Speaking of youtube. . . do see the Du-Tels

One more for you in this remarkable season. Check out the video by Gary Lucas and Peter Stampfel - the Du-Tels, on youtube. It is about Obama, and may be the funniest smartest piece you'll see this election season.

Mr. Tom Waits

If you did not catch it, Tom Waits did one of his very rare, and typically short tours this Summer. While I love Tom's music, and would have enjoyed seeing him, the only tickets I could get would have been for a show in Alabama. Not possible for me.

Whether you are a fan or not, you should definitely watch Tom's press conference video about the tour, which you can find easily on youtube.

Complexly yours, cmplxty

Green Chile Stew Recipe

This has been posted in response to a request. It is in the comment to the comment, so I thought I'd make it a separate post as well.

Here we go. . . I do not cook exactly by recipe unless I am baking and need that precision. After 40 years of cooking, i do it by instinct. Maybe more "complex" but it makes the food your own.

So for Green chile chicken stew (or pork if you prefer - boneless shoulder or loin works fine):

1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 large anaheim green chile, fire-roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped; AND
1 poblano green chile, roasted peeled seeded chopped;
OR - if you can not fire-roast your own, you can use 2 cans of whole green chiles. I prefer whole because it is easy to remove any remaining seeds. Save the can liquid if using these.1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped1 quart chicken broth (I use the organic stuff in the box/carton)
2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into approximately 1" pieces. Odd shapes are somehow more pleasing to the eye and palate than diced, in my opinion).
6-8 medium to large white potatoes, peeled and chopped into 1/8ths (that is, 8 pieces each tater). Russet, eastern, yukon gold, red skin - all ok. The softer starchier types will break down a bit more, adding natural thickening to your stew.

Preparation:In a large deep pot/kettle, heat some olive oil - maybe 1/4 cup or so. Medium heat. add garlic and onion, and sautee several minutes, stirring often, until these are softened and the onions become translucent.

Add chicken and stir over medium-high heat. Keep chicken moving to get all sides exposed to the heat of the pot, and cook several minutes until chicken is no longer pink, and becoming white. You can add some black pepper here if you like.

Add the green chiles, parsley and cut up potatoes (did you cut them into exactly even pieces, or more visually interesting irregular pieces?). Stir over medium to medium-high heat, adding a bit more olive oil if needed to keep it moving. You just want to lightly sear the pieces of potato, which seals them a bit through the rest of the cooking.

Pour in enough chicken stock/broth to cover the chicken and potatoes. Turn heat to low-medium (simmer) and cook for 30 minutes. Check the level of liquid, and add more as needed, to keep the stew covered.

Continue cooking for a total time of 45-60 minutes, continuing to stir occasionally and add liquid. Note: taste during the cooking. If the liquid of the stew seems too salty, add some water - no more than 1/2 cup at a time, until you have the salt balanced to your liking. If you like it less salty, you can use low or no-salt broth.

Your goal in this is to get the chicken and potatoes cooked and tender, and have a naturally thickened liquid - but not too much liquid. More like a stew gravy proportion than a soup. Serve when ready or - let it cool, and reheat the next day - the flavors will have blended even more.

This is the way I make it, and I based this on my dining in Santa Fe in 1986 and on several later trips to New Mexico. I first had this dish at the Water Street Cafe in Santa Fe.

Enjoy this delicious regional dish.

complexly yours, cmplxty