Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

“What are Republicans afraid of?” Everything.

Let there be snark.

Pessimism assures that nothing of any importance will change.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

I’m starting to think Jesus may have made a mistake saving people with no questions asked.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

We are builders in a constant struggle with destroyers. keep building.

It is possible to do the right thing without the promise of a cookie.

Let’s show the world that autocracy can be defeated.

There are more Russians standing up to Putin than Republicans.

Many life forms that would benefit from greater intelligence, sadly, do not have it.

We need to vote them all out and restore sane Democratic government.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

The real work of an opposition party is to hold the people in power accountable.

At some point, the ability to learn is a factor of character, not IQ.

American History and Black History can not be separated.

Only Democrats have agency, apparently.

Democracy cannot function without a free press.

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

It’s all just conspiracy shit beamed down from the mothership.

The unpunished coup was a training exercise.

The willow is too close to the house.

Authoritarian republicans are opposed to freedom for the rest of us.

Narcissists are always shocked to discover other people have agency.

You are here: Home / Food & Recipes / Open Thread: I Hear We Used To Have Recipes

Open Thread: I Hear We Used To Have Recipes

by | 96 Comments

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I do still cook…honest. But with everything else going on, including a Great Dane puppy who can’t seem to stay out of trouble and a rescued Great Dane that keeps eating stupid things, requiring me to take drastic measures, blogging about food seems to be last on my list of things I need/want to do.

But a dinner party seems a good time to bring out some favorites. On the menu tonight:

Photo from JeffreyW

I KNOW everyone has their favorites when it comes to chili. This is ours. Quick, simple and tasty.

Quick and Easy Chili

  • 1 lb ground beef
  • 3-5 Jalapenos finely chopped (depending on heat)
  • 1/2 green pepper chopped
  • 1/2 sweet onion chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic crushed and chopped
  • 16 oz V8 Juice (I use the spicy version)
  • 3 cans kidney beans drained and rinsed*
  • 1 can Original Ro-Tel
  • 2 Tbsp chili powder (more as desired)
  • 1 Tsp cumin
  • 1/2 Tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp paprika

Brown ground beef and drain. Saute jalapenos, green pepper, onion, and garlic. In a large pot, combine all ingredients and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, covered for at least 30 minutes.

Chili layered with fritos and shredded cheese

In my house, we serve chili with Fritos and shredded cheddar, layered in a bowl – Fritos, chili, cheese, and more Fritos.

Slow Cooker instructions:  Following the instructions above, add everything to the slow cooker, cook on high for 15 minutes, reduce heat to low, and let simmer for 4 to 8 hours.

 

Skillet Cornbread

There are many variations on cornbread, this one is pretty basic.

  • 1 cup flour
  • 2/3 cup sugar
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ¼ cup butter or oil

1 large bowl,  cast iron skillet or 9×9 baking dish, greased

Mix together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt, add cornmeal, mix well. Add eggs, milk, and oil. Beat with a mixer until smooth (do not overbeat). Pour into the skillet or baking dish and bake at 425° for 20-25 minutes. Light brown on top, toothpick should come out clean.

Serve with honey, maple syrup, and a side of collard greens.

This is an open thread. Chat away.

Reader Interactions

96Comments

  1. 1.

    Jess

    I just made a big pot of chili last night! I was wondering what spices would be good to add besides chili powder. I added some thyme, cilantro, and cinnamon. Also lime juice. I hadn’t considered cumin–I’ll try a bit of that and see how it works. Thanks!

  3. 3.

    TaMara

    @JPL: I think V8 came from our mom using canned tomato juice, which made a big vat of chili a fast and inexpensive meal for the family. Each of us kids changed it up a bit – and once they came out with spicy V8, I never looked back.

  4. 4.

    JoyceH

    No recipes to report, but I recently got an air fryer and am experimenting with that. Really liking it so far. Last year I got an Instant Pot, and am embarrassed to report that I never did figure it out. With the air fryer, though I think it’s going to take some experimentation to get the times the way I like them, at least I have no difficulty making the thing GO.

