Friday, April 2, 2010

Green Theme


So here is the best thing of all, culinarily and perhaps only to me---- the arrival of a certain black and white box. Contents? Green chilis, necessarily frozen as they are not in season currently, and quick shipped to my kitchen. A must have purchase to my thinking!

The cost for 5 pouches of frozen green chilis, one pound each, including shipping (free, riiiiiiight!) was $65.00. Two pouches makes a batch of the best thing in the world, green chili stew. I'm not kidding, it really IS the best thing in the world, amazing, fantastic, nirvana! Computing cost means two pounds of chilis, a pound of pork, a pound of potatoes, chicken broth and cilantro. Let's call it $36.00. Thirty Six dollars for a batch of green chili stew (worth it at any price)----- which let's say makes 4 dinner sized servings. That is $9 a serving. Now I feel so much better, just waaaaay better----- as purchasing the chili of the gods in Santa Fe runs about that.

The weekend is here and I've prepared by laying in groceries for the traditional Easter BBQ (what? You don't have barbeque for Easter?), and making a big pot of green chili stew. The chilis themselves arrived frozen so after thawing them, taking each individual chili and stripping off the burned-y black-y skin from the outside, cutting off the cap and de-seeding them was a happy labor of love. I kept the seeds from one of the chili's for the stew, liking a bit of heat and not knowing how hot the chilis were on their own, it seemed a good place to start. After browning pork cubes and adding stock and potatoes, simmering and then adding in those lovely chopped chilis the kitchen smelled amazingly wonderful. Would it be the same as my beloved eaten 2-3 times each day while in Santa Fe chili? Could it be? Or was it simply $65.00 poorly spent.

Hum the theme to Jeopardy here.................
\ I know, it sort of looks awful------ don't judge!!!!!!

The verdict was a resounding YES------ what a delicious and happy bowl of stew! Worth every step along the way from ordering the chilis to the preparation. I will add that it was HOT, and I like spicy so for me to say the stew had a kick is saying something. Boom! But delicious!! I'll scoop some of the pork and potato-less liquid out, thin with a bit more sauce and have a Saturday breakfast of scrambled eggs, cumin and spice fried potatoes all smothered in green chili sauce. Oh yeah. I'm pretty sure that the Easter Bunny will be joining me for a pre-hop brekky to get him going. No pun intended.

Easter is on the way and it will be bracketed with Green------- mostly chili stew! Cookies have been baked and assuming they make it until Sunday, dessert for the oh so traditional bbq will be ready too. Cream Puffs---- maybe some cream puffs?

Clearly the chili has gone to my head!

A peek of the almost finished second pair of mindless vacation knitting socks--- yes, one photographed, the second is not off the needles yet. Are they happy or what?? And they are GREEN, well themed I say!


If Easter is your celebration I wish you the best---- with wishes for a lovely weekend!

1 comment:

jen duncan said...

SO FUUNY! I had the same experience with crab cakes. Bought the crabs off the dock here in Eureka. Stood at the kitchen sink shelling the meat. Followed the recipe. After seeing the few cakes we got for $20 and three hours, I said I'd never again complain about spending 8.95 on them as an appetizer, and I haven't! :-D
I can tell just by looking tho that the chili tastes fantastic!
By the way, LOVE the finished socks!