Sweet Bison Chili

I have a great group of friends. They really are my small, wise and modern family. I think sometimes writers feel an obligation to say things like that in their blog space to make people feel connected to what they offer but really, it's very true. Each of my best friends challenge me, bring something different to my life and I'm very grateful for the lessons that they continue to teach me.  My best friend Maria happens to be a fantastic go-to diet and lifestyle guru. Unofficially, but officially. Lately, she's been eating completely paleo -- and she's got me hooked. It's the first dietary choice that I've made where I don't feel restricted. I feel like I am being creative with food and seasoning and all the while, still remaining completely health conscious. The other night, I scurried on over to her place after a run and she had this delicious bowl of chili waiting - something she'd created herself. And something I couldn't stop eating. Really. If I were living in the paleolithic era and were a caveman, I probably would've eaten the bowl.

She gave me the rough recipe and left a lot of the seasoning up for experimentation. I made a pot of it and should've had leftovers for at least two-three days. Well, no. My roommate and I scarfed it down like nobody's business. It's sweet and savory all at the same time. It's filling but oddly light. It's basically everything a dude wants to eat, in one pot. 

The chili is super simple and absolutely invites creativity. Especially if you're not eating Paleo. Adding beans, peppers or even dark chocolate would make the chili more traditional and I'm certain that my next batch will include a jalepeño. Again, have fun with it. I've found that, for me, this dish is more than substantial on it's own, is pretty fool-proof and, if you're looking for something hearty, it should quickly become a staple in your culinary bag of tricks.

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp Coconut Oil

1 Large Yellow Onion

5 Cloves Garlic

2 Medium-Large Wild Yams/Sweet Potatoes

1 Can Crushed Tomato Sauce

1 Can Tomato Paste

1 1/2 lbs Ground Bison or Beef (80/20)

Cinnamon (To Taste)

Chili Powder (To Taste)

Garlic Powder (To Taste)

3 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice

Sea Salt (To Taste)

Black Pepper (To Taste)

A Pinch of Red Pepper Flakes

Directions:

1. Because this is a chili, I prefer a rough chop on the onion and the garlic. The wild yams/sweet potatoes need to be skinned (I used an ordinary peeler) and then cubed. Sautee the onion, garlic and yams in the coconut oil. Season lightly with sea salt and pepper. Once the onions start to become translucent, add the can of crushed tomato sauce and the can of tomato paste. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes, stir and allow to simmer on a medium heat for about 20 minutes.
2. Add the ground bison or beef to the mixture and break apart with a wooden spoon. Once the meat is completely mixed through the sauce and yams, begin to season. I start with about a tbsp of the Cinnamon, Chili Powder and Garlic Powder, following the seasoning with the fresh lime juice. Allow to simmer for 20-30 more minutes.
3. At this point the chili should be ready. Continue to season to taste. I typically will add a ton more cinnamon because I feel like it adds a certain warmth to the dish that I really enjoy, followed by more of all of the seasoning - including the lime juice. Trust me, it's worth. Play around and discover what tastes great to you.

An Artful Reconnect & A Hearty Bowl of Soup

Over the past few weeks I have found myself in deep reflection of my New York journey, what this experience has meant, the lessons that I have learned and all that I perhaps have yet to navigate through. One thing is for certain, it's very easy to feel completely alone when you're surrounded by 8 million strangers. Because of this, when you're able to connect with someone who understands what you're going through or better, reconnect with someone who reminds you how great you are, the moment is completely invaluable. This weekend, my days were happily taken over with art, literature and great friends - some of whom I hadn't seen in years. Rediscovering common interests, talking about food, our passions and where our lives are headed seemed to be our topics of choice. Truth is, it was the first time in a long while I felt like myself; a much-needed and welcomed familiarity.

In honor of this wonderful weekend spent with family, friends and food, I am finally posting the recipe that I've wanted to for quite some time: my grandmothers homemade soup. Now, you need to understand. This isn't just any soup. This is my grandmothers. My Nannys. Which in a way means that, for some odd reason, it has magical italian healing properties. You read that correctly. They're magical. Culinarily speaking, the magic stems from the broth that is created with olive oil, a whole onion and water. This though, by far is the best soup I've ever tasted - ridding me of the common cold as a child and bringing me back to being a child whenever I create the soup and the aroma's fill the air. It's quite simple, which most italian recipes are. It takes a little while to complete and let the flavors intensify but if you have some time (and a little bit of patience), you'll be on your way to one of my most requested and beloved family traditions.

As you can see from the photo, this soup includes pasta (in this specific pot I used an Orzo but it's typically made with a Stellina or a Pastina), celery, carrots, onions and beef. Simple enough, right? Feel free to switch out the pasta to your desired shape but be forewarned, because the pasta absorbs water and adds starch to the broth, I recommend using a smaller-sized pasta and only about half of the box so that you have an appropriate pasta to water ratio. The beef is sautéed in extra virgin olive oil which is then added completely to the water and onion base to aid in the depth of flavor. If you're looking for a hearty meal for your family (and something you will absolutely have leftovers of), this is the soup for you.

