Chili-Chili Oooo Mmmmmm Chili!

 This week I'm cooking from The Grit Cookbook. The Grit is a vegetarian restaurant in Athens, Georgia. If you're afraid of vegetarian food - keep reading. You're gonna like this stuff.

Yeah, I complain about winter. It's dark, cold, windy, and I can't stand driving in snow. However, one of the things I love about winter is hot and steamy soup. The legendary Grit Black Bean Chili is one of those super soups that keep you going when the weather gets you down.

The Grit's Black Bean Chili is the very first recipe in the cookbook. This is no surprise as the chili is an essential ingredient in a number of Grit staples; it's a versatile soup that also doubles and freezes well. Trust me.

I had a long Sunday cooped up in the house, so I figured I'd make up a ton of Grit Black Bean Chili. I did a rapid soak of the beans beginning at 8:30am, and by 1pm the chili was done. Then I had to find other things to do. This is the kind of chili that gets better as it simmers, though, so be sure to allow ample time. I rinsed the beans in a bright blue colander, placed in a large pot, boiled for two minutes, removed from the heat, covered, and soaked for at least an hour.

Black Beans in Blue Colander

While the beans were soaking I gathered the other ingredients. First I chopped a lot of onion and garlic.

Have Knife? Chop Onion & Garlic.

Then I poured the spices onto a plate - that's chili powder, cumin, oregano, cayenne...I think that's it.

A little black pepper, too.

I returned to the beans, rinsed them thoroughly in the bright blue colander, added about 8 cups of water. Onion, garlic, and spices followed quickly. This simmered on the stove top until the beans were tender - at least an hour.

During the long wait, I chopped celery, onion, and yellow pepper. This was sauteed in some olive oil and set aside.

Celery, Yellow Pepper, Onion

Once the beans were done, I poured the celery, onion, and yellow pepper into the beans and stirred to combine. And this is where patience comes into play when making Grit Black Bean Chili. The directions admonish the cook to "Allow flavors to marry for at least 1 hour;" I'd say let them get good and acquainted. Take your time. Take as long as you can stand. The chili only gets better as the flavors mingle.

I'm impatient about these things, and was (as usual) darn hungry. It's easy to be very hungry when breakfast is often a large mug of Earl Grey tea and some peanut butter on toast. I scooped up a small bowlful, topped with shredded cheese and sour cream.

Doesn't that look yummy? And it definitely beats those winter blues away!

Get To The Grit: Roasted Corn & Zucchini Quesadillas

The Grit Cookbook

I wish the college town I live in had a restaurant like The Grit. Sure, there are a handful of local places to eat, but nothing that remotely resembles the funky feel of The Grit in Athens, Georgia. The cookbook merely reflects the restaurant, which reflects the town, which reverberates through me whenever I encounter a vegetarian restaurant or cookbook. I'm always wondering -  can it match or beat The Grit?

True, I'm expressing significant favoritism here. I used to volunteer at Daily Groceries Co-Op that used to be in the same building as The Grit on Prince Avenue, and has since relocated about a block away. Still, it wasn't unusual for someone from the restaurant to run over in a mild panic asking for tomatoes or an avocado or something else they'd run out of. And I'm willing to bet that The Grit has at least one struggling musician on staff right now.

Veggies

I've eaten at The Grit countless times and, if it didn't take a twelve-hour drive, I'd be on my way there right now. I've long since moved from the South, and the cookbook moved with me. I have mastered the art of the quintessential "Golden Bowl," and plan to cook it later this week. For starters, I went with Roasted Corn and Zucchini Quesadilla's on page 74.

This was a very simple recipe to follow and prepare. It calls for oven roasting corn and zucchini in olive oil. I hesitated because the recipe calls for frozen corn, and I envisioned something yicky. I used a spiffy Persian Lime-Flavored Olive Oil I received for Christmas this year. It smelled fabulous while roasting - and looked good, too.

Roasted Corn, Zucchini, Lime-Flavored Olive Oil & Cilantro

Quesadilla's aren't complicated to cook. You simply heat your pan up add in a tortilla and the fixin's and cook it up a bit. The end result was slightly crispy on the outside, and ooey-gooey on the inside. At first I was not impressed, even disappointed as the inside seemed watery and bland, possibly due to the frozen corn. But after a few bites, I chomped and the flavors of cilantro (which I like) and lime exploded in my mouth. The lime was bright while cilantro played a lower, even earthy note.

If I make this again, it will be in the summer. I'm picturing chicken marinated in the lime olive oil, grilled, shredded. And definitely fresh sweet corn for a sensational, sexy summertime meal. Mmmmm!