Chili and Socks

After many struggles and much fussing, and one broken needle--thank the goddess it was from a set of five needles and not a set of four--I've finished the first Nordic Lights sock. In case anyone decides to knit these, they are very small and narrow. I wear a size 8 shoe and it's a tight squeeze getting the heel over my foot; the pattern is probably written for a size 6. Anyway... pictures below.

Slow Burn Chili: You need a fairly big pot for this recipe...

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic, smashed
• 1 tsp ground Chimayo chile (thank you, Zenia!)
• 1 tsp ground Pasilla chile (thank you, mom)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
• 2 15 oz cans of diced tomatoes
• 1 glug of red wine (not an exact measure, but I'm guessing it's about two ounces?)
• 1 can tomato paste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 lb dry pinto beans, cooked in about six cups of water (do this ahead of time and keep the liquid)
• salt to taste

Over medium-high heat, heat the oil in a large pot and throw in the spices--this allows the flavors and smells to bloom because, according to Cooks Illustrated, most spices are oil soluble. Add the garlic and onion and cook until the onions are translucent. Add the meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's completely cooked through. Add the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir until there aren't any lumps of tomato paste left. Let the mix simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes, then turn off the heat. If you've already cooked your beans ahead of time--they take a lot longer than the meat does--add the meat/tomato mixture to the bean pot and stir to make sure everything is evenly distributed. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally to keep it from sticking, then remove from heat and serve.

Makes a nice complement to the cornbread, especially with a blob of sour cream on top, or some grated cheese.