Chile beginning

Well I am not proud of never having learned to cook (other than the basics). But with June as a wife there seemed no point. So today I started my self improvement course. A chile con carne.

Here it is cooking on the stove. And it looks quite good in the photo. Of course I made some mistakes, mostly when I halved the ingredients. I remembered to halve the meat, beans, tomatoes, and things I added off my own bat, but then I put the whole packet of chilli powder in and had to scoop what I could out again. So too, I nearly added the full quantity of liquid. I meed to practice.

I owe many people thanks for remembered inspiration. June for getting me to like chile in the first place, and for halving the ingredients when necessary. Andy for throwing a few things in that you like despite the recipe. Dad for using wine in place of water (a bit Biblical that one. If I had the faith for it I would have used water and prayed over it. But in the event I had some wine that needed using up). Even Evangeline who when she visited made me a chile using packet sauce, said that it was easy, then left me a second packet saying "you are going to need to learn to do that for yourself when I have gone". She was sensible enough to say "when I have gone", now, long after, I found the second packet and took the plunge. And not least Mum, who said that cooking for 1 is awkward so cook for 2 and have the same again the next day.

So here it is (1 portion). And a second is cooling ready for tomorrow.

I hope it is good.

Terry
Envoyé de mon iPhone

PS

So today (Sat) I tried a spaghetti - mostly because I still had lots of mince left. @ portions again but only 1 portion of spaghetti and parmesan. What? You wanted a picture? Just imagine spaghetti topped with meat in a bowl, and completely obscured by parmesan all over.

So what did I learn this time? Well I have invented a new dish! Spaghetti curry. You see I forgot to buy tomato puree but I found a tube in the kitchen box I was unpacking. But it was a pimento (a hot version it said on the side). I used it as I would use normal puree.

Phew! To be eaten in shorts and T-shirt, outside in the snow, during a gale!

In pure self defence I poured myself a cold beer half way through. Even then it was hard to finish. The ice-cream I had afterwards tasted hot, but it also went a long way to cooling off my mouth.

June was right when she never let me cook for her.