http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WumFFc-M6BM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7qgpXbkSVM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzBAYQFXX54

The thing about cooking and jazz music that caused the two to give birth to brunch back in the '80's, is that both are fields in which the creator imporvises upon a foundation. Both idioms have a lot of room for failure as well as recovery and ultimately great success. It's this thought that inspired me to lay upon you my recipe for a great and easy, real Texas-style, no bean, no bullshit, almost competition grade chili. Vegges, you won't really have interest in this as it's really all about how tender you can get the meat with this thing. I mean, I suppose you could substitute with something soy-like, but I doubt it will yield the same effect. But those of you who still do the cow, get your copy and paste chops together! This dish takes time, but is easy to make and i find lots of people really like chili, especially when it's homemade and free. Not the best first date food, but if you're relationship is beyond that stage, this could seal the deal for you!

It all starts with 2 lbs. of nice cubed beef of some sort. I've tried lots of different cuts, but I recently scored big with flank steak from Trader Joe's, of all places. I got it home, unrolled it, beat it like it owed me money, gave it a rub of salt, pepper and chili power, then browned it in my trusty cast iron skillet. This stuff was falling apart before it even hit the crock pot. I browned it with a dash of the 2-3 onions I'd already chopped and a bit of garlic too.
Now, all of this stuff in the recipe I do to taste. If you like garlicky chili, then rock the garlic, but I find 4-5 cloves does it nicely for this size pot.

As always, I did lots of things different from the time before. I used a New Mexico chili powder on top of the usual spice kit I start with (as well as in the aforementioned rub). I also bumped a very little pinch of cinnamon into it for an exotic touch. The base chili spice kit I start with is made by Carrol Shelby (yeah, the guy who soups up all those Mustangs) and you can get it at any grocery store. It's based on 2 lbs. of beef, so 1 should get you through this recipe.

So, after the meat was beat, rubbed, (sorry if you're getting turned on) and browned, it found its way to the crockpot which was already slowly burning up 2 big cans of tomatoes on high. Canned crushed tomatoes are the best. I also crush things up with a wooden spoon for a bit when it gets soft. I recently saw some Food network show about competition chili and how its basically meat and tomato sauce. Thats why I cut the onions and garlic so fine you could snort 'em. This dish cooks so long it all ends up pretty saucy. Not runny, just saucy.

At this point all the meat, onion and garlic are in the crock pot with the canned tomatoes and spices and things should be cooking along pretty nicely. Now its time to add the hot, hot heat. I almost always put at least 1 whole habanero pepper in there, this last time I put that plus 2 serrano's to boot. Just pull of the stem and throw 'em in. It turned out nice and spicy but with no overwhelming burn. Just right.

Finally, throughout the whole process of cooking, which I recommend you do for at least 20 hours, that's right, 20 hours! Anyway, it's throughout this process that I spill fair amounts of Mexican beer in there..Tecate, Pacifico, it doesn't matter. About a can should do it, with a couple sips going to the chef.

After about 6 hours you can start tasting to see where you're at as far as heat and spice level. After about 10 hours, the meat starts to get tender and break into strands and you're wondering how much better can it get. At 15 hours you might think you should have a bowl just to make sure you got the right bowl and spoon. That's when you stop, switch the pot to low, give a final stir and go to bed. Don't forget to give it a stir as long as your up for a midnight pee, too. In fact, stir every hour you remember to and taste often.

By now your whole place will smell like chili. You'll dream of cowboys on the range (not brokeback mountain kinda stuff, unless thats what you're into). If you live in an apartment, neighbors are gonna start asking you questions..but just play dumb and say, "I thought that smell was coming from your place."

Making this chili is as much an exercise in patience as it is a labour of love. You'll have enough to feed 5-6 real hungry folks, maybe more, and still have some to freeze. And on top of the satisfaction you get from feeding people, you'll feel like BB King at the height of the creative musical experience. It's like taking a 20 hour solo over a real slow and tasty tune.

Any questions?

