Recipe 2: Beer Chili

JOURNAL ENTRY: PARRAMATTA, AUSTRALIA - MARCH 4, 2001

"I am back in Parramatta, and let me tell you, it is no Surfer's Paradise! I have so much to catch you guys up on, so I will start with the most exciting event... wait for it... wait for it... it happened before we left on our trip to Surfer's. Are you ready for this? Ok... Well they have a "Chili's Grill and Bar" here! It is about a 15-minute train ride from where I am staying here! How cool is that?! The layout was exactly like the one at home and even the bathrooms were in the same place! Too cool! Ok, maybe I'm a little over excited about this, but having a little taste of home is such a treat for us. I had the fajitas (of course) and Karine had the chili. It was really good!

I booked my tickets for the Good Will Games in Brisbane. I know I am really early but the tickets are selling fast. I am going to go see beach volleyball and I am in the 5th row. It should be awesome. Hopefully when I am there, there will be tickets for other events available. It sounds like a great time with all the athletes taking over the city!"

RECIPE 2: BEER CHILI

(serves 4)

Beer Chili

photo: Ryan Szulc www.ryanszulc.ca

Food Stylist: Noah Witenoff - the Hostel Chef www.nustyling.com

What you need:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• 1 package of minced lean ground beef (454g - 600g)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped (tip - use your knife to smash the garlic and remove the skin)
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, cut on a diagonal
• 1 jalapeno (optional) seeded and chopped (wash your hands and knife right away to avoid getting any in your eyes)
• 1 package of taco seasoning mix
• 2 splashes of beer (adds a lot of flavor and you're drinking it anyways!)
• 1 can of diced tomatoes (796ml)
• 1 can of water (796ml)
• 1 can of red kidney beans or any bean of your choice, drained and rinsed (540ml)
  
• 1 tablespoon of chicken powder
  

What you need to do:

• Heat the oil in a large pot.
  
• Brown the meat for about 5 minutes or until it is cooked through.
• Add the onions and garlic and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Add the carrot, celery, and jalapeno.
  
• Deglaze the pan by adding the beer and allow to cook for a minute while stirring to make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom.
• Add tomatoes, water, and chicken powder and bring to a boil.
  
• Lower the heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
• Eat with bread, rice, or on its own.

Here are some leftover suggestions:

• Try a sloppy joe on a hamburger bun.
• Use it as a meat sauce for pasta.

Hope you enjoy this recipe and keep me posted with your recipe suggestions. Much more to come!

The Hostel Chef