The Art of Cooking

Recipes paper the tiled countertop, ingredients having been banished to the kitchen table hours ago. “Best Ever Vegan Quinoa Chili,” “Slow Cooker Sweet Potato Chili,” “One Pot Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili.” I had already dissected each prescription several times, yet I choose to examine them once more because I have convinced myself that I must know—I must know the exact recipe before I begin. Never mind the fact that I had already discounted each for one reason or another. Nonetheless, I sift through the wrinkled pages one last time, hoping for my light bulb moment, but my fingers simply cannot find that dangling chain in the darkness.

Growing weary, I finally succumb to the lack of certainty and begin. Setting the recipes aside and restoring the ingredients to their rightful place, I carefully pare and dice the sweet potatoes, skillfully mince a few cloves of garlic—in my food processor, and quickly chop a single onion before it can render me blind. Into my four-quart pot, I pour a splash of olive oil before adding the garlic and onions, and after a few sizzling minutes, I toast my chosen spices and toss in the golden cubes. So far so good; however, as I consider my next move, I pause. With no one recipe to guide my hands, I have no choice but to trust my instincts and my palette, and though I have cooked countless recipes, always eager to experiment with something new, my confidence is lacking. What if I cannot produce the visually vibrant and deeply satisfying meal I had been envisioning for weeks? What if the dish falls drastically short of my admittedly lofty expectations?

Some might view these expectations as extremely misguided, and I can hear their thoughts verbatim. “It’s just a meal. Cook it and move on.” But I can’t—I really can’t. Because to me, cooking is an art. I cannot draw to save my life, and my photography skills exist solely within the confines of my iPhone; however, I am able to produce stunning creations of my own—with food. Just as a painter struggles to perfect those lines on a canvas, I strenuously search for that one inspired spice, that one delectable bite, because like that artist, I want to create something beautiful, something striking, something new.

Still uncertain, I proceed to add the chicken stock to the pot, and the black beans and quinoa quickly follow. A dash of salt, a fair amount of ground pepper, and I leave it be. I am eager to taste it, to make sure that it isn’t a lost cause just yet, but it needs some time to stew, and so I wait, ever so impatiently.

Ten minutes later, I lift the lid, dip the spoon just below the surface, and taste my progress. It’s not right. It’s not necessarily wrong, but it’s definitely not right. Lifting a second spoonful to my mouth, I close my eyes and think. What’s missing, what’s missing, what’s missing? Tomatoes. I had debated that can of diced tomatoes for at least an hour because I simply could not persuade myself that sweet potatoes and diced tomatoes can cohabit, but I must have been mistaken because the chili needed a sweetness and depth that only those tomatoes could provide. And so I add them, with a sprinkle of brown sugar, and replace the lid, giving the ingredients time to become better acquainted.

With more confidence than I had just a few moments ago, I finish cleaning up as I await my dinner, and as I rinse the last utensil, the timer sounds. Spoon in hand, I walk over to the stove to judge the final outcome. As I allow the flavors to dance, to linger, to satisfy, I am speechless. To my utter disbelief, the chili is somehow not only tastier than before but also far superior to what I had imagined—the depth and complexity, the warmth and richness. Goodness knows how it happened, but I actually did it! I had created something beautiful, something striking, something new. I had created art.

Below is the recipe for my Hearty Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili. Please feel free to play with the recipe so as to make it your own because that is how this recipe came to be. I experimented, I adjusted, and I focused on the flavors that I love, and now I have a favorite go-to dish that I plan to make over and over and over again.

For more recipes, be sure to visit the Cooking Playlist on the Mercer County Library System’s YouTube Channel. Our staff has put together a variety of recipes ranging from sweet to savory, so if you are looking for an Italian favorite, you may want to try Christine’s Sunday Gravy. If you only have a few minutes—and a sweet tooth, consider Pam’s 5-Minute Ice Cream. If you want to mix things up, definitely check out Ellen’s Impossible Apple Pie, a new and delicious version of a classic dessert. New videos are posted often, and we hope you enjoy making something different in your kitchen. Bon appétit!

- by Jennifer, Administration

Jennifer’s Hearty Sweet Potato and Black Bean Chili

Ingredients
2-3 teaspoons of olive oil
1 small onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 cups diced sweet potatoes (about 1 large sweet potato)
2½-3 teaspoons chili powder
2-2 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt
Pepper
2½ - 3 cups chicken broth (can substitute vegetable broth)
1 14.5 oz. can diced tomatoes
1 – 2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 15.5 oz. can black beans
1 cup uncooked quinoa (washed)

Directions

1. In a 4-quart pot, heat 1 teaspoon of olive oil over medium-low heat and cook onions and garlic until tender—about 5-7 minutes. Stir often so that the onions and garlic do not burn.
2. Add another teaspoon of olive oil and stir in the chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper.
3. Stir in sweet potatoes, cover the pot, and cook on medium-low heat for 5-7 minutes.
4. Stir in two cups of chicken broth and the diced tomatoes and bring to a low boil over medium-high heat.
5. Stir in black beans and quinoa and reduce to a simmer over medium-low heat.
6. Cover the pot and simmer for 25-30 minutes. Check occasionally to ensure that there is still broth while the chili is cooking. If there is no broth, and the sweet potatoes are not tender, add a bit more broth and then replace the lid.
7. Once the sweet potatoes are tender and most of the broth has been absorbed, the chili is ready.

*Please note, some ingredients such as the garlic, salt, and pepper have a measurement range or no measurement so that you can adjust them to your preference.