Hempel Consulting

“A hot dog at the ballpark is better than steak at The Ritz.”                       – Humphrey Bogart

Recently I had the pleasure of enjoying a beer and a dog at the Rockies vs. Cubs game. On the surface this may not seem like a big deal to you but it was an event of gigantic proportions.

For the first time in over 10 years I was able to join thousands of other baseball fans in the ritual of beer and hot dogs.

I arrived at the stadium and tackled a very nice usher and asked, frantically, “is the gluten-free stand open yet!?” After several walkie talkie exchanges I discovered it was located just outside Section 147 at Coors Field. YES!!!

With great anticipation, I walked quickly and arrived at a small cart with very plain signage labeled “gluten free.” There was a line. A LONG line of people gleefully ordering gluten-free goodies. To my surprise, they offer a variety of gluten-free items including beer, hot dogs and hamburgers with a BUN, pretzels, and cookies too. It was as if I had landed in Willy Wonka’s fantasy world … would it be wrong to order TWO beers and TWO dogs?

As I got close to the front of the line, a nice gentleman behind the grill, passed a hot dog to the woman ahead of me and she jumped for joy, literally, saying “I haven’t had one of these in 20 years!” Thanks to Aramark and the Colorado Rockies for bringing back the ultimate ballpark experience!

Today I made chili and WOW does my house smell fantastic. The dogs are all over the stove like those beagles sniffing luggage at the airport.

The recipe I used is none other than Famous Hempel Chili. In retrospect, it really should be called Famous Helen’s Chili. Helen is my Mom and she cooks from scratch. Me? I cook from recipes carefully following them line by line.

Herein lies the problem. How does a family pass down its recipes when they aren’t even written down!?

In order to combat this challenge I’ve armed myself with pen and paper, measuring cups and spoons, and lightening-quick reaction time. Next, I follow Helen around the kitchen while she makes my favorite dishes. She throws in a dash of this, and a pinch of that, then a dollop of the other thing … and my goal is singular in it focus: get the measuring implement underneath whatever it is she’s pouring as quickly as possible in order to record said “recipe.”

One of my experiments in this regard produced the Famous Hempel Chili recipe. Of course Helen would correct me and say it’s not famous, because she only made it that way, one time. Alas.

Tonight I’m feeling compelled to share a little bit of family history and this scrumptious chili recipe with the world. Enjoy!

Hempel’s Famous Chili

1lb hamburger — browned with lots of salt and pepper
3 chopped onions — sauteed
1 red pepper
3 large garlic cloves

Add:
1 can of diced or crushed tomatoes
1 small can of tomato paste
2 cans of water (more during cooking as needed)

Add:
2 pinches of Chili Caribe (flakes)
4-8 tbsp. Chili Powder (more is better from Helen’s perspective)
1 Tbsp. Sugar
1 Tsp. Paprika
1 Bay Leaf
2 tsp. fresh ground Cumin (minimum)
1.5 tsp. fresh ground Basil (more if not fresh)

Simmer for two hours.

Add:
2-3 cans of beans — Pinto, Black and/or Kidney

Note: The beans can be added right away if it’s going to be eaten immediately. If you make the chili one day and serve the it the next, reheat the chili in the morning and then add the beans…simmer all day if possible.  Stir and add water as necessary.

PS: If you’re making this in volume (great for parties!), I strongly recommend wearing goggles when chopping the onions

The sun is setting and this warm, Colorado day is turning to night. My short sleeve shirt gave way to a turtleneck and thick socks. What to do now? Get on the computer? Seems like a crime but I’ll do it anyway. Just a peek.

And what to my surprise did I find? A beautiful poem by Maira Kalman.

I’m guessing that whether Democrat or Republican or neither you can find something in Ms. Kalman’s poem to make you smile. For me, I love the painting of butter. Butter is, after all, my favorite food group. And, the late, great Julia Child couldn’t envision a recipe where more butter didn’t mean much better.

So on this cool Saturday at dusk, I’m taking a moment to relish the virtues of butter and enjoy President Obama’s inauguration as seen through the eyes of Maira Kalman.