Dragon Breath Chili - Contest Winner

For our office's Holiday party fund raising, we held a Chili Cook Off Contest.  While normally, I guess, I assume, that the recipe has to be your own, since there is no such rule for this contest, I thought I try Dragon Breath Chili recipe by Guy Fieri, Foodnetwork.com.  I am sure I would have won just the same with my own recipe, but the name of the Chili is very intriguing - "Dragon Breath Chili" - sound deadly hot? or spicy? or fiery? Is it going to be fiery hot that you will be blowing steam or fire from your mouth? hmmm... very interesting.  So, I set to work on to study the recipe, then, I decided on doing this in two days.  Cook with what I have, then, purchase what I don't have the 2nd day.  Italian Sausage is one of the ingredients and Lager beer.  I had a 2nd thought about this, but my "becoming a chef" discipline is telling me to be brave and test something new.  It's my quest for the rest of the year.  I could skip the sausage, but I ventured out to look for the "bulk" Italian sausage.  Luckily it was not difficult to find at Foods Co.  I found the Chuck steaks, too.  Great!  But no Poblano.  I did some wikipedia check to find out how this "Poblano" looks like and drew the picture on my shopping list.  Nope, no Poblano.  Got fresh Anaheim and Jalapeno.  Regardless, I browned all the meat ingredients.  I thought there would a lot of fat from the Italian sausage, but surprisingly I only had about 1/8 cu fats from browning lean ground beef, Chuck cubes, and Italian sausage.  I decided to cook them in crockpot overnight.  I added home made chicken stock and whatever all the dry spices that I have on hand in my pantry.  Then, placed beans on top.  Didn't want to mix them up yet.  They will get too mushy, as they are canned beans.  Normally, when I make my own Chili, they are cooked in my pressure cooker, etc.  Instead of Kidney beans, I chose Black Beans.  On the Day 2, I found Poblano... and ground coriander.  I wished my tomatoes in my garden are all ripe, but it's been 4 months, and they are still green.  So, to follow the recipe, purchased canned tomato sauce and paste. Tasted the Day 1 mixture of the meat in the crockpot.  Wow!  actually why should I add any other ingredients?  it tasted really good as is.  But, then, the "rule" and my quest popped up in my head - "Follow the recipe".  So, I got busy right after work and started to roast the peppers - over the open fire - I was pretending that it is safe and okay.  After all I have been watching Julia Child and Jack Peppin for the last months and Tyler Florence's TV episode to Mexico.  They all roasted peppers on open fire and dunk them into a bowl water and peel the darkened peel.  Save time!  but kind of messy at the stove.  (I have done that in my counter-top electric oven.)
But it was a good experience.   I let the whole ingredients cook in the crock pot the 2nd day from 10 pm to 6 am.  Then, again from 8:30 am till 11 am.  The taste?  It's definitely "Chili".  Not tomato-ish or tart or just hot.  It's a medley of flavors, all 15 spices that tantalizing every part of the tongue.  Meat are very tasty.  Flavor has infused through every bite of the meat and beans.  At 2 pm, the announcement came through - the winner of the Chili Cook Off contest is "Dragon Breath Chili".
Hope you will it a try and surprise yourself.
When I cook this again for my family, I would make them my family famous "Sopapilla" served with Honey.  Cover the chili bowl with Cheddar cheese.

Secret - "My Grandma's Cinnamon Rolls"

This is the most delicious cinnamon rolls I have ever tasted.   Easy to make secret recipe.  Just imagine waking up in the morning to the sweet warm cinnamon aroma that slowly waving itself from the kitchen oven to your bedroom.  Your nostril senses and identifies it as the familiar 'cinnamon'.  "It must be good" -- your brain responded.  Your senses start to sharpen and begin to imagine the sweet warm taste and sweet melted butter sugar frosting.  And as you stroll into the kitchen to find out what it is, your eyes are delighted with what you imagined.  Good morning smile came across your face to welcome the rest of the day.

Super Soft "Custard" Bread

This is another wonderful tasting bread recipe that I got from one of blog site that I linked through my "inspiration" bloggers in Malaysia and Australia.  http://smallsmallbaker.blogspot.com; She calls it the "Super Soft Custard Bread".  Please obtain recipe from her site.  Here is how mine turned out.  As everyone's oven behaves differently "sadly", I baked this loaf in my Turkey Roast Pan - idea:  to keep moisture in.

Lime Chiffon Pie

Finally got some Lime that have gotten ripe.  This is one crazy year.  Some of the plants are not ripening at all.  But, rather than the weather at fault, I think I don't have enough "gardening" knowledge to give them the boosts.

I am really pressed with the time, so I am going to post photo journals first and then, return with details.

The next day, when I was ready to serve, I was so surprised by the boo boo.  I did not process the agar agar powder correctly and caused the pie to go flat after 18 hours.  My co-workers were gracious to still try some.  Tasted good, but flat.... hmmm... that really got me to test the agar agar powder that evening.  Yep - it's made to work just like it is suppose to.  It was my fault.  I did not melt the granules of powder until fully dissolved.  So, the pie fell flat.  It was so disappointing.  My hand-whipped meringue was so beautiful....   Will do better the next time.

Le Pain Francais Test 2 - Julia Child (French Bread)

This is Thursday night's result.  I learned to be calmer and patient with this formula because it is so simple.  I love the hand mixing technique.  No Mixer.  Nothing more than a few things to wash.  The mixing and kneading techniques are the same as Test 1's.  I recall doing the similar 'Slapping' down the wet dough in making Japanese style sweet bun.  The technique works quite well to bring the wet sticky dough into smooth workable dough in a short time better than my mixer could.  (Double click on image to view details).

Le Pain Francais Test 1 - Julia Child (French Bread)

This is my photo journal of the quest for the better home baked French Bread, baguettes, and the rest of the wonderful products that we can produce from the basic ingredients of flour, yeast, salt, and water.  Since I tested baking baguettes nine times in my kitchen, and only two are satisfactory.  It's time to start all over and find the right technique fit for my kitchen environment.  Again, just like Canneles de Bordeaux - simple ingredients, but the result of the product depends on the execution of all the steps involved in preparations and various techniques to produce the desire baked goods - the one I can really sink my teeth in and smile and say "that's Good."  There is only one thing that keeps me from baking in the summer is the baking temp -  450'F.  It's kind of crazy to turn the oven on to 450'F when it's still hitting 95' F outside.  But my gas bill is quite interestingly low in the summer and kitchen temperature is perfect for proofing the bread dough.  Got to do it.  I've tested several bread formula, but I decided on Julia Child's. Her TV show inspired me.  I have been watching Julia Child and Master Chef program on KVIE-2 channel and saw how effortlessly she prepared food in her home kitchen.  I found her French Bread - Pain Fraincais posted by ... my goodness, I don't have it saved..  I will properly give a proper credit later once I locate the blogsite, but the formula given according to this blogger is from "Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck".  The procedures is very long... 3 - 4 pages long, but that's okay.  The more info the better.  So, this is Test 1 result.  Baked on Wednesday, 9/29/10.  The Test #2 I completed tonight 9/30/10 came out even better.  (Double click on the image to enlarge details.)