Think On It

Making do is an expatriate’s job

October 30th, 2007

When I could hardly eat last week, I made a quintessential American pot of chili con carne. It was quite mild, but even so I used almost all of the rest of my chili powder so thoughtfully suggested by friend Jane and provided by eg. I happily ate it day after day, although it wasn’t that big a pot, since I’d used only half a pound of meat and a lot of cannellini. Yeah, yeah, cannellini don’t exactly taste like red kidney beans!

So then I started to worry about where my next comforting pot of chili might come from once the chili powder was gone. Here is an answer. I had much to choose from, but this was the least complicated. It happens that I do have those peppers, but once they’re gone I’ll be scrounging around ethnic food shops like everyone else. I’m going to leave out the garlic powder and use fresh garlic in the pot.

Italian food is great. I love Italian food. Somehow, though, when things go badly I often want something from the past. I made chicken a la king, too. Tomorrow night Tina is hosting a Halloween pot luck, and I think I will use homemade chili powder to create tamale pie. Sort of a Central American lasagne, eh? I think ground or chopped vitellone and pork should do it, with a crust made of polenta. Missjoe sent me some cheddar, so that will make a gloriously bubbly top to it all. And if no one likes it, I will have another week of practically no cooking. Sounds win-win to me.

Life is not all roasted duck breasts and truffled pasta. Sometimes it gets sucky and you need mummy food.

Entry Filed under: Food, kitchen stuff, meat, one dish meal, polenta, pork, economical, cucina

7 Comments Add your own

1. qualcosa di bello | October 30th, 2007 at 10:24 pm

judith i will think of you when i make chili tomorrow for our hallowe\\\’en crowd. i wish i could ship a pot of it to you.
2. Maryann@FindingLaDolceVita | October 30th, 2007 at 11:50 pm

For me, comfort food IS Italian haha. My English bloke needs these comfort foods sometimes so I\\\’ve learned how to cook them up for him. Judith, can you make the chili powder yourself? awww..I feel bad for you now.
3. admin | October 31st, 2007 at 9:21 am

I did make it according to the directions in that link. Ot would not grind to a powder. I re-cooked it. I used my coffee grinder. At last it is a powder. We will see tonight whether it’s good or not, although only good things went into it.
4. robyn | November 3rd, 2007 at 8:52 pm

I love Italian food too but agree that when one wants comfort food, one goes back to one\\\’s roots. I make bread and butter pudding (make it with Panatone and it\\\’s almost Italian). I also make chilli, but it\\\’s vegetarian, with almonds instead of meat, and that wouldn\\\’t interest you. I also make vegetable curry and rice. I can\\\’t go back to much of my home comfort food since there is a scarcity of Sydney Rock Oysters, prawns, and proper roast pumpkin here in Tuscany.
5. admin | November 4th, 2007 at 9:27 am

I’ve never made vegetarian chili with almonds, but with beans, yes. Do the almonds not get soggy? I’ve made lots of Chinese dishes with sautéed walnuts or pecans instead of the meat called for. I was a forced vegetarian for over a year once.

I, too, miss oysters from ANYWHERE. Why are Italian prawns not OK? And why can you not roast your own pumpkin? Inquiring minds want to know.
6. robyn | November 4th, 2007 at 5:09 pm

Apologies. I use beans in my chili too. It wouldn\\\’t be chili without the beans. The almonds are a substitute for mince meat and the probably do end up a little soft.
Italian prawns are okay if you\\\’ve never had Australian prawns. And as for the pumpkin… the local variety doesn\\\’t produce enough sugar to caramelize properly - roast pumpkin should be dense and sweet and not at all stringy. We have managed to grow one reasonable size Kent pumpkin this season - I can\\\’t wait for it to ripen.
7. admin | November 4th, 2007 at 6:49 pm

I find both butternut squash and acorn squash very sweet, Robyn, and I buy them here, but don’t know what they’re called! I point.