this morning. even more Beauty Full.
This is Chinche. she knows when i am Thinking specifically of her. She is shy of the camera. Next to her is Tulip, the last of the band of Chihuahua Terriers. She is dying. Little by little. She is deaf and demented. but she lingers.
CAUTION: vegetarians and vegans. Move on to the next pic.
FINALLY. oh finally. a Vat of red chile for Tomas, that resident at the Old Folks Home who knew what he wanted and ASKED. Remember, i only know Tomas from seeing him going about town for years, on foot, in his very unmistakable peculiar way. but when i saw him at the Old Folks Home when he first arrived a while ago, and asked him "how's it going" he said, without looking at me…"Bring me red chile". i did. and since then, everytime i come his eyebrows go up? and i shrug and put my hands in the air and he goes off in his amazing walker thing made of PVC pipe.
but today…oh, yes. You brown small pieces of tender pork till there is some carmelization on the bottom of the pan. remove and drain. in the pan, with that carmelization you add enough
Lard
to pool a little when the pan is tilted up sideways. just enough. you then add two LARGE spoons of dry Chile Powder…FROM LOCAL grower….this would be about a cup. then a part of a spoon of flour. this you stir constantly as it "toasts" in the lard. you know it's right when the fumes begin to burn your nose and eyes begin to water. you have a quart mason jar of warm water at hand and slowly pour it in stirring constantly till it seems right. add some salt and garlic powder, however much you think (this can be adjusted as it goes). add back the pieces of pork. cover and simmer until a skin forms. it's done. let it sit to cool. When i came walking in today he must have had a premonition. from Way Way down the hall, his eyebrows went up and i held up the container with his name written on it, the date. he came. fast. as we put it in the Resident's refrigerator in the Arts and Crafts room, people asked….and he said "she makes good chili. with meat." i was Proud. Tomas grew up, as many here have, eating this Every Day. Beans. Red Chili and Tortillas. Period. everyday. it is Food. and although they serve good meals there, to him, it is not food. since i made so much, i suggested that he might share and as he spun away, i heard "no". well, ok then. but this was good. very very good. it's no easy thing for an old hippy chick whose not FROM HERE to get this seal of approval. that's one thing….the maniac i was married to taught me to cook. So i wouldn't embarass him. so ok and Bueno.
there's the back of that CD and my test bowl. i had to eat a Lot to get the seasoning right.
the altar cloth. more Kantha. it feels right too. Today, everything felt right.
windthread 
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