Adventures of a Freelance Murray Slaughter - February 13th, 2006

I'd like a tip. This weekend, I made a batch of my regular chili. I make my recipe by frying 2 onions, one or two red peppers, and a tablespoon of garlic until the onions start to caramelize. then I fry the meat in with the onions, until done, then add 2 cans diced tomatoes and 2 cans of kidney beans, some chili powder and some cumin. Bring it to a boil, then reduce to minimum for an hour or so.

I made it that way this week, only instead of using a pound of ground meat, I used TVP chunks, which I had soaked in broth (TVP is $1.29 a dehydrated kilogram, ground beef about 8 times that, so if this works, chili has gone from being an indulgence to something I can afford to keep on hand all the time - the canned vegetables were about $3 for all of them, and I usually have onions around, so under $5 for a pot with 8-10 bowls of it).

The problem is that something is missing. This batch was too spicy (I should have seen that coming, with a new chili powder bought at a jamaican store, and the way that real meat will soak up more of that, and brings its own flavour to it). It was also a little...bland, even while the heat was overwhelming (I've been eating it on rice to cut that).

Salt brings back some of the flavour I expect in chili, but I'm wondering, if you use TVP, what you do to make it more robust, instead of disappearing (flavourwise) into the dish.

I want to record some snippets of avi files and dvds to mp3. most of the free stuff I've found will record between 90s and 2m, which is fine for some things (like Rob Lowe, as Sam Seaborn, on the first episode of The West Wing, announcing "Alger Hiss just walked in with my secret pumpkin." But that won't do for some longer bits. So I'm looking for a free thing that will record through my soundcard.

Now, I can find plenty of free things, so don't just search for them and give me an answer; I'd like recommendations if any of you have actually used one; what's good, and yeah, what's bad.

[16:12] thespian SMC: I just...got a fruit basket.
[16:13] wayward va: a fruit basket?
[16:13] thespian SMC: I...yes.
[16:13] thespian SMC: a fruit basket.
[16:13] wayward va: did someone send it to you? or was it a drive-by-fruit-basket?:)
[16:14] thespian SMC: With a card that reads, "I hope this brings some fun to your pantry. An LJ Friend."
[16:14] thespian SMC: so near enough a drive by fruit basket as to make no difference.
[16:14] thespian SMC: Oooh. It has camembert.
[16:15] thespian SMC: in addition to a pineapple.
[16:15] thespian SMC: the delivery guy seemed amused by my complete bafflement.
[16:16] wayward va: *giggles at the image of the 'drive-by fruit basket'*
[16:17] wayward va: hey, who expects a drive-by fruit basket?:)
[16:17] thespian SMC: same people who expect the spanish inquisition, I guess.

The pineapple is HUGE. I have no idea what I'll do with it (I love fresh pinapple, don't get me wrong, but I can only eat so much of it after I crack the thing. Perhaps I will make an upside-down cake. Also the crackers it has to go with the camembert are tasty. I'm going to eat the camembert off something else, so I can eat the crackers as is.

I'm still a little baffled by this (I don't actually think I've ever gotten a fruit basket in my life!), so that's cool. Not only have you provided me with an array of fruit, you confused me in a totally pleasant way. Thank you.

that I really like Solomon Burke, Al Green, Booker T and the MGs, Isaac Hayes, Smokey Robinson and the Miracles, Curtis Mayfield and Gladys Knight and the Pips. I like a lot of other things, but you get the idea of what I'm aiming for here. If I like those, late 60s, early 70s soul and funk types, leaning towards southern soul over Detroit or Philly, but still appreciating those, too, what would you recommend?