. This venerable institution in Shepherdstown provides the perfect setting for mister Doyle to do what he does best–listening to the people, and when the spirit moves him–belting out a few Irish ballads.

What a better country this would be if more of our representatives  would raise their voice in sweet refrain instead of soured rancor.

 

 

Posted by: Chris Poh

The Road Less Traveled

“As a nation we always have the choice to travel to the right or to the left. But the true path to our collective wellbeing is probably somewhere in the middle–especially if there is a good tavern at the fork in the road”

The midterm election of 1962 was supposed to be a good year for Republicans, but then that pesky communist from Kalinovka, Nikita Khrushchev, decided to plant nuclear missiles in Fidel Castro’s patch of the Caribbean. And the toughness and leadership skills shown by John Fitzgerald Kennedy skyrocketed his job approval, and saved the political careers of many vulnerable Democrats that rode back into office on the coattails of their Commander-in-Chief.

Even as a young boy of seven, I can remember those ominous warnings issued by the President, Walter Cronkite and whatever nun I had in second grade, as they stood in front of maps that showed just how short the route from America to Armageddon really was. In spite of the fear, paranoia, distrust and time spent under my desk in preparation for the nuclear winter—I really grew to like looking at maps. Today I still prefer my Rand McNally Atlas over the latest GPS technology. I like the overview of the journey, the chance to consider where I’ve been and where I hope to go. I also like being able to carefully consider all the possibilities before choosing which road to take—as opposed to being told which way to go by some voice coming out of an electronic box. When it comes to making political decisions I chart a similar course of action.

Unfortunately, most voting Americans use a form of GPS when deciding who will be worthy of holding elected office. The angry and the anxious, with little thought of what lies ahead, mindlessly listen to voices coming out of a box that tell them to turn right or left in order to reach their destination—and then wonder why they always wind up back at the same place from which they started. Regrettably, those lacking the benefit of a good map and a functioning compass are again about to determine the direction of the country. And this is simply because not enough of our citizens show up to vote.

If our politicians were assured that most Americans would come to the polls, they would be more prone to compromise and craft policies that would better serve the majority. But as long as our elected officials in Washington are facing the possibility of being unelected by a minority of angry extremists on either side of the political divide, they will continue to pander to their base, and to only serve the needs of those contributing special interests.

While the entire staff at American Public House Review is unanimously opposed to reinstating the closure of taverns on Election Day, we want to remind our readers to exercise their civic responsibility. Before you beat a path to your favorite bar spend some time on the road less traveled—find your way to the voting booth.

Posted by: Chris Poh