  6. 6.

    Benw

    Looks delicious! Serving on Fritos is a clever touch. For vegetarians it’s easier to substitute fake ground beef, but I might consider just leaving it out and adjusting the amount of V8 to get the right consistency. Ty!

  7. 7.

    justawriter

    Lunch was gnocchi boiled and fried in butter, then dressed with a couple of tablespoons of sun-dried tomato pesto, and some mixed veggies on the side, with butter of course.

  8. 8.

    Suzanne

    When I do chili, I normally do some variation on this recipe from Damn Delicious. I usually do ground turkey instead.

     

    @JoyceH: I got one of those “convection toaster ovens”, aka an air fryer, last Christmas. I like it a lot for roasting vegetables. Everything takes 10-15 minutes.

  9. 9.

    JoyceH

    @TaMara: ​
     

    I made fried tofu the other day, and I really didn’t like the result – too much crunchy exterior, too little creamy interior. It was looking pretty good at the halfway mark where you take out the basket and shake it, so I think next time I’ll just cut the time in half.

  13. 13.

    Mo MacArbie

    @Jess: Yes, the cumin is essential for chili, though it does taste a bit like patchouli. Now cue the hippie punchers of Balloon Juice to come along and, etc. //

  16. 16.

    TaMara

    @Benw: I think it’s just as good without meat. I might experiment adding a few different types of beans, just to spice things up. Chili beans, white beans, dark and light red kidney beans…

  17. 17.

    WaterGirl

    TaMara, is 16 oz of V-8 correct?  Just asking because my recipe calls for a bottle or can, which is 46 oz. Just double-checking to see if that might be a typo.  Or maybe your recipe just calls for a lot less V-8!

  23. 23.

    HinTN

    @TaMara: I love that you use Ro-Tel. I have to differ with you on using floor in your cornbread. Sad! It’s cold here and chili would be in order but we’ve got leftover sketti sauce I made yesterday. Gotta go write some postcards. Happy feasting!

  27. 27.

    PAM Dirac

    @JoyceH:

    Last year I got an Instant Pot, and am embarrassed to report that I never did figure it out

     

    My son got one and I use it a lot now because I think more of the volatile flavors are retained compared to the long slow simmer. That may be my imagination, but I’m sticking to it for now. I especially like it for making chili. I usually am not completely happy with ground beef simmered for a long time, but in addition to better retention of spice flavor, for my tastes the Instant Pot gives a better ground beef texture. My spice base for chili is Pensey’s Fajita Seasoning and then I add chilis from my garden. My go to chili now is the fish pepper. It has a fascinating history (the link is well worth a read) and I find it to have a wonderful flavor instead of just raw heat. Miss Bianca will be interested to know I found out about it from our local meadery, who made a chili mead with the pepper, whose US origins seem to be on Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

  28. 28.

    Citizen Alan

    The mention of V8 made me laugh.  About 20 years ago, my late mother (who, bless her, was never a great cook) made spaghetti for the Sunday meal which I joined because I happened to be in town that weekend.  I took one bite, chewed slowly for a little bit, then cautiously asked her if this was a new recipe. She cheerfully replied that she forgot to buy tomato paste, and so she replaced it with a can of V8. Which meant that not only did it lack the intensity of tomato flavor and general texture that you get from tomato paste, what tomato flavor there was in the sauce was completely overpowered by the taste of carrots (which I hate).  To this day, the mere mention of V8 makes me think of my mother’s watery carrot-flavored spaghetti.

  30. 30.

    sab

    @Lady WereBear: Why not? I chased my husband’s favorite cat out of my seat and he was so upset he ran to the bathroom and peed on my husband’s electric tootbrush. I know it was him because everyone else was with me the whole time.

  32. 32.

    A Ghost to Most

    Both my red chili and green chili take over three hours to make. I like to think that they surpass any permutation of those ingredients. YMMV.

