Fuego, Fuego

Garnacha de Fuego; This wine is on my "hot" list. 2006 Spanish reds are hard to beat. This wine received a 89 rating and has hints of rich cherry, plumb and a light pepper back end! (yes back end :) de Fuego is not only on the top of my list, but Shawn's too. We had a bottle last weekend and were reminded just how great wine under $11 can be. For those of you on the west coast, you can probably find it under $10. Here is Memphis we always have to pay a premium due to good ole boy laws set in the southern dark ages!

This wine is great with anything, we had it with tuna steaks. You won't be disappointed!

Foodie Friday, Hillary's Chili & Jalapeno Corn Bread

Alright, I'm coming out strong on my first Foodie Friday. This is a recipe that I've been making since the 7th grade. I think that was 1991 or '92. Over the years, and as my taste buds have grown, I've added more heat. I will put more mild options on the side for those of you who don't like your food super spicy!

Hillary's Chili:
1 24 oz. can of tomato sauce
1 14 oz. can of tomato sauce
2 14 oz. cans of dark kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
2 14 oz. cans of jalapeno stewed tomatoes (you can also use Mexican or green chili stewed for a more mild flavor)
1 lb. lean ground beef (you can sub turkey, but I think gb is best)
1 med-large yellow onion diced
1 med-large green pepper diced
2 tbsp. olive oil (I use EVOO)
1 package chili powder
hot sauce to taste

• In a large soup pot over med-high, put oil in the pot then add the onion and green pepper. Saute until soft, 7-10 minutes.
• Add ground beef and cook until the meat is fully cooked (at this point I like to add a little salt, pepper, a dash of hot sauce and a little of the chili powder I think it's important that the meat is well seasoned)
• Once meat is fully cooked, drain if necessary (many of the low fat meats cook off the little fat that is there and you don't need to drain)
• Put the meat back into the pot and add the rest of the ingredients
• Simmer for at least an hour & add chili powder and hot sauce to your taste

**serve with shredded cheese and sour cream is desired!

NOTE: Once everything is warm together on the stove, you can put the chili in a crock pot on warm and let it sit the entire day!

My take on Jalapeno Corn Bread (Muffins)

• 1 package of Jiffy Corn Bread Mix
• 1 egg
• 1 small can of creamed corn
• 2 tbsp. jalapenos from the jar chopped(plus a splash of the jalapeno juice)
• about 1/8 cup yellow onion chopped
• about 1/8 cup of shredded Mexican style cheese
• milk to add for consistency
• Follow the directions on the back of the package for cooking time (muffins)
• Add all ingredients into a large bowl and combined (the mix will be a bit lumpy, but add milk to make it the right consistency for you)
• Fill muffin tins about half way and cook according to the directions on the box. My gas oven normally takes about 15-17 minutes!
• Enjoy right out of the oven with a little butter or other buttery spread

Here's to Espana & Borsao

For my first wine post, I thought it would be fitting to tell you about my "go to" wine. Borsao 2006 is a great red wine from the Campo de Borja region of Spain. I am in love with Spanish reds, and will be telling you about many more in the near future. In my opinion, this red is prefect for every occasion, and you can normally find it for UNDER $9!! When I first started drinking this wine it was $6.99, I think the wine stores in Memphis have caught on to the demand for it and have upped the price just a tad. Overall, the wine is light and a tad fruity with a hint of spice. The Blend: is 80% Garnacha, 20% Tempranillo. Enjoy!

First post.............."End of the Road"

Ok, so most of you know that Monday was MLK Day. Well here in Memphis, where his tragic and untimely assassination took place, we take the day pretty seriously. The Memphis Grizzlies held their 6th annual MLK Day celebration. The game and events were televised on TNT. They honored two NBA stars for their work in civil and human rights. This year's recipients were Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Bob Lanier.

Now on to the most exciting part. Boyz II Men sang the National Anthem and did a three song medley at half time! I barley made it to my seat in time for the Anthem. The group might be down one member, but their harmonies were as tight as ever. I remember going to the Boyz II Men, MC Hammer & TLC show in the early 90's. I loved them then, and I loved them Monday night.

As you can see, they looked pretty dapper in their black (matching mind you) pinstriped suits. It was great to see one of my favorite boy bands of the 90's do their thing at a Grizzlies game!

For those of you who'd like the "set list" The Boyz started with two 4-Tops songs "Same Old Song" & "Reach Out." Once that song and dance, yes choreographed dance, was over they did an great acappella (sp? anyone? google doesn't like this word at all) version of "End of the Road." (Hence the blog name :)

Thanks Shawn for bringing Boyz II Men to Memphis! They were great!

Food, Music & Wine

I decided to create a branch off my regular blog, to write about things other then the day to day, or month to month of our life in Memphis. I'll use this sight to keep you up to date on the music I'm listing to, concerts I'm going to, my favorite wines and of course recipes.

Hill