A Bellingham Foodie Blog Restaurant Reviews Bellingham Washington 98225

I know when I say ‘Martha’ some people cringe.

But I’ve been collecting Martha’s cookbooks and recipes since the early ’80’s and she REALLY knows what she’s doing. I mean, not everyone can have a Julia Child personality. And if you’ve seen the animated movie Ratatouille, or have ever worked in a French restaurant (like my partner), you KNOW what chefs are like. The movie is accurate. Enough. Here is a great chili recipe from marthastewart.com:

Turkey and Bean Chili

1 tablespoon grapeseed oil (or 4 bacon cut into 1/2 inch pieces)
3 pounds ground dark meat turkey (or ~12oz tempeh, chopped)
4 cups chopped onion
1/4 cup minced garlic cloves
2 medium fresh jalapeno chiles, ribs and seeds removed for less heat, if desired, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder (secret ingredient)
4 teaspoons ground cumin
2 28oz cans whole tomatoes in puree
2 tablespoons unsulphured molasses
coarse salt
3 cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
fresh cilantro leaves, sliced pickled jalapeno chiles, sour cream, crumbled cornbread, grated cheddar cheese

1.  Heat a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add oil (or bacon and crisp). Raise heat to high; add turkey. Cook, stirring and breaking up the meat, until no longer pink, 8-10 minutes.
2.  Add onion, garlic, jalapenos; cook until soft, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Stir in chili power, cocoa powder and cumin; cook, stirring, until fragrant, 1 minute.
3.  Break up tomatoes with a spoon or your hands, and stir them in along with the puree. Add molasses, 1 cup water and 4 teaspoons salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer; cook, partially covered, 30 minutes.

4.  Add beans; continue cooking, uncovered, until meat and beans are very tender and chili is thick, about 30 minutes more. Serve with desired toppings. Serves 8.

“What a great idea!” he said, at FedExKinko’s.

I was looking for recipes in my Dom DeLuise cookbook and realized how badly it was falling apart. The packing tape just wasn’t working anymore. I had a yoga book spiral bound and decided it would be a good idea for the cookbooks. So I took Dom, Martha and Ali to FedExKinko’s to get it done. Now it’s a piece of cake to keep the book open to the recipe I’m using.

Here’s the recipe the book was broken in half at:

Mamma’s Marinara Sauce

4 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves, minced
5 lbs fresh tomatoes, peeled and sliced (or 2 28oz cans peeled, crushed tomatoes)
1 6oz can tomato paste
4 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, chopped
10 fresh basil leaves
pepper
grated cheese

In a deep 10 inch frying pan, heat the olive oil and gently saute the garlic. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and sun dried tomatoes.

Put on medium heat for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Tear basil leaves into small pieces and sprinkle on top after adding to pasta. Add pepper and grated cheese to taste.

If fresh tomatoes are used, put them in a pot of boiling water for about 10 seconds until the skin can be easily peeled off. Discard skin. Cut tomatoes into pieces and add to frying pan mixture. Add tomato paste and sun dried tomatoes.

Makes about 2 quarts of sauce.

Now you may balk at the idea of making tomato sauce from fresh tomatoes, but the taste difference is like night and day. When those beautiful tomatoes start showing up at the Bellingham Farmer’s Market, Joe’s Garden or even your own backyard, you should set aside an afternoon and treat yourself to the real deal.

“Eating as close to the ground as you can is the healthiest.”