  34. 34.

    Baud

    @sab:

    I chased my husband’s favorite cat out of my seat and he was so upset he ran to the bathroom and peed on my husband’s electric tootbrush. I know it was him because everyone else was with me the whole time.

     

    If everyone wasn’t with you, which member of your family would you have suspected of peeing on the toothbrush?

  35. 35.

    mrmoshpotato

    Picked up a couple of thick bone-in pork chops and some mushrooms the other day.

    Smothered pork chops and Sunday Night Football tonight.

  37. 37.

    mrmoshpotato

    @JoyceH:

    I recently got an air fryer and am experimenting with that. Really liking it so far. Last year I got an Instant Pot, and am embarrassed to report that I never did figure it out. 

    You got an Instant Pot model with the air fryer lid?

  38. 38.

    mrmoshpotato

    In my house, we serve chili with Fritos and shredded cheddar, layered in a bowl – Fritos, chili, cheese, and more Fritos.

    YUMM-O!

  39. 39.

    Wapiti

    We use a Rose Elliott recipe for a vegetarian chili.

    1 tbs olive oil. 1/2 tsp cumin seed cooked in the hot oil, then add:

    1/2 large onion, a red bell, a poblano.

    Add spices: 4 tsp chili powder, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1/2 tsp cumin.

    1 can Rotel

    Legumes: 1/2 c green lentils, cooked 45 minutes beforehand, 1 can black beans and 1 can pintos. Everything drained, but reserve the liquid to keep the chili at the right consistency.

    We serve it with fritos and shredded cheese. I used to make masa/polenta and line the bowls, but the fritos are a lot easier.

  40. 40.

    Yutsano

    Since the thread be open: looks like a bomb went off in downtown Istanbul today. No real word on the size of the bomb or casualties yet.

  41. 41.

    Mike S (Now with a Democratic Congressperson!)

    @TaMara: I’m doing crab-cakes for dinner tonight and since I got my air fryer at the beginning of Covid that is all I use for them and roasted chicken too!

    Hot dogs get cooked over the Solo stove/firepit if it’s warm enough or in the toaster oven. If it’s cold or raining outside

  43. 43.

    Josie

    Two possibilities:
    I make cornbread with 1/2 cup of flour and 1 1/2 cups of corn meal – less cakey that way.
    I like to use equal amounts of regular chili powder and ancho chili powder. The combination of ancho and smoked paprika gives the chili a deeper flavor.

  44. 44.

    NotMax

    I miss the weekly food threads.

    Perhaps in a nod to people submitting entries for On the Road B-J could set up a submissions process for a weekly On the Stove.

  45. 45.

    PaulB

    I use the original Joy of Cooking chili recipe. Growing up, I never much cared for chili, but when I tried that recipe as an adult, I found that either my tastes had changed or that the recipe was different from any other that I had tried.

    For browning hamburger, the biggest problem that I’ve found is that the local ground beef has too much liquid in it. If you brown it as is, you end up stewing the meat rather than browning it, which leaves it gray and flavorless. One trick is to regularly sop up the liquid as the meat cooks so that you’re getting the browning effect you need.

    I’ll have to give TaMara’s trick a try to see if that solves the problem, as well. I suspect that I’ll still have to sop up the excess liquid.

    Since we’re in cranberry season, might I suggest the Peninsula Cranberry Pot Roast recipe? Very tasty. I particularly like the gravy.

  46. 46.

    Jay

    T always “wazzes” up half a cup of frozen sweet corn and adds it to her cornbread. Makes it moister and ‘cornier”.

  48. 48.

    TaMara

    @PaulB: Cranberries! I’ll have to try that. I love cranberries – and HORRORS! I ran out midway through summer this year, so I’ve already stocked up with a freezer full from this season’s batch of fresh cranberries.

  49. 49.

