Recipes from Ohio, er . . . Nashville, Tennessee

When you read through the "Adventure in Ohio" section, you will understand why I left Ohio in the middle of winter (okay, it was a wonderfully warm winter) and headed to the Capital of Country Music, Nashville, Tennessee. The seminar I attended was very brief, although possibly life changing, but the weekend with my cousin Helen was much longer, so much fun, and extremely delicious. And, it is always better to explore any city with someone who knows the place.

We ate out about as much as we ate in her home. Either way was just wonderful. The starter for the weekend was her homemade white chili. I had to get the recipe right away. Sometimes I gather recipes without actually making the dish. Honestly, that happens a lot. However, I did make this and it was successful. However, Helen, I’d be the last to say that I cook as well as you.

My cousin was a fantastic host in Nashville. The only disappointment of the trip had nothing to do with food. Helen said she frequently had celebrity sightings in Nashville. She goes to the cinema and often looks over to see Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban. Who does that?? She mentioned several names of stars who crossed her path either at fund raisers, through mutual friends, or at a lazy little diner for breakfast. Well, we never saw one of them while I was there. But, right after I left, two tables away from her at a restaurant sat Vince Gill. Alas, I recognize the name, but I would never have recognized the face.

Anyway, her chili is still good.

Helen's White Chili
Nashville, Tennessee

Step One Prepare the Beans

1 lb dried navy beans

Rinse the beans. Cover them with two inches of water and bring to a rapid boil. Let them boil for two minutes. Cover and remove from heat. Let the beans sit for an hour. Then, pour off the water.

Step Two Prepare the Meat

4 large boneless skinless

.....chicken breasts

1 lb ground turkey

1 medium onion, diced

½ cup red bell pepper

1 Tbs minced garlicab p
dash of salt and pepper
2 small cans chopped .....chillies
1 Tbs olive oil

Brown the meat and onions with olive oil. Add in bell pepper, garlic, salt, pepper and green chillies.

Step Three Putting It All Together

Salt to taste
1 Tbs oregano

1 tsp white pepper

1 Tbs ground cumin
2 tsp black pepper

Put beans in a crock pot with 6 ½ cups of water. Then add the above spices. Add the meat and stir it up well.Cook for six hours. For the first two hours, cook on high temperature. Then, lower the heat.

Serve with grated mozzarella as desired and top with a spoonful or two of salsa.