Monthly Archives: November 2013

The 11th Random Thought Post

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I was just thinking that the white light people report seeing when they die is really a worm hole to a different dimension in our universe, or maybe another universe. Who knows. All the depictions of worm holes, descriptions of them and what I can come up with to speculate that maybe as our identities, selves, souls, whatever, transforms from a combo of matter/energy synergy here in Earth to pure energy when we die. Not only the creation but also the maintenance of the worm hole would take a lot of energy as well. Maybe we see the demarcation of the line between this plane on this universe and the passage to another. Anyway, it’s just one thought. A random one at that. Thought I’d share.

I wonder if the situation in the Capitol is going to get so bad in the future that we’ll have more days of government shut down then we will of government working. Using the budget and bringing our country to a stand still is the new negotiating tactic of opposing parties, I’m not sure that America is going to come to a good end. I have a bad feeling about this. It was my first thought when the crazy tea partiers threatened to do just this. It’s still my thought.

Why do I choose to do things like a Nanowrimo follow along when I KNOW I have a problem with authori-teeee. The artificial deadline isn’t an impetus for me to work harder, faster. No, it’s more like a dare. And then me snidely responding that I don’t care about your stupid dare, I quit. And not doing shit. Cause my brain is waaaaaay screwed up. And plays games with me. So much so I tell it to shut up and put it in time out. My brain and I have an interesting relationship. And yes, I’m crazy. A special, special snowflake kind of crazy. 😉

Why does food seem more delicious, more enticing when I decide to try and lose some weight? Is this the Universe’s sick cosmic joke? I have experienced the situation where a food would not be appetizing before I decided to restrict calories in some manner will all of a sudden become mesmerizing after the decision has been reached. Seriously. Stop it. It is so not appreciated. So. Not.

That is all.

Chocolate Really Should Be Its Own Category on the Food Pyramid

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I mean I read article after article about the health benefits of the dark cocoa beans all the time. Chocolate really should be given its own designation on the pyramid. Not only is it delicious, it’s good for us, too. You just can’t beat that. I read somewhere the chemicals in chocolate mimic the hormones our brains put out when we are in love. Might explain a few things. Like why chocolate is simply irresistible at certain times in one’s life.

By: H. C.

Regardless, chocolate is usually associated with sweet things. Desserts and the like. I’m gonna give you a savory recipe, Beef & Bean Chocolate Chili, along with the expected Dark Chocolate Mousse recipe. I’m rounding it all out with my chocolate martini recipe. So if you make all three recipes, it will be filled with love. 😉

Here’s my caveat… buy good chocolate. Mostly, if you can pronounce the name, don’t get it. It’s not what you want. I like Guittard, Callebaut and Scharffenberger. But Ghirardelli will do in a pinch. I’m not a chocolate snob. Really. It’s just that the mousse recipe below is the simplest it can be. As a result, each ingredients flavors come through quite strongly. Bad chocolate equals inferior flavor. That’s all.

Beef & Bean Chocolate Chili

Ingredients:
½ lb. dried pinto beans, soaked overnight with a bay leaf and drained
1 bay leaf
2 dried chipotle chiles, stemmed and seeded
1 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded
1 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 tsp. dried oregano
2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. paprika
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 lb. boneless beef chuck, trimmed and cut into 1″ cubes
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
¼ cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 large white onions, chopped
1 6-oz. can tomato paste
1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes
12 oz. chocolate stout beer
1 ½ tbsp. brown sugar
2 ½ cups chicken stock
2 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tbsp. lime juice
Sour cream and roughly chopped cilantro, to garnish

Instructions:
1. Put beans and bay leaf into a large pot (use at least a 6 qt pot so it can be reused) and cover with 3″ water; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook, covered, and stirring occasionally, until beans are tender, 60-90 minutes. Drain beans, discarding bay leaf; set aside.

2. Heat pot over medium-high heat. Add chiles, and cook, turning once, until toasted, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and cover with 2 cups boiling water; let sit 20 minutes. Drain chiles, reserving ½ cup soaking liquid; transfer chiles and liquid to a blender with cocoa, oregano, cumin, paprika, and cinnamon and puree until smooth. Set sauce aside.

3. Add oil to pot and return to medium-high heat. Season beef with salt and pepper and, working in batches, add beef to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides, 4–6 minutes. — this is where your suppose to remove the beef to cook the other ingredients. I don’t. You can. If you do remove the beef continue following instructions exactly. If you don’t, just add the following ingredients with the beef int he pot.– Using a slotted spoon, transfer beef to a bowl. Add garlic and onions to pan; cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Add tomato paste; cook, stirring until slightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Add reserved sauce, cook until slightly reduced, about 3 minutes. Return beef to pot, plus tomatoes, beer, sugar, and stock; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook until beef is very tender, 1-1 ½ hours. — I stir in the beans with the rest of the ingredients. I like my beans to be falling apart.– Stir in reserved beans, along with chocolate, juice, salt, and pepper. Serve ladled into bowls with sour cream and cilantro.

 

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients:
4 1/2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter, diced
2 tablespoons espresso, hot water, brandy, Kahlua, vanilla extract or OJ
1 cup cold heavy cream
3 large eggs, separated
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions:
1. Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

2. Meanwhile, whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate. Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

3. When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

4. Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

 

Chocolate Martini

Ingredients:
vanilla vodka- about 3 oz.
Kahlua- about 1.5 oz.
Godiva chocolate liqueur- about 2 oz
dark chocolate sauce- about 1.5 oz.  (I use Torani)
splash of cream

In a shaker, fill with ice and all ingredients. Shake. Pour. Serve.

* I line my martini glass with chocolate strips of sauce. It makes it pretty as well as tasting good as I drink my martini.*

Random Thoughts 10

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Today is the day after Halloween. It’s November 1st. All Saints Day. And the first day of Nanowrimo. That’s right, it’s National Writing Month. In honor of it, I added a cute little graph in the sidebar to measure my progress for this month. However, November being national writing month overshadows a larger reality. At least for me and probably several other writers out there. November isn’t the only month I track daily word counts or have a monthly target word goal. So while I put up the progress cartoon because it’s cute and I do want to support all those authors who are participating in Nanowrimo, it’s an every month kinda thing for me. And not to give you the wrong impression, I didn’t sign up at the official website either. Like I said, this is more in support of, than a try to do. My life is just like that.

Making chocolate martinis tonight. Just kinda feeling like it. In fact, I did a general shopping trip to the liquor store to stock up on the things like Kahlua, vanilla vodka and grappa. All for mixing into drinks. Like my chocolate martini. I got the grappa to make some cafe correttos after dinner. I’ve been missing them since the last time I was in Italy. Since I have an espresso machine, might as well make some for myself. If the drink turns out nice, I put up a recipe. I’ve been drinking the lemon drop recipe I put up a few months back all summer. Maybe it’s time to switch up on the drinks.

I’ve been reading or hearing about a rash of teen suicide. It makes me so sad. We are failing out kids somehow, in some fundamental way. There is nothing more tragic than a young life lost. Seriously. I am at a loss as to what to do. But I talk to my teen and I hope that somewhere along the line, mine know there are a vast array of answers to any one problem. Life isn’t like a math equation. It doesn’t just have one solution. I guess we start at home and then radiate out from there. But still, it is sad. Really fucking sad.

I want a EMP weapon that only takes out cars. I am sick of all the frickin’ people in all the cars driving here and there, zipping around like where they’re going is important. It’s not. We’re ants in a vast colony of workers. Take away the cars and we’d have to limit the distances to be traveled. How nice would it be to not have so much traffic on the roads? Bliss, I tell you. Bliss.

That is all.