Why yes, yes it is Fall!

The beginning of the fall of empire (couldn't happen to a better one!) and the temperature and the leaves...

Annnnnyway, here we are in November. What is even happening? I'm writing this on the high of NYC's first South Asian Mayor - America's Mayor! Part of me was jealous I didn't get to vote for him, but the other part of me is pretty okay with our own Mayor Lurie, these days. And also, I have Saikat Chakrabarti, another South Asian, to look forward to voting for in June. And look, Chakrabarti grew up in Texas (just like me), did some tech stuff (just like me...ok, actually way more), and cares about actual people (in exactly the way I want my leaders to care)...so. I mean. What's not to be excited about, right? We gotta' surf the silver linings we find folks, otherwise it's a constant spin cycle of disenfranchisement and disgust. Whew.

So back to the website and this month's newsletter...

What have we been up to? Well, I'll tell you, I'm proud to say I have finally dug into writing Lost and Found again, as intended and hoped. I'm giving myself small writing blocks each day to try to rebuild that habit before I go full throttle on arcane punk/fractured fantasy fun. We also discovered a recent mini boom in the kitten population down at our shelter of choice (9 Lives in Redwood City - we've found all our feline family members there - highly recommend all cat lovers to support their awesome work) and made the call. Now was the time to try again. Find a sibling for Waffles and a snuggle muppet for the kids. Boy did we ever...introducing...Onigiri.

Don't let that innocent little tilt of the head fool you. This little machane is giving full blown tuxedo vibes at not even 3 months old...He's gotten into more trouble in the past couple days than Waffles has since he moved in 3 years ago. Speaking of the chonka-tonk man, like any king cat of the castle, he was not impressed by the mini-interloper's (minterloper?) initial arrival on the scene, but Oni's sweet insistence on "playtime ALL the time" is starting to wear down Waffles' resistance. I mean, he still doesn't want Oni anywhere near his precious (food), but once "the baby" goes down for a nap or bedtime, Waffles goes looking for his new buddy.

So what could possibly follow all that excitement?
More of the same with a splash of some fun things here and there. I'll keep writing my book. Try to post some drawings, and maybe even a fun little mixing myths palate cleanser in between posts. And most assuredly, moar cats!

And finally, we arrive at the fan favorite...recipe of the month...

Recipe of the Month

As my mom (the Texan) used to say, quoting her mom, it's starting to smell like football. The leaves are turning (even in San Francisco), the fog is thickening (especially in San Francisco), and the fireplaces are being lit (or electrically plugged in). Which means it's time for one of my ultimate childhood comfort foods and favorite fall meal and favorite, favorite thing to smell cooking if I'm ever sitting down long enough to watch a football game: Indianized Chili

Ingredients

1 lb ground beef or turkey (the beef is honestly tastier, but the turkey is healthier and makes for a better night's sleep - plus it's November, so we gotta' throw some turkey around somewhere)
2/3 to 1 yellow onion, chopped
5 medium to large cloves of garlic, chopped
1 inch cube of fresh ginger, skinned and grated
1 to 2 tsp mustard seeds
3 to 5 teaspoons turmeric
3 to 4 teaspoons ground coriander
3 teaspoons ground cumin
3 teaspoons ground ginger (can never have too much ginger. I don't make the rules.)
1 pinch to 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (depending on the spice tolerance of the palates you're serving)
1 28 oz can of tomatoes (crushed if you like a saucy chili, whole or diced if you like a chunkier dish)
1 can kidney beans, drained (if you're into beans)
1 green bell pepper sliced or chopped
vegetable oil
fresh cilantro leaves picked from the stem and washed

steamed rice (please refer to Newsletter #1 for how to steam rice)
corn muffins (if you feel like seizing the day and all the carbs, I recommend the Jiffy box mix - quick, tasty, and budget-friendly - follow the directions on the box, but be aware, you'll need milk and an egg or two - fwiw, lactose free dairy milk works as well as regular dairy milk)

Instructions

Get your rice cooking. If you're doing corn muffins, pre-heat your oven accordingly, and then turn to the rest.

Cook the ground beef/turkey in about 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil on medium high in a frying pan or wok, stirring and chunking up the meat into small grounds.
Add salt and pepper to the meat while cooking it.
Once the meat is fully browned and cooked, remove the pan from heat. If using a wok, then remove the meat to a dish and set aside.
Place a medium to large pot with a heavy bottom (or your wok) on medium high heat and add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil or coconut oil.
When hot enough that a sprinkle of water into the pan sizzles (like barely a flick of a water drop with your fingers - do NOT pour water into hot oil), add your mustard seeds.
Allow to cook until they start popping.
Add chopped onions, stirring to cook until translucent, then add the chopped garlic and grated ginger.
Stir until well mixed and cooked through, and add the spices.
Start with the minimum amount, then add more of each one based on how you like the way the fragrance is evolving (e.g., some people, and by some people, I mean me, love the smell and flavor of coriander so I'm gonna' go big with the coriander, but maybe not so wild with the cumin. Caveat: this rule does not apply to the chili powder. Seriously, more than 1/2 a teaspoon of the stuff is liable to obliterate the taste of all the other spices, not to mention your tastebuds).
Once fully mixed and fragrant, add your ground meat back into the pot/wok and mix until the meat is well coated by the spice mixture and onions/garlic/ginger.
Then add the canned tomatoes. Add the kidney beans, too, if you're doing that. Mix well.
Allow to come to a boil, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
Add salt and pepper to taste, then turn the stove down to low and cover the pot.
Simmer for at least 45 minutes, but if you're going to simmer for longer, make sure you have a super low flame and you're coming back frequently to stir the chili.
While a longer simmer allows the spices and seasonings to permeate the other ingredients more fully, if you let it sit for too long without stirring and at too high a heat, it will start sticking to the sides of the pot (even the non-stick kind) and will start to burn.
About 20-30 minutes before you're ready to start serving up, add the sliced/chopped green bell peppers and mix well.
This is also usually the right time to mix and bake your corn muffins so they come out right before the chili is ready and are nice and toasty.

Dish out your fluffy, fully steamed rice into large bowls and pour the chili over the rice. Add a garnish of fresh cilantro and again, if you're feeling especially carbtastic, serve with a side of corn bread or corn muffins.

This recipe is not one of the short ones, but listen, if you've got a foggy/rainy/snowy/whatever-just too cold to be outside-thing happening, it's an enjoyable one to make, fills your home with cozy aromas, and is delicious to enjoy.