Ingredients:

• 4-6 Cups Water (depending upon pot size)

• 1 Package of grass-feed Beef (sliced for stews)

• 1 Large Yellow Onion

• Large Carrots (as desired)

• Celery Stalks (as desired)

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Freshly-ground Black Pepper (to taste)

• Sea Salt (to taste)

Directions:

1. On medium-hight heat using a large soup pot, begin to boil your with water and add sea salt (both for taste and to assist in boiling). Peel your onion, cutting off the ends and drop the entire onion into the salted, boiling water. Wash your carrots and celery and then, using a carrot peeler, peel your carrots and slice them accordingly. Slice your celery and then add both vegetables to the broth. The vegetables take a bit longer to cook and soften so it's best to begin this way.

2. Take your package of beef which should already be sliced for stewing and begin to halve each piece. You want the beef almost bite-sized, not leaving any strips or large chunks. Salt and pepper your beef liberally and on a low-medium heat, use a sautée pan with enough extra virgin olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and cook the beef until medium rare to medium. Once each piece of beef has a nice sear on it, remove it from the heat and add the contents (both the beef and olive oil) into the soup pot. This allows for the broth to simmer the rest of the beef and infuse each bite with immense flavor.

3. Once you've completed step 2, turn your soup pot down to a low-medium heat and allow to simmer for about an hour or two, stirring every half hour. You'll know when the soup is just about ready when the onion is completely translucent and upon stirring the soup, it completely unravels and falls apart. Now, add your pasta. Allow to simmer for another 20 minutes, add salt and pepper to taste if desired and serve.

Because this recipe means such a great deal to me, I'd love to hear about your success with this creation and/or your customization. Remember, cooking should be fun! The key is to improvise and make the process all your own. Please leave a comment below, make this for your loved ones and/or family members and know that it comes straight from my heart, my grandmothers kitchen and is being sent to you with high hopes for a hearty supper! Enjoy!!..

This recipe is dedicated to my hardworking best friend George Tsaoussis Carter, whom I am so proud of, who continues to inspire me and who has the great privilege of running fabulous shows, like this one..

Reclamation & A Day in Brooklyn

Lately, I haven't felt like myself. Not in a "I'm going to kill myself, what happened to my life" kind of a way, just an imbalance of sorts. Okay, you're right. Perhaps I'm trying to play it cool. For the past few months, I have barely recognized my reflection. Rewind a year, I was in the best shape of my life, doing what I was passionate about, working for an amazing company and was blessed with the opportunity of a lifetime - traveling the world and performing for thousands of people. It's been just over a year now and I'm slowly working towards reclaiming that guy again. The guy who was disciplined enough to make certain that he got his workout in every single day for at least 45 minutes, even if that meant in between two performances. I've never felt more healthy and it's been a challenging road to return to - but it's happening.

For the past few weeks I have been really internal, doing my own thing, not speaking to many people and contemplating where I'd like to go and how I'd like to get there. I know that I'll never be able to identify every step of the journey and, at some point, have to trust that the universe will take me where I'm supposed to go but at 28, I can get rather impatient. I feel like everyone around me has this amazing career. And is married. Seriously. When did everyone get married? I've no qualms with marriage and/or settling down and having kids but I feel like everyone rushed into it and now, everyone's secretly freaking out. I'm glad that I'm taking my time. I deserve the best possible person coming into my life and effecting it profoundly. I'm sick of people telling me that my standards are too high. No. I just have them. And,  rather than be with the wrong person and settling, I'm content alone. Thanks.

That being said, I feel like my concentration really has to be on my career at this point as I feel it's something that's on the verge of either crumbling and dying or truly developing into something worth writing home about. With new people in my life who truly inspire me and are acting almost as mentors, I feel like I've found this motivation to strive for what I want, put myself out there and do what I feel I am meant to do. It's now or never. We're down to the wire. Chasing a dream can become emotionally  exhausting but when you know deep down that it's the only thing that makes you happy, the only things that allows you to feel fulfilled and gives you constant reassurance that you're making a difference, well, that's something to continue to chase.

Because of my burning desire to escape the city and it's confinements, my buddy Vaden and I decided to leave Manhattan for the day and take the A to Brooklyn. We ended up right in Dumbo, at a coffee shop, got some air, walked around and window shopped and then trecked our way back across the bridge. It was a great evening and I took these photos with this vintage lens app that I have on my iPhone. I love the use of color the "film" offers and, because this is usually a food blog, I thought it might be nice to stray from the norm. What's going on in YOUR head?