Dear Tooting & Balham Foodies,
I hope all is well and that you are having a good week.
Lockdown continues, and it looks as though that is going to be the case for the foreseeable, which is a sadly a lot longer than most of us probably envisioned. The only thing that we can really do at the moment is make sure that we are all fed well and well fed. We have certainly being trying to achieve that over the last few weeks!
Last Friday saw us cook a Pork Chilli Colorado with pinto beans, cowboy style. The beans were simmered throughout the day so that the flavour came screaming through the broth, with a nice side note of jalapeno chilli. The Colorado is something difficult to describe, but there’s not a tomato in sight and is very different to the flavours that we think about when we think “Chilli”. The emphasis is on the flavour of the chillies and not trying to blow peoples heads with heat, which is what hot sauce is for, if you want to take it up a notch or 3. This gives you a dish that is rich and deeply flavoured with an earthy and homely feel with sultry raisin and chocolate notes. If you could say that the Grand Canyon, through which the mighty Colorado river flows, had a taste, this would be it! Thank you to those who gave such fabulous feedback on this, it’s sure to be a regular in the repertoire. Mrs TSK ate the very last portion, too quick for me to get pictures again, and was just able to say that “this is really good” between mouthfuls whilst blue corn tortillas were being re-loaded with chilli and launched mouthwards!!
This week, we are just cooking on Friday as a weekend break is most definitely needed after a full-on week of home-school. We are cooking a “Burgoo” which hails from the state of Kentucky. Like a lot of American dishes, what exactly constitutes a Burgoo is very much open to debate, and will vary from town to town, family to family, but there appear to be a few common threads. It’s a big one pot meal that is full of flavour, and is a mix of THREE meats. These can vary, but commonly are pork beef and chicken. In addition, it is packed through with regional vegetables, which are typically corn, okra and beans as well as any other veg can find its way into the pot. Whether, the meats are cooked down to a melange or are still chunky is a matter of fierce debate, but there seems to be agreement that its not a burgoo unless you can stand a spoon up in it!
What is certain is that you will have a wholesome, warming and winning meal, that is both healthy and indulgent feeding your soul and leaving you with a big smile on your face; in lockdown what more could you want! 😊
If anyone has any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask!!
I look forward to cooking for you soon, and thank you for your support as always, Rich
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