    HinTN

    @TaMara: Idon’t know about the altitude but the newest (?) Joy of Cooking has a recipe for Southern Cornbread that I think is unsurpassed. (My version)

    Have all ingredients at room temp. Put a good slosh of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, put in cold oven and heat to 450 and then wait for the oil to smoke slightly.

    Mix the dry ingredients:

    1 3/4 cup stone ground corn meal
    1 T sugar (purists beware)
    1 t baking powder
    1 t baking soda
    1 t salt

    Beat two large eggs and then mix with 2 c. buttermilk.

    When the oil smokes add the wet to the dry and stir just enough. Pour into the smoking skillet and bake for about 25 minutes. (I cook in the bottom 1/3 of the oven to ensure it gets done before the top is too brown.)

    My cousin in Durango used to make bread but I doubt know how she adjusted the recipe for the altitude.

  51. 51.

    HinTN

    @PaulB: I never have that excess liquid problem with grass fed hamburger, nor do I end up with tasteless cardboard chunks (although Tamara’s method sounds intriguing).

  52. 52.

    sab

    @Lady WereBear: Very close to him, sort of his cat. But they had a falling out this summer when the cat wanted to lie on hubby’s chest and play with his PICC line, and was told no repeatedly.

    ETA It was the only electric tooth brush available. Everything else was just soap in bottles.

  55. 55.

    sxjames

    @HinTN:

    I too use the recipe out of the Joy of Cooking, but it must be an earlier version.  For me the secret is a cast iron skillet, and butter. (also, no more than 1Tsp of sugar.  Southern style is NOT sweet cornbread, at least according to my mom).

    Grease a cast iron pan/skillet with Crisco and place is a cold oven, then preheat to 425 degrees

    3/4 cup flour
    2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
    1 Tsp sugar
    3/4 teaspoon salt
    1-1/4 cup cornmeal

    1 cup milk
    1 egg, beaten
    2-3 tablespoons unsalted butter (melted)

    mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl, then add the egg, butter and milk and mix with a few quick stokes.  Pour into the heated pan and bake for 20-25 minutes.

    I’m having it tonight with Ham and greens. Yum :)

  56. 56.

    WaterGirl

    @TaMara: If you are cranberry fiend like me, you might like this:

    Here’s the original recipe, too sweet for me.

    1 large bag of cranberries
    1 orange, peeled
    1 cup sugar

    Pulse in the food processor until pieces are the right size.

    Refrigerate.  (no cooking!)

    🐇

    My previous version:

    1 large bag of cranberries
    2 oranges, peeled
    2/3 cup sugar

    🐇

    My most current version:

    1 large bag of cranberries
    3 oranges, peeled
    1/3 cup sugar

    So good.  I eat it as a side at almost every meal during fresh cranberry season.

  57. 57.

    HinTN

    @sxjames: The 1 Tablespoon of sugar does not make it sweet. I wholeheartedly agree that cornbread should not be sweet. I don’t particularly like it to be cake-like either. The olive oil also adds a nice flavor to the crust that Crisco doesn’t. YMMV

  59. 59.

    MagdaInBlack

    @WaterGirl: I make that, probably closest to the last version, less sugar. My mother liked to put it on her leftover turkey sandwiches, like some folks ( me ) put slaw on pulled pork bbq sandwiches

  60. 60.

    WaterGirl

    @MagdaInBlack: In my opinion, slaw on BBQ sandwiches is a sin!

    And putting the cranberry relish on a turkey sandwich would make the bread soggy.

    But to each their own, as they say.

    For a new recipe for anything with fruit, I but the sugar by 1/4 to start and then keep cutting it every time I make that until I finally cut it too much, and then I back it up to the last successful one. :-)

  62. 62.

    NotMax

    @WaterGirl

    A cranberry relish to make the gods themselves weep. Sweeten to taste. More sugar can always be added if it is too tart after gelling by reheating a cupful or thereabouts of the finished relish in the microwave, stirring additional sugar into that, letting it cool for a few minutes on the counter then mixing that in with the bulk of the stuff to avoid graininess, and pop the whole thing back into the fridge.

