My Electronic Void

For the first time since they became de rigueur for professionals, I don't have a cell phone. And I feel rather naked.

No contacts or calendar at my easy fingertip disposal; no moooing when it vibrated to let me know an email needed my attention. (It didn't matter if that email came from Anthropologie!)

But I also feel somewhat liberated...whodda thunk?...no futzing with the Bluetooth ear piece, no playing with the profiles so it doesn't BRRIIIIINNNGGG!!! in an echoing bathroom stall...no tether to Boss Lady...no 'Um, Mom, are you still at Weggies?' 'I'm checking out.' 'Oh, we're out of cat litter.'...You get the idea...

I do catch myself stealing glance over at the basket where my Beloved Blackberry used to recharge, unwinding from its hectic day of showing me emails, sending off others and, yes, connecting me with The Call. A friend with a souped-up edition referred to my antiquated model as "quaint"... I referred to it as my lifeline to the world.

Feeling particularly sad to be in an electronic vacuum - an you know how cold they are! - today, The Bubbles dictated chili for dinner!

Details?

Here goes:

-In a large pot - dutch oven, what have you - fry up about 2 strips applewood smoked bacon in about 1 t olive oil...remove bacon when crispy and add 3 minced garlic cloves, a half diced (leftover) red onion and 3 diced celery ribs (of the smallish size, about a half c total) to the remaining fat.

-Sweat the veg on med heat adding salt and freshly ground black pepper.

-Next, add 1 lb ground beef and when it's almost cooked through, add 1 minced jalapeno (see yesterday re: seeds & ribs), 1 t cumin, 1 t Chinese 5 spice powder, half t adobo seasoning and 1 T chipotle in adobo sauce. Continue sauteing until the meat has completely browned.

-In another pot, start the rice...I made 2 c rice and tried something new here, so alter your proportions accordingly. Each c of rice needs 2 c liquid to cook...to get 4 c liquid, I drained 2 15-and-a-half-oz cans beans (tonight they were Pintos) into a measuring cup (got almost 2 c liquid), added 1 8-oz can tomato sauce, the rest of the boxed chicken stock from the fridge and made up the difference with water...add a 3-inch cinnamon stick and when boiling, add the rice (I used jasmine rice and it reminded me of a lovely Thai lunch I had with a friend on an Opera Saturday back when I was connected to the electronic world, sigh...), cover and leave alone for 18 mins.

-Add the beans to the meat pot, 2 14-and-a-half-oz cans diced tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste.

-Cook and occasionally stir until rice is done.

Quaint or not, I may feel naked, but at least I'm a little warmer!