1:37 pm: I messaged mom and asked for the recipe.
1:42 pm: No response from Mom. So I called her. I explained what I needed, and after hanging up, she sent it to me, and I embarked on a journey to La Colonia to get what is necessary. Here are the required ingredients:
1 lb ground beef
2/3 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup water
1 can condensed beef broth
1 - 8 oz can tomato sauce
1 - 6 oz can tomato paste
1 can kidney beans, drained, rinsed
3 tsp. chili powder
I already have the ground beef, onion, and water.
3:00 pm: I enter La Colonia. I find the tomato paste easily, but there is no 8 oz tomato sauce, so I settle for the 15 oz tomato sauce. Then I peruse the bean options. There. Are. No. Kidney. Beans. Seriously - zip, zilch, nada. So then I have to decide what type of beans to go with. Obviously, black beans are a no. So I settle for "Blancas Guisadas." Not really sure what that means. But it'll be an adventure. Then I find the chili powder. All that is left is the beef broth. There is no beef broth. But there are individual packets of powdered beef broth. I figure I can translate and do the mixing at home.
5:07 pm: Armed with all of the necessary ingredients, some Fresca, a jar of pickles (for sustenance), and "Gilmore Girls" playing on the iPad, I embark on the journey!
5:11 pm: I decide that having the pickles out is too much of a distraction, so I put them away, get out the onion, and start chopping. Oh, and the Fresca is gone.
5:22 pm: The onion is chopped and the beef is browning.
5:25 pm: I mix the onions with the ground beef. Now I need to stick my face in the freezer because my eyes are watering.
5:27 pm: While waiting for the meat and onions, I decide I should wash some dishes.
5:33 pm: Dishes are clean. Meat still isn't done. It smells good though. Note to self: Cook with onions more often.
5:40 pm: I have opened all of the cans and drained the beans. The meat is nearly ready to drain. I'm a nervous wreck.
5:43 pm: It's ready to drain! I'm using a strainer. We will see how this goes.
5:54 pm: All of the ingredients have been combined. Not to let it simmer and see how it turns out. :)
6:02 pm: Took a taste test. ... Apparently chili powder here is different. I think I ate molten lava.
6:06 pm: Okay. After some brief research, I added some sour cream and the heat is off. Time to poor myself a bowl and douse it in cheese. I'll have the fire extinguisher handy.
6:38 pm: Two glasses of water, more sour cream, and 16 crackers with peanut butter later, I almost finished the bowl. My lips are tingling and I can't feel my tongue. The logical thing to do would be to throw it out. But it seems so wasteful. So what I'll probably end up doing is putting it in the freezer for the next 3 months and then throwing it out.
The Great Chili Cooking Event did not turn out the way I planned, but I have the perfect solution: make homemade chocolate chip cookies! Thanks for joining me on this journey! :D