    The addition of crushed pineapple is what elevates the entirety to celestial level.

    Which reminds me it is almost time to crack open and taste test the bottle of Grand Marnier (alternatively, Drambuie) huddled in the recesses of the liquor larder. Several healthy sips from a shot glass. Not at all necessary to perform this ritual but it does provides peace of mind.

    Already have picked a half dozen oranges from the tree in the back yard and washed and refrigerated them in anticipation.

    ;)

  63. 63.

    sab

    We don’t have Rotel in my hick midwestern grocery. Would a can of diced tomatoes and a tiny can of pickled green chiles work as a substitution?

  65. 65.

    NotMax

    Grrr. Fix for #62. Errant fingers being properly chastised.

    A cranberry relish to make the gods themselves weep. Sweeten to taste. More sugar can always be added if it is too tart after gelling by reheating a cupful or thereabouts of the finished relish in the microwave, stirring additional sugar into that, letting it cool for a few minutes on the counter then mixing that in with the bulk of the stuff to avoid graininess, and pop the whole thing back into the fridge.

    The addition of crushed pineapple is what elevates the entirety to celestial level.

    Which reminds me it is almost time to crack open and taste test the bottle of Grand Marnier (alternatively, Drambuie) huddled in the recesses of the liquor larder. Several healthy sips from a shot glass. Not at all necessary to perform this ritual but it does provides peace of mind.

    Already have picked a half dozen oranges from the tree in the back yard and washed and refrigerated them in anticipation.

    ;)

  71. 71.

    Reverse tool order

    @TaMara: Here’s what I do for reasonable success with all cornmeal.

    ALL CORNMEAL MINI LOAF CORN BREAD
    Ingredients
    2.5 C Bob’s Medium Grind Cornmeal
    ⅛ tsp baking soda
    1 Tbs double acting baking powder
    ½+ tsp kosher salt (less for non kosher)
    3 lg eggs beaten in mix bowl
    3/4 C buttermilk
    ½ cube butter, melted in small glass bowl [briefly in microwave]
    ¼ C honey [reduce if too sweet]

    Directions
    Need “1/2” x 2.5” hi steam table pan (≈ 10” x 12”) OR 9” x 13”, & smallish mixing bowl.
    Preheat oven or toaster oven to 350°F. (Steam table pan is best fit in large Breville)
    Grease baking pan with Crisco or other.
    Add cornmeal only to smallish mixing bowl, whisk in buttermilk, rest 10-15 min (to soften gritty cornmeal. If using polenta or coarse grind rest 30-40 min.)
    Crush any lumps in baking soda and powder, in tiny bowl. Whisk together other dry ingredients: salt, soda, powder.
    Melt butter in 1 cup measure.
    Beat eggs in a well formed in the cornmeal & buttermilk.
    Quickly add honey over melted butter and pour into mixing bowl.
    Add salt + soda + powder & whisk thoroughly but briefly. Adjust thickness as needed (more milk or meal) and pour into pan.
    Bake until brown on top & done/hot in middle, 32-35 min. Rest 5 min, serve.

  72. 72.

    sab

    So glad these recipes are back. Everyone else gained 15 pounds Covid. I gained twice that. I weigh a third more than my college weight. I was skinny then, but Yikes! My senile old dad asked me if I was pregnant. ( I am not. I am 68). I used to be fashion model thin. Oh well

    ETA I absolutely love to cook. Problem is finding people to feed.

  78. 78.

    Jackie

    @WaterGirl: It might be a regional term. A pound of butter has *4 cubes* in the package. Unless you purchase the butter in a solid pound. Then you’d cut into quarters and each quarter = one cube.

  81. 81.

