When fall is starting to cool the air and summer days get shorter and shorter, nothing sounds better to me than putting on a pot of chili and curling up with a good book, catching up on TV shows, or watching some football. I have tried many different flavors of chili and love to mix it up, but I have to say my go-to favorite these days for a hearty meat-based option is this Smoky Chipotle Chili. I can’t take complete credit for this recipe. At a previous company, a co-worker brought something similar to a chili cook-off. I never did get the full recipe but I recognized some flavors and decided to experiment on my own.

The key ingredient in this chili is the chipotle chili peppers. I may have first discovered these wonderful gems in a Tyler Florence fajita recipe. And now I use them liberally in Mexican food dishes. They have a very unique flavor, not a lot of heat, but smooth smokiness that can’t be beat. They are easy to find in the Mexican food aisle at your grocery and will be in a can labeled “Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce” by brands like Embasa or Goya. You only need a pepper or even half of one to infuse the dish with flavor, so I like to store the remaining contents of the can in a ziploc bag in the door of my freezer. Then you can just pull it out and snip or slice off a portion you need and toss into your recipe.

Another unusual contribution to the flavors in this chili might be the combo of meats I use. The first is chorizo sausage or andouille; the second is Bob Evans Savory Sage sausage, and the third is beef chili meat. I buy all my meat at Heinen’s and they have a great selection. The chorizo (more spicy) or andouille (less spicy) lends a decidedly Mexican influence to the chili and complements the chipotle peppers perfectly. The Savory Sage sausage limits the need for additional seasonings. And the chili meat rounds out the flavors and represents the cow in our, so far, pig-based chili!

Now for some heat. At this point, I will say that I like a little heat in my chili. If there’s too much, I think it takes away flavor and just burns out your mouth. But whenever I want a little heat, I throw in some Sriracha sauce (an Asian spicy sauce that is good on almost anything, right?!) or you could also use Tabasco. I will just put a few quirts of Sriracha in with the meat as I’m browning it. And with that, I then only use a teaspoon of chili powder, because I find that the sauce plus the chorizo or andouille adds a significant amount of heat for my taste. The only thing left is tomatoes, beans, and cumin – three integral ingredients in any chili!

Let this chili simmer on med-low on the stove minimum 30 minutes or all afternoon, and serve it with some cheese, sour cream, avocado, and/or tortilla chips. And maybe take a bowl back with you to the couch and finish what you were watching or reading. 🙂 Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS

1 lb chorizo or andouille sausage
1 lb Bob Evans Savory Sage sausage
1 lb chili beef
Sriracha sauce to taste
2 cans black beans, rinsed/drained
2 cans mild chili beans
3-4 Adobo chili peppers, diced
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
28 oz can crushed tomatoes
14 oz can diced tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

Brown the ground meat with a dash of sriracha, drain. Add the remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Alright, everyone. It’s time to meet the last drink that inspired my Summertime Popup Bar – this one will take you right into fall, no problems. Of course, a Pimm’s Cup or French Mojito is still very refreshing! Today we’re talking “mules”; and I’m focused on my favorite variation, which is a Bourbon or Kentucky Mule. I’m sharing, because it’s a perfect night to sit on my deck and enjoy the still warm weather while watching a few leaves start to flutter down from the trees.

A traditional mule is usually made with vodka, and so called a Moscow Mule. But I prefer the smoother, golden, almost honey-like taste that comes from good quality bourbon like Maker’s Mark or Woodford Reserve in this drink. You could use Crown Royal, a Canadian whiskey, but then what would we call it? a Toronto Mule? 🙂 I’ll stick with a Kentucky bourbon, s’il vous plait. Another variation on this drink is to use Captain Morgan’s Black Rum. But then it would be called a Dark and Stormy. All of these are delicious to try!

The mixer for any of these variations is ginger beer. Not ginger ale; i.e., Canada Dry or Vernor’s. But yep, good quality, preferably small batch handcrafted ginger beer. The difference? Ginger beer is actually brewed and fermented while ginger ale is a carbonated beverage made from water, ginger, and sugar. Ginger beer often has a much stronger ginger flavor, and because it’s fermented, is usually less carbonated. Neither contain alcohol I should note and are delicious on their own! I preferred Gosling’s as a first rate ginger beer to start but since then have experimented with unique brands I find in different markets, like Fever Tree from England or Ithaca Brewing Co from New York (who also happens to make one of my favorite “real” beers, Flower Power!).

But the best part of the Moscow, Bourbon, whatever Mule you like is the glass, or should I say the ever so cool and adorable copper mug! If you order one of these at a bar and they don’t serve it in a copper mug, I suggest you boycott them. Well, maybe just educate them that they need to buy some copper mugs! Who doesn’t want to drink a cold summertime (or fall) drink in a beautifully patina’d mug that glistens with condensation when you fill it with this delightful concoction. The “glass” may just make the drink, in this case. Ok friends, now cut up some limes, pick some mint leaves from your plant on your deck 🙂 and start mixing!

INGREDIENTS

2 oz bourbon
1/2 bottle ginger beer
lime wedges
garnish of mint leaves

DIRECTIONS

Fill a copper mug with ice. Pour in bourbon, top with ginger beer. Squeeze a wedge of lime into the glass and garnish with one on the rim. Add a sprig of mint and serve.

