State of a Bunion, Pucker up & Chili a la Attitude

“Public opinion is a weak tyrant compared with our own private opinion.”
― Henry David Thoreau

January 25^th, 2012

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rw1P7gdtAeY

(Are you on stage, jiving with a groove or that lady down below disgusted with the smoke bellowing out? Shit lady, you have front row seats to Cool & the Gang - choke it down!)

Validating ones worth is nothing to be ashamed of!  Last nights "State of the Union" should speak volumes to that . . I promised to refrain from politics, but I'm saying it "President Obama inspires me as an American citizen, an entrepreneur, a human being with a conscious of accountability; I only wish he was allowed to tazer these fools (our elected congress & senate) into submission.  Today, I essentially told my consulting client that he’d have better luck fishing for Bluegill in the epicenter of Mt. Kilauea . . hope he wears sunscreen!  Ok, so I was more professional than that, but sincerely, I feel it necessary to address my self-worth here.  I have exceptional experience and skills in the food & beverage/hospitality industry and there is no value in selling myself short.  I’ve “done my time” in catering countless charities and scratched along earning little to non-existent profit all for the titles of Southern California’s Top Green Caterer 2004 (or was it 2005?) and San Diego’s Best Caterer 2009 & 2010, and well . . . the pride & confidence that comes with delivering an amazing, incomparable product & service.  Pride, Confidence & Egotism.  Maybe we should separate these concepts as defined by the Dictionary:

pride/prīd/

Noun:	A feeling of pleasure from one's own achievements, the achievements of those with whom one is associated, or from qualities or possessions that are widely admired.
Verb:	Be especially proud of a particular quality or skill.
Synonyms:	noun.  arrogance - haughtiness - vanity - conceit verb.  glory - boast

con·fi·dence/ˈkänfidəns/

Noun:	The feeling or belief that one can rely on someone or something; firm trust: "we had every confidence in the staff". The state of feeling certain about the truth of something.
Synonyms:	trust - faith - reliance - belief - credit - credence

e·go·tism/ˈēgəˌtizəm/

Noun:	The practice of talking and thinking about oneself excessively because of an undue sense of self-importance.
Synonyms:	egoism - selfishness

I think these words speak for themselves and again serve as a point of interest with concern to our current political shenanigans, but I should explicate that I’ve personally been judged many a time before, such is the result of anyone wanting to create change, make a difference and impede the status quo.  I feel yah Obama!.  In my industry, the problem here in lies with offering a service that is somehow perceived to be negotiable. That is to say – no fixed price.  When you go into a grocery store you simply have to make the decision of whether or not you want something and are willing to pay the sticker price; whether you truly need it or just want it.  No bargaining, no debate or exchanging offers of what you value that product at – the price is set in stone.   

Having concluded that catering & consulting are subject to this frustrating and often demeaning process of haggling over price . . . I’m confronted with the realization that I must again modify my course of occupation.  (Note: I did in fact conceive Eden & the Chi Cuisine product line as alternate routes to getting around this playground obstacle of ostentation but . . well, somebody sort of shit on that one!) With more than conceptive kernels stewing above, I am hell bent on producing some overly buttered and extra salty popcorn to gratify my ambitions.

“Kiss my Ass” would be an appropriate tattoo, but I’m afraid it would open me up to world of gay rhetoric . . probably get a lot of dates though?  I am off and running with a multi-million dollar concept that I believe there is a huge market for, a large profit margin, easy to duplicate, and well – so much simpler than catering and event production.  Backup plan – I’ve got that delicious job offer on the table with an amazing company and I go to work for someone else.  I’ve got no more than three weeks to figure this out so no more sulking over bitter melon – Scotty needs to polish this up and secure funding.  I am confident, proud & while I do have an ego (as we all do) – it’s humbled as porcupine that has lost his quilts.  

Seriously?  How could anyone think that I’m cocky when I drove a work vehicle for the last ten years (Stella – “the Angry Lesbian” white jeep Cherokee with over 277,000 miles, no radio, no working air conditioning and at the end of her life – no working windows), I buy only one pair of shoes  a year, work 90 hour work weeks religiously, take no tropical or cultural vacations, consume 94% of my meals at work and generally have invested every dollar made back into my companies and employees (ok –s o most of that is past-tense at the current moment).  To those people, I pleasantly extend my penis and wiz all over their face with a sense of urgency . . I’ve played nice with fire, been burnt more often than not and quite capable of extinguishing some undeserved attitude and resentment.  Was that harsh?   Definitely not very Buddhistlike!  Oh, well – I’m on point and that seems to garner my little spirit self-respect by the pint load.  I'm celebrating good times ahead, ain't nobody, ain't no thing gonna stop me . . .I hope the same for our President!

Chef Scotty calling like it is!

Chili a la Attitude

So this recipe is won’t tame the spirit, infact it’s likely to inflame it above and below but it’s well worth the temporary paralysis of pain.  Some iron skillet cheddar cornbread, bag of Fritos or dollop of Sourcream will help offset the effects if you so choose. Feel free to ad lib with ingredients - after all, we all got's our contributions to make!!

Ingredients

• 2 slices thick-cut bacon, finely chopped
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef
• 1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons smoked Spanish paprika (see Notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon to 1 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
• About 1 tsp. salt
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) crushed fire-roasted tomatoes (see Notes) or regular crushed tomatoes
• 1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
• 1 cup beer (India Pale Ale or pilsner)
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
• 1 can (14.5 oz.) pinto beans, drained
• Sour cream, sliced scallions, and/or grated cheddar for topping

Preparation

1. 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, cook bacon, stirring until it just begins to brown, about 4 minutes. Add onion, lower heat to medium, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 4 to 7 minutes. Uncover pan, stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute.
2. 2. Increase heat to medium-high and add ground beef; break it up with a wooden spoon and stir gently until it loses its raw color, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in spices and 1 tsp. salt and cook 1 minute. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, beer, and Worcestershire and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover partially, and cook 30 minutes.
3. 3. Add beans and cook 10 minutes, uncovered. Season to taste with additional salt. Serve warm, with toppings on the side.
4. Smoked paprika from Spain's La Vera area (pimentón de la Vera) and fire-roasted tomatoes are sold at gourmet, specialty, and Whole Foods stores.