Chocolate chili and lovely pasta

I was on a health kick this week and decided to try something different with my chili - turkey meat. I know, I know...blah. But whatcha gonna do? The scale! She stays the same!

(Yes, there is chili under that obscene amount of avocado.)

I am not known for exact measurements, but I'll give it a shot.

Chocolate chili

- one pound of meat (turkey, beef, lamb, tofu, ter-duck-en...whatever)

- one large can of fire-roasted tomatoes

- 3 slices of bacon (preferably from Reading market) just kidding

- a few diced fresh tomatoes

- 2 cans of red kidney beans

- 3-4 cloves (more or less) of garlic

- 2 onions

- 1 tsp cumin

- 1 tsp cocoa powder (Ghiradelli is ultra yummy)

- red pepper flakes

- tabasco

- mexican spice (check out my chicken tacos for recipe)

- s&p

Put a few tablespoons of olive oil in a pot and sweat diced onions and garlic. Add bacon and let brown. Add meat and let brown. Add remaining ingredients and let simmer for a few hours. Taste test! Each batch is different.

Enjoy!

I also made some yummy meatballs:

- beef, pork, veal

- spices

- breadcrumbs

- egg

- parmesan cheese

- s&p

Round mixture into meatballs and let sit covered in a freezer for a few minutes to set. Make an egg wash and a bowl for panko breadcrumbs. Heat up skillet with olive oil. Cover meatballs with egg and then panko. Add to skillet and let brown. Place in oven to finish cooking or add to warm sauce to continue cooking.

The best part? Developing our new favorite pasta recipe.

Simple Spaghetti

- spaghetti (cook 2 minutes under al dente)

- beaten egg (one per person)

- one onion

- one clove of garlic (per person)

- olive oil

- butter

- parmesan cheese

- s&p

Add spaghetti to boiling, salted water and cook 2 minutes under al dente. Add diced onions and garlic to saute pan with olive oil and butter. Let sweat. Add spaghetti to saute pan and add s&p. After mixing the pasta into the garlic and onion mixture for a minute, add the egg(s). Constantly stir mixture, to cook the egg onto the pasta. Arrange on a plate and serve immediately.

Adding bacon on top makes it extra lovely.

Reading Market

I'll have to admit, I was a little hesitant about Philly's food scene. Come on, they put Cheez-wiz on their famous sandwich, the cheesesteak. How 'bout provolone or even American cheese? Cheez-wiz? That's like allowing George Lucas to continually ruin the Star Wars franchise by adding unnecessary and...dare I say...cheesy elements to the classics?

I was very fortunate to be introduced to opposite of the greasy cheesesteak, Reading Terminal Market, to go where the locals frequent. Bakeries, gourmet cheese stands (no cheez-wiz, folks), fresh seafood and chocolate-dipped chocolate chip cookies.

Here are a few of my purchases:

A delicious Italian hoagie with hots, balsamic vinegar and fresh-sliced meat.

Coconut cupcakes from Flying Monkey patisserie. Note: photo is not available of actual purchase, since they were consumed in the car ride home.

Baklava and walnut fingers.


Delicious French table bread.


And the best item? Amish bacon that was smoked that day. Good grief. It is INCREDIBLE.

I later used this bacon as a base for my chipotle-chocolate chili, which will be posted soon.

Quick bacon recipe.

Bacon wrapped water chestnuts

Wrap bacon around whole water chestnut. Insert toothpick to keep bacon wrapped during cooking. Place in a 475 degree oven and turn a few times until crispy on all sides. Remove toothpicks. Serve with a sweet sauce, such as honey mustard or duck sauce.

Enjoy!

...and many more!

I am a very happy birthday girl. Along with many cards, gifts and well wishes, I received the two best gifts anyone could hope for: chocolate cake and bacon gifts. Our favorite cake recipe is Hershey's deep dark chocolate cake. Rich, moist and to die for.

The dog could not contain her excitement.

I also received bacon bandages with a bacon sticker! The bandage already came in good use after stabbing myself on the edge of my desk at work. I received many stares for my bacon thumb, but I consider them envious of their lack of scars to ask for a bacon strip.

I'm just waiting for that sticker to come to life and start singing, "Let's go down to the lobby and have ourselves a snack!"

Happy Birthday!

This was my birthday cake last year: blueberry cupcake with Smurf-style frosting and a jellied fried egg on top. It was delicious and especially needed in my tummy after a stop at this wine and champagne bar...


Bubbly, for my b-day? Lovely.

I was in London this time last year - and while I am incredibly thankful for the experience, I was very sad to miss time with my family during the dual birthday celebration. It is such a neat opportunity to have a birthday only a week after my mom's. We party hard, people. (Not really).

We do eat well, though.

While we are going to let restaurants do the cooking this year, I thought about the perfect birthday cake. For us, that would be the Peninsula Grill's Ultimate Coconut Cake. I have never been to the restaurant, but my mom created a version for us a few times that was to die for. Ladies and gentlemen, if your kitchen is large enough to fit this mammoth, go for it and bake away. Here is the recipe.

Just make sure you tighten the screws in the chairs before feeding this to your guests. They will leave two belt notches looser and twice as happy as entering.

Happy New Year!

My word, I completely forgot to mention my favorite taco place from our trip to Florida: Rocco's Tacos. Do yourself a favor if you find yourself around West Palm Beach - go.


We had the perfect lunch that day. Beer, mango margaritas, huge bowl of guac w/seasoned chips and soft corn tacos. I decided on chorizo and carnitas - yummy.

We would have tried the tequila flights, but we had a rental car and didn't want to explain any mishaps to Hertz.

"Seriously, officer. I only had one tequila flight. I had no idea that I would be *burp* impaired."