    Reverse tool order

    I’ll bring up that I’m a fan of “steam table pans” aka “hotel pans” for home use, especially in “half” and smaller sizes. They are good 18-8 stainless steel, rugged, and cheap. Cheap because they are a commodity item at local or online restaurant supply stores. Available in depths from 3/4″ to 8″ and seven area sizes from full to 1/9. Half is about 12″ x 10″, quarter is about 6″ x 10″ inside at top. Metal thickness or “gauge” from 25 to 20 or 18, where smaller is thicker. A half pan for the oven should be at least 1″ deep to reduce temporary warping.

    I’m looking at a couple of import half size 22 ga pans. The 1 1/4 deep is $7.15, the 2 1/2 is $9.67.

  83. 83.

    Reverse tool order

    @WaterGirl: Not actually a cube. Referring to one of four rectangular blocks of butter in a one pound package and using half of that. So, melt 2 ounces of butter.

    Growing up in California, those were always called a “cube” and it’s true they aren’t three equal dimensions. What are they called elsewhere?

  84. 84.

    Reverse tool order

    @Reverse tool order: Yeah, “stick of butter” is almost as familiar.

    Besides putting sugar in cornbread, I engage in other horrific food practices like eating plain steamed broccoli, slamming a pint of buttermilk, putting cumin powder on poultry pot pies. Here, have some El Yucateco Kutbil -Ik salsa to warm things up (just go easy). And more.

    Good news though, you don’t have to do any of that.

  87. 87.

    Reverse tool order

    I’m under the impression a lot of people sauce and butter the hell out of their vegetables, not me. Corn on the cob in its husk right off the grill, stripped, into front teeth. About the only exception is artichoke with mayo.

  89. 89.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    When I’m feeling like a wonderful rich French red wine and beef delight, I cook the following:

    Beef Bourguignon (Julia Child recipe)
    https://cafedelites.com/beef-bourguignon/

    Baking it for 3 hours in the oven makes an incredible dish. Don’t skimp on the red wine, and use wine that you would enjoy drinking on its own. I buy bacon ends from my butcher and chop that since I don’t need to pay their price for full rashers that are just getting chopped. Blanch the pearl onions in ice water. And make sure to include the mushrooms at the end.

    I serve it with rice and potatoes and it lasts for a number of meals.

  90. 90.

    Thor Heyerdahl

    My mother made a cornbread recipe from an 50+ year old Betty Crocker cookbook recipe.

    CORN CAKE

    1 egg
    1 cup plus 2 tbsp milk
    1/4 cup flour
    1 1/4 cups corn meal
    2 tbsp sugar
    3 tsp baking powder
    1 tsp salt
    3 tbsp soft shortening (bacon fat is good)

    Heat oven to 450F. Generously butter 12 muffin cups or a 9 x 9 inch pan. Heat the pan in the oven while mixing batter.

    Beat egg. Pour in flour. Beat in rest of ingredients with rotary beater JUST UNTIL smooth.

    Pour or spoon batter into hot pans until ALMOST full.

    Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until set.

  94. 94.

    Mel

    @Suzanne: I’m a toaster oven / convection convert, too. I was hesitant at first, but we saw a Cuisinart on a ridiculously good closeout, and drcided to give it a try.

    We do roasted sweet potato rounds, bread, chicken, bagels, toast, and roasted veggies in it, and like the results better than our traditional oven’s or toaster’s results.

    It’s just the two of us, so for baked or roasted dishes, the smaller size pans turn out just the right size portion for two servings, plus a snack serving to save for later. Easy clean up, saves energy, no wasted portions – love it so far.

  96. 96.

    J R in WV

    Cornbread needs NO sweetener. I add a minced jalapeño,  or a small can of chili peppers,  either jalapeños or green chilis.  I use an old cast iron pan with individual eighths, heated up in the oven with 1 tsp bacon fat in each wedge of the iron pan — these wedges of corn bread are crunchy and brown!

    I also looked at the browning ground meat discussion  — looks great, will try it tonight when I make Cuban pecadillo with ground lamb.  A can of Rotel maters and chilis, olives, raisins, garlic and herbs, served with rice, and a big fresh cilantro garnish.

    Not all traditional but my own adapted dish.

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