I hear myself say it all the time...caller: "Hey Geoff, whats up?" me: "nuthin'". I probably start 98 percent of my phone call's this way. But really, just like in the world of dating, things can mean their polar opposite, or at least a cover up for what's really going on.
I work part time at the Japanese American National Museum, located in the heart of Little Tokyo, or 'lil Toke as I like to call it, and found out that Sulu (George Takei) is having his wedding there. I immediately emailed my boss and requested a shift I would have most likely been recruited for anyway, cause how often do you get to be around something like that! Seems like once in a lifetime to me...Chekov is the best man, Uruha, maiden of honor and it's rumored that pointy-eared devil gone hip-hop host Spock himself will be in the hizzy.Star Trek Cribs

When I put this together with all the time I've spent working with Gallagher (it's a whole other blog, believe me) and the time Pickel, Paul and I ended up onstage in horse suits at the Rush concert, it would almost seem my past has caught up to me and dragged me into it's path forward.
See, when I was 5 or 6 I used to fall asleep to Star Trek, (never saw a full episode til I was 14 but my brother and I went to a star trek convention once). The 2nd concert I ever saw was Melissa Manchester and her opening act was Gallagher. And Rush was my soundtrack to puberty, which made that time period even all the more awkward.
I don't know if all this adds up to anything of real substance, or if it's actually my life's destiny lining up before me...gosh I hope not. I'd like to think it's just another day at work in a place where things just happen. You see, sometimes it's just easier to just say "nuthin."

I found it refreshing to read on the BBC that Glenn Close was drinking bourbon in a bar watching the show, or "press conference", that David Duchovney didn't watch at all and went to the movies instead, and that Julian Schnabel was getting his bags at Kennedy when they all found out they won Golden Globe awards. I mean, when you get good news, it's just great no matter where you are or what you're doing.

But picture if you really didn't know for sure if you were to win an award and there you are all dolled up, sitting in a stuffy theater in a velvety, springy chair next to someone you may or may not know or even like for that matter, for who knows how many hours while whatever fabric you're sporting starts to stick to and itch your bum while your legs are falling asleep. Now couple that with the fact that whether or not you are the recipient of such honors, it's rude, no, unacceptable to leave after your name is or isn't called? Well, to me that sounds like hell and though I've not attended one like the Acadamy's or the Grammy's, I think that's what an award show would be like.

But finding out you've won an award while you're at the grocery store or reading it in the paper while in another country or reading it on the internet or a phone message saying "Hey, congratulations!", this seems more exciting to me.

At the big televised award ceremonies, nominee's have to write a speech that they may not end up delivering. And even when they are delivered, they still can't remember all the people they need to thank. I think the unprecedented approach to this years GG's ceremony was just as effective as the full blown ones of the past, and that the nominees and winners were able to have a lot more fun because of it. Now the winners can take their time composing emails and making phone calls to thank all the individuals who helped them get their awards and the ones who didn't win don't have to look like it's no big deal on live TV. They can react however they naturally feel, although there've been award moments where poise has been lost despite the cameras. You can win like Benigni or lose like whatsherface, but I think most normal people would pass on the televised reaction.

I just heard an interview with Woody Allen on the radio and he was saying how you should do your art because it's what you do. Don't do it for someone else, don't read your reviews or listen to people who say you're great or you're terrible, and as one who publicly displays their artistic expression, I agree whole heartedly with him. I feel these opulent ceremonies where people who all do the same thing slap each other on the back are just a big commercial waste of time. I feel the directors, actors, writers, composers and all other's who work on these projects should be noted and awarded critical and mass acclaim but the results will be the same at the box office or dvd store whether the event is on TV or not. We're all gonna know what to see the next day.
That being said, let it be known I do feel for the great loss of profits for the caterers, staging crews, production complanies, florists, designers, musicians and anyone else I forgot to mention, oh gosh, this is so exciting and I wasn't quite prepared...uhmmm, managers, agents, mothers, Jesuses, God, Ganisha, Yoga, Oprah, Pilates and...oh, you know who you are, sorry if I missed anyone..THANK YOU!

The good people at YMCtv.com have released a DVD entitled City Sessions: Geoff Pearlman. This was filmed in Feb. 06, very early in the morning, at the Pass Studios on Cahuenga Pass. They shot in Hi Def and recorded the music pristinely in this wonderful studio. You can view 2 songs from it on the player on my page. Everything you hear on it is live with no overdubs. My fantastic band that day included Adam Levy on guitar, Michael Bluestein on keys, Shane Solo on bass and Bryan Head on drums. The DVD contains 7 songs and some interview clips. It will be available at shows for $10 and you can order it online for only $12.99.
Thanks to Darren Fair, Will Weinand and all the rest at YMCtv for making a great lookiing and sounding video. Their commitment to quality on all fronts is what makes this a special DVD.
GP