Got chili?

This is a picture of Tolbert's Restaurant in Grapevine, an iconic and authentic chili

parlor. Frank Tolbert was the founder and moving spirit behind the annual chili cook-off in Terlingua, Texas. He first opened his restaurant in 1976. Today his daughter and her husband serve forty gallons of chili a day. They still use her father's recipe. Pardon the white car--I'm not a good photographer.

I was scheduled to have lunch with Melinda from TCU Press today, so I called to ask how she felt about pink eye. "I hate it!" was her vehement reply. But Jacob had developed pink eye and would only be sent home from school if he went, so he was mine for most of the day. I thought I'd take him to lunch with us, but his mother came and got him about eleven, took him to the doctor and fed him while Melinda and I indulged in wine and salad at Patrizio's--our favorite lunch. Jacob was a lamb all day--mostly watched TV, played with his Legos, and every once in a while came to the office to visit or make an announcement. His frequent question, after determining that everyone else was in school: When will the children be out of school? My first answer was six hours. But about three, when I had gone to nap with a stern warning to wake me only in emergency, he came calling, "Wake up! Unlock the door! I want to wave at my teacher." I'm afraid I said no. Good thing I had locked the high-up dead bolt.
All this quiet had a great benefit--I got a good start on revising and finishing my chili book. Decided on the organization and did a new outline,sorted out recipes, and saw that I have a lot of work ahead of me. I've been talking to the folks at Texas Tech about this for over a year--we get close and then one of us backs off. But I think the editor is ready to send it for outside appraisal if I'll just get it done, and we're talking about pictures, etc. My big chore now is mostly going to be cut and paste without losing attribution--I'm a little daunted by the prospect. But there is quite a bit of new material I want to add.
It's been a fun book to research, but I will still welcome recipes. So, if you have an unusual chili recipe (I have plenty of traditional, thank you) or a suggestion for something to do with chili--like Frito Pie, nachos, appetizers, etc.--please do send it to me at j.alter@tcu.edu, and I'll be sure to credit if I use it. Can't promise to use every recipe and can't promise a comp copy of the book. That's all out of my hands. Recipes from all over are welcome because I make the point that chili may have begun in Texas--it really did, and not in Mexico as many people believe--it is now almost a naitonal dish. The title of this book at this point is still Texas is Chili Country.

Cooking, eating, and blowing my diet

I've been cooking lately, experiments, some successful and some not so. Saturday night I sauteed Dover sole and poured a wine, lemon and butter sauce over it--I can't quite get the hang of cooking it until it's crisp but not overdone (darn electric stoves anyway). I did it a week ago and it was crisp and perfect, but this time I turned it too soon and it fell to pieces. Sure was good though, just not very attractive. Dover sole always makes me think of the time my boss included me on a dinner with a candidate for a major position. We went to an uspcale restaurant, and when I saw Dover sole on the menu, I immediately ordered it. It did unnerve me a bit that they cooked it tableside. The next day I mentioned in the office that I'd had it and Susan said yes, she had wanted to order it one night recently until she found out it cost $45. Of course I was mortified for ordering something that expensive on my boss's dime and apologized over and over. I can buy a satisfactory amount for myself for about six dollars and cook it at home. I've found the same thing about lox--I buy it at Central Market and fix it at home, and it's much cheaper.
Sunday night I fixed something that was meant to be served in a small squat mason jar--I just didn't have one handy. But the first layer was a salad made of roasted eggplant, garlic, lemon, olive oil; then a layer of tuna; then tonnato sauce (tuna with mayonnaise, anchovy, lemon and capers--wonderful!) and then halved cherry tomatoes. Well the eggplant was just too much. For the first time in weeks I succumbed and ate a bit of chocolate. It didn't kill the taste, so I brushed my teeth, hours before bedtime. Threw out the remaining eggplant; not something I'll buy again soon, though I do like it parmagiana.
Last night I fixed eggs purgatory for guests-I think I mentioned it here recently. A casserole of quartered baby new tomatoes, artichoke hearts, sauteed onion and thyme and red pepper, capers, and fire roasted tomato bits in sauce. Then you dig wells in it, crack eggs into them, and bake until the eggs are done (which takes twice as long as the recipe says). I like it best without the egg, but it was good and got raves. Kathie Lang Allen brought the richest ever chocolate creme bruelee--of course I wasn't going to eat any, and of course I ate the whole serving which fortunately was small. But it did blow my diet, and I didn't sleep well last night. I blame it less on wine (I really watched that carefully and continued to measure) than on that rich dessert.
Tonight I had leftover purgatory casserole (no egg)--like a lot of dishes, it gets stronger with sitting, and it was even more delicious. With it, I had some of the Sunday night tuna (it's that good albacore Sue and I ordered from a small family cannery in Oregon), and tonnato sauce on it. Maybe the best dinner I had in all these days of experimental cooking.
This afternoon I ended up keeping Jacob--he had a mild case of pink eye and couldn't go to school. He was so happy and content, I let him play with his toys and watch TV while I worked at my desk until about 3:15 when I got serious about naps. He and I both went down about 3:45 and slept a good two hours. But he was a sweet boy today, and I loved having him.