kitchen corner

Leila, Meg, Erin, and Beki, come on down! Send me an email (chartreusebag [at] mac [dot] com) with your address in it, and I will send you a gen-you-wine 1970s Czechoslovakian/Canadian linen tea towel.

While I'm in the kitchen, mentally at least, sometimes I think it's a little surprising that I don't post more about food, because food is a big part of my life, and I don't just mean eating for two. Maybe I don't write about it much because it's not really my creative arena: my husband is the main shopper and chef in our household (lucky me!), so my roles are mainly as assistant menu planner and appreciative audience for his cooking.

I'm breaking out, though, because I can't contain my excitement that a local magazine ran the recipe for one of my favorite local restaurant dishes: Mad Mex's chick pea chili. If you live in or around Pittsburgh, you know what I mean. If you don't, trust me. This stuff is from heaven. Eat it as soup or stuff burritos with it plus some rice and veggies and/or chicken. You'll be glad that the recipe makes about a gallon.

2 pounds peeled, washed tomatillos
2 whole jalapenos, de-stemmed
1 small Spanish onion, sliced thinly to julienne
1/2 cup rough chopped white onion
1 32-oz. can garbanzo beans/chick peas, drained and rinsed
4 cloves whole garlic
2 t salt
1 T black pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
2 T chopped cilantro

Clean tomatillos by immersing in water and removing skins. Place tomatillos in heavy duty ovenproof pot with whole jalapenos, onion, whole garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Place pot in 500 degree oven and roast vegetables until soft and lightly browned.

Pour roasted mixture into blender. Puree thoroughly. You may need to do this in two batches.

Return mixture to pot. Bring to a simmer

Stir in cilantro and serve. Enjoy!

Ed.: Oh yeah, and don't forget to throw in the chick peas! They don't go in the blender.