Et voila! Or should I say “saddle up, y’all”?! 🙂

When I think of the foods my mom made growing up that were really of our Russian/Mennonite heritage, there is one dish that must be made in the summertime – Roll Kuchen (“rolled cookie”) and Watermelon.  I know the words sound strange, but this dish is a delightful mixture of deep-fried dough, yep! and delicious fresh watermelon that is best eaten outside on a hot summer day.  The origins of Roll Kuchen are not entirely known but I’m guessing it was made many times in Russia after our ancestors harvested fields of watermelon.

The dough uses simple, fresh ingredients and has just enough salt to compliment the sweet, juicy watermelon.  The hot dough and cold watermelon seem to play off each other like a happy song in your head.  And if you’re lucky and have some fresh strawberries or blueberries on hand, it’s also delicious to make some filled Roll Kuchen.  Just mix your chopped fruit with a little sugar and include these dough pockets in your meal (make sure they are sealed or they will splatter like crazy in the oil!).  When my mom and I made these last, a friend had just dropped off some fresh-picked wild northern Saskatchewan blueberries (not Saskatoon-berries like I used for this delicious pie, but also amazing!), and they were perfect for a few filled Roll Kuchen.

Mix your dough ingredients together until you can knead on the counter to incorporate all the wet with dry ingredients.  Then let your dough rest for about 20 minutes.  My grandma probably did this more than my mom, but when my mom and I made it last, I hopped in the shower and then came back to fry them up, and that worked well!

While the dough is resting, start slowly heating your lard in a large frying pan on medium-high heat.  I know what you’re saying – “lard?!!  Who eats lard anymore?!  Do you want me to die of a heart attack right now, today?!”  But honestly, good old-fashioned lard is making a comeback because of all the other crap ingredients in manufactured products, and my parents have found it to produce the flakiest, least greasy results.  If you want to experiment with other oils, be my guest!

Now it’s time to roll out the dough and get going! Those are my mom’s beautiful hands, by the way. 🙂  Roll the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness and then cut into long squares with slits in the middle of each – this will ensure even browning and that they don’t puff up too much.  For filled kuchen, cut into square, put about a 1/4c filling in the middle and pinch edges to seal tightly.

Test the oil heat with a small piece of dough.  If it bubbles and starts to brown, it’s ready.  If it’s too hot, the oil will splatter and almost burn the kuchen quickly.  If it’s too cold, the dough will just sink and start to absorb the oil.  Slowly slip pieces into the oil and fry on each side just until lightly browned.  They will brown more as they rest.

Remove your kuchen to a paper towel-lined cookie sheet to drain any excess oil.  Now eat!  And I dare you to not dance a happy dance as you bite into the crispy, hot kuchen and alternate with watermelon that just happens to drip all over your face.  It doesn’t matter, it’s happening to everyone!  Enjoy!

p.s. while these are best eaten fresh, if you have leftovers, they are great re-heated quickly in the toaster and spread with some fresh strawberry jam or anything else you have on hand.  Yummay!

INGREDIENTS

2 c heavy whipping cream
2 eggs
2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
3.5 c flour or enough to make a dough you can knead

DIRECTIONS

Mix all ingredients and knead together.  Let stand 20 minutes on the counter.
Meanwhile, melt lard slowly in a large frying pan – to total about 2 inches of oil.
Roll out the dough to about 1/4 inch thickness, and cut in ong rectangles with two slits in the middle.
Test the oil heat with small piece of dough.  Fry until light golden on each side, and remove to pan to dry.

Bon appétit!

I think it might be time for another fun summertime drink.  Who’s ready for a mojito?!  Moi, s’il vous plait.  Hey, what is a mojito anyways?  A most delicious cocktail drink made with lime, mint, and rum.  Ahh yes, mes amis, but how do we make it French?  By using a delicate elderflower liqueur called St. Germain.  Alert the authorities!  Alert everyone!  The secret is out!  🙂

This wonderful elderflower liqueur called St. Germain is one of my favorite drink mixers.  The elderflower is a small, white flower that blooms in the spring and summer and is used in many European foods and drinks.  In the U.S., I have only seen it in this liqueur.  St. Germain is a French company, and the methods used to make it are still artisanal – flowers gathered in the alps, bicycled (yes!) to the store room where the flavors of the blooms are gently extracted.  The rest of their process is truly a secret!

St. Germain is slightly sweet with its mild floral flavor and compliments martinis, margaritas, and mojitos very well.  I use it to tone down a tart pear martini or a lime margarita.  A traditional mojito would use sugar or simple syrup and club soda along with the lime, mint, and rum.  But using St. Germain as the sweetener instead produces a divine, subtle, floral, and so very French variation!  Perfect for our p.s. bonjour crowd, don’t you think?

Luckily, we have all the ingredients from our Summertime Drink Popup Bar on hand.  And this is just another reason to grow a kitchen herb garden with at least one mint plant!  Add in beautifully etched glassware from the talented Leandra Drumm, and we are ready to create our cocktail.

INGREDIENTS

2 parts Rum
1 part St Germain
La Croix Lime – or sparkling water or club soda; I like the extra hit of lime flavor from the La Croix
small bunch mint leaves
half a lime, quartered
ice

DIRECTIONS

Place lime, mint, and St Germaine in the glass.  Muddle together with a muddler or long spoon handle.  Add cubed or crushed ice.  Pour rum over the ice.  Top with La Croix.  Stir.  Garnish with a slice of lime and sprig of mint.

Enjoy your French Mojito!  Et voila!