Update

   Hello readers!I just wanted to let you know that I'm still here. I haven't forgotten about you yet. My last posting was two months ago and it's been super busy since then. I work in accounting so you can imagine how busy it is during tax season.

   I will be doing some travels the next couple months, to Columbus, Detroit, Tampa Bay, and Indianapolis, so I'm hoping to showcase some great restaurants and food in those areas. If you have any suggestions for those places, let me know. You can comment here or send an email to cookingchromatically@gmail.com.

   Speaking of suggestions, are there any recipes, questions answered, or any other topics that you would like to know about?  Feel free to contact me and I will do my best to fulfill your request!

Chorizo Turkey Chili

Brrr it's cold and snowy outside! When it's cold outside, I love to make soups, stews, and chili to warm us up. Here is a recipe on a variation of chili that's delicious! I was gonna say somewhat healthier but the chorizo negates that altogether.

Chorizo Turkey Chili

1 lb. bulk chorizo sausage

2 large onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

8 cups chicken stock

1 can (15 or 16 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can (15 or 16 ounces) pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 large can (28 ounces) diced tomatoes, with their liquid

1 can or bottle beer

4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeno chiles (or to taste)

6 tablespoons ancho chile powder (or substitute and ground pure chile)

2 tablespoons ground oregano

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 pounds ground turkey (or substitute 6 cups coarsely chopped cooked turkey)

Place the chorizo in dutch oven or large stewpot over medium heat and cook until nicely browned, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan and repeat with the ground turkey. Remove meat from pan and drain off most of the oil, leaving only a thin coating on the bottom of the pan.

Cook the onion over medium heat, stirring, until it is translucent – about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, followed by the stock, beer, beans, tomatoes, jalapenos, spices, and meat. Simmer, uncovered for at least one hour, adding water as needed to prevent sticking.

Serve over crumbled corn bread and garnish with shredded cheddar, sour cream, coarsely chopped fresh cilantro, diced onions, etc., to taste.

Enjoy and stay warm!

Irish Cream of Turnip Soup

Welcome to winter! As the cold months arrive, more soups and hearty meals are on the menu. We were thinking a soup with roasted root vegetables would be something that would be comforting in this cold weather. I started looking for a good recipe with root vegetables to try out.

I found a recipe for this soup in my newest cookbook, Rotarian Flavors of the World Cookbook.** Since this cookbook is a collection of recipes from around the world, this one came directly form Ireland. As with most of my cooking, I adapted the recipe and used kale and tarragon to add color, texture, and flavor to the soup.

3 turnips, chopped
1 leek, sliced
3 stalks of celery, sliced
1 small yellow onion, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 c. kale, chopped
4 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour
8 c. chicken stock or vegetable stock for totally vegetarian
1/2 to 1 pt. fresh cream, depending on how creamy you like your soup
Dried tarragon
Curly parsley, garnish

Saute the celery, onion, and leeks in butter until onion is translucent. Add flour and stir well. Slowly add the chicken stock, mixing well, and then add the turnip. Simmer for about 15 minutes until the turnip is tender and remove from the heat. Use a blender until the mixture is smooth. Return to heat and add the cream and kale. Add tarragon, salt, and pepper to taste. Stir well and leave on heat for a few more minutes. Serve with tarragon and parsley as garnish.

This is a great meal served with a dinner salad and buttermilk biscuits.

**At my Rotary club meeting last month, a former District Governor came to visit. He was giving an update on the End Polio Now campaign, which is Rotary's project to eradicate polio for many years now. His wife had started a fundraiser to sell cookbooks to raise money for End Polio Now. She first published one with recipes submitted from District 6440, which I found out John already bought. A few years later, she published this one with a collection of 400 recipes from over 100 countries. Of course I had to buy it! I'm hoping to post more inspirations from this cookbook. If you want more information about it, you can check out at http://rotarianflavorsoftheworldcookbook.blogspot.com/ or email them at RotarianFlavorsoftheWorldCookbook@gmail.com.