apres ski dinner

there's nothing i like more after a good ski day than a hearty chili.

i've gone through plenty of chili recipes, none that i can remember too well, but it always ends up something like this:

ingredients
olive oil/veggie oil
2 lbs of ground meat (or substitute 1 lb of meat with 1-inch chunks of beef round, tri-tip, whatever other meat is available)
4 slabs of bacon, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
1 1/2 yellow onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
1 jalepeno or serrano pepper, chopped
2 small cans of chopped green chilies
1 14.5 oz can of crushed tomatoes (San Marzano preferably)
1 14.5 oz can of whole tomatoes (ditto, as above)
2 8 oz cans of kidney beans, rinsed and drained (or mix it up with black beans)
water or beer (whatever you have)
2 tbs of chili powder
1 tbs of cumin
s&p
garnishes: chopped raw onions, grated cheese, cilantro, chopped green onions


what you'll need
cutting board
knife
large pot
wooden spoon
ladle

prep
heat your pan with a dollop of olive oil/veggie oil and brown the meat. the meat does not have to be cook all the way through. drain the liquid from the meat and reserve the meat on a plate. if you don't have time, skip the browning step and add a dollop of oil to the medium-high heat pot. add the garlic, chopped onions and peppers and cook until the veggies have just softened. incorporate the meat back into the pan and also add the green chilies, tomatoes, beans and seasoning. add just enough water or beer to cover the solid ingredients. stir and increase heat to high, and let the chili boil. once the chili boils, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least 15 minutes. season with salt and pepps and serve in bowls with your favorite garnish. we got smoked vermont cheddar and green onions.


since that didn't seem like enough food, we decided to make mac 'n' cheese as well.

ingredients
1 1/2 boxes of campanelle pasta
2 tbs of butter
2 shallots, chopped
2 to 3 cups of shredded cheese (use a combo of cheddar, fontina, aged gouda, gruyere...i think the latter two are a must!) I'm not really sure about measurements, but I usually pick up about 3 blocks of cheese
2 tbs of flour
1 cup of milk
2/3 cup of cream
2 tbs spicy mustard
1 tsp of cayenne
1 tsp of nutmeg
panko breadcrumbs
small handful of chopped parsley or chives
s&p


what you'll need
a large saucepan
a large pot
a large baking dish
spatula
wooden spoon
whisk

prep
preheat your oven to 375. boil a large pot of water, seasoned with salt. cook your pasta, a couple minutes less than suggested on the box. drain and set back in the large pot. butter the baking pan. meanwhile in a large saucepan, melt butter over medium heat until foamy. add the shallots and saute for a couple minutes. add the flour and stir it to incorporate. cook for 2-3 minutes. with a whisk in one hand, slowly pour the milk and cream into the flour and shallots. whisk until smooth. heat until small bubbles begin to appear at the surface of the milk mixture. mix in the mustard, nutmeg and cayenne. once the roux has thickened, turn the heat to low and slowly incorporate the cheese, one handful at a time. when all the cheese has been incorporated, turn the heat off. mix in any herbs and season with pepper (you probably won't need much salt, since there is so much cheese). add the cheese directly over the pasta and fold to integrate. place the cheesy pasta mixture into your prepared baking pan and cover it with breadcrumbs. into the oven, for 20 minutes, or until the cheese sauce is bubbly and the breadcrumbs are browned. let it rest for 5-10 minutes.