There’s a pub/grill my family has frequented for the past decade, maybe longer. Starting out in a small store front, it was not uncommon to find people huddle in its tiny doorway waiting a half hour for a seat in the few booths and tables they had. It was the neighborhood hangout, where people knew each other and greeted one another with a smile and a hug.

It’s run by a local man; many of his family members have worked as bus boys and bartenders through the years. The food was bar food, but it was top notch. It must have been. Why else would people wait for long periods of time even though other restaurants were within walking distance?

A few years back, the proprietor next door closed shop and the pub expanded into the space. Everyone was overjoyed with the added tables and the larger bar area. Life was good. There were still nights that a line of patrons would stand huddled waiting their turn. The owner would walk the restaurant greeting everyone by name. I felt like this was an extension of my home. I would find myself frequenting the establishment at least once a week, sometimes two or three. It was our destination for eating out. The family knew the wait staff by name and even the hostess knew whose table to seat us at.

Then it happened. A couple of years back, before the economy took everyone down the drain, the owner, for some reason, felt he had to update his menu. His successful menu. Maybe he was trying to appeal to and attract a more sophisticated palate, maybe he and his cook staff were just tired of making the same old meals six nights a week. I am sure it was done with a lot of forethought. It had to be a painstaking task and probably included testing possible menu items on bar patrons. Was it successful, though?

The new menu included more salads, more fish, less bar style appetizers, just less bar food. You could get a Thai pizza, but not a regular pizza. You can guess what happened. The family folks, who were the main stay of his business, who had supported him from the beginning, came around a little less. You could hear them asking the waitress for the popular chicken fettuccine dish. Sorry, it’s not offered. They would ask where the different types of sandwiches went. Many were not happy. Even I frequented less. Once or twice a week became once a month, maybe less.

Then the big R hit, the recession, and like most restaurants, his business took a major financial hit. At one point he considered laying off people, many who had worked there for years. His bar numbers are still good, though you rarely wait more than five minutes for a table. Despite protests over the new menu, despite the recession, he has survived.

Recently, though, another pub/grill opened down the street that offered the food he used to. As we sat at the new place (our third visit in four weeks), my visiting son commented on how many people he recognized from the old place. He wondered how it was fairing. I don’t know, I told him, we haven’t been there for a while.

Christmas time always brings back memories of childhood activities. One special activity for me occurred the third Saturday of December from the time I was seven until I thought I was too grown up to take part. It was on that Saturday that my mom would bundle me up and drop me off cross town at a home of my mom’s co-worker, Mrs. Carey.

To me, Mrs. Carey was sort of a grandmother. Whenever I was at my mom’s office,she would take care of me and every third Saturday in December she and I would bake Christmas cookies! There was nothing elaborate about these cookies, they just tasted great and were fun to create.

We made simple sugar cookie dough that she would load into a handy cookie press outfitted with Christmas dies. There were tree shapes, wreaths, reindeer and other assorted patterns. She would show me how to put just enough pressure on the press to make the forms, then let me go on my creative way. It was a challenge for a young one. Too much pressure and you pressed out a huge glob, too little and the dough would stick to the press. It seemed like we made hundreds each year, probably only a few dozen.

Decorating was the real kick. She would have little bowls of powdered sugar mixed with water and colors using those little four bottles red, yellow, blue and green dye. We would spend the day making masterpieces only a mother could love. I was always so proud of the plate of cookies I would bring her home and like good mother’s do everywhere, she would just go on how beautiful they were.

This Christmas you should start your own tradition with your children, grandchildren,nieces and nephews. They may not seem to appreciate it as much as you do, but someday, years from now, they might type away at a computer about how special a Christmas tradition it really was.

Sitting around the house the other day I happened to catch a couple of shows from “famous” chefs. One thing I noticed each chef did while preparing a meat dish was to season the meat with salts and spices and then pour wine or stock over it, before putting the meat in the oven.

I thought how peculiar, to rub these spices onto the meat then just watch those spices wash away under the pressure of the liquid. Why not add the liquid, then add the spices? This seems the more practical method. You don’t really need to season the sauce or stock until it is time to finish the sauce. The meat needs the seasonings and rinsing them off with wine seems so wasteful.

Now, I am not a famous chef, nor pretend to be an expert in culinary arts, but I do know a little about cooking and the fact is, seasonings work better on the meat than floating in the pan.

Maybe I need a cooking show!

As I look out my office window, its a damp cloudy day with leaves falling everywhere.  This time of year screams Chili!

It tastes great with or without beans!

Chandler Family Chili

2.5lbs ground beef chuck

1lb ground chorizo sausage

2tbs oil

1 medium green bell pepper chopped

1 medium yellow bell pepper chopped

1 medium red bell pepper chopped

1 medium yellow onion chopped

(3) 15 oz cans diced tomatoes

(3) 15 oz cans mild chili beans

8 oz can tomato sauce

Two packages of commercially available chili seasonings

Ground pepper to taste (1/8 tsp)

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chuck and chorizo sausage.  Brown meat mixture in oil, drain.

Add onions and peppers to meat, continue cooking on medium heat until onions are translucent and peppers soft.

Add tomatoes; stir in chili beans and tomato sauce to desired thickness.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

Add additional chili pepper 1 tbsp at a time to desired flavor.

Simmer over low heat for at least 30 minutes stirring occasionally.

Enjoy with crackers, grated cheese and if you like it a little hotter, onions and jalepenos!

Some have noticed that I haven’t added to this blog for some time. It’s time to come clean.

The reason, about two months ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. Now, medically speaking, it wasn’t a big deal, I am taking pills. But food wise, it put me in a deep depression as I envisioned all my cherished dishes being deep six’ed by the doctors and dieticians. Even friends and family remarked on how difficult it would be for me to continue my culinary work with the limitations that would be placed on me. I was deeply depressed. I still am working through it especially as the holidays approach.

It didn’t help that I couldn’t get into a dietician for over a month after my diagnosis,so I spent that time eating, well, nothing. I had been told, prior to the dietician, by good meaning people, that potatoes, pastas, sweets, especially wine, were gone. Vegetables and sugar free foods would be my destiny.

It may have been the meds, but at one point while watching what had been my favorite cooking show on television, I turned the remote off vowing never to watch the channel again. What was the use? I could never experience the tastes.

I finally met with a dietician last week. It was a good meeting. I learned most of what I had been told by those good meaning people, were myths. Yes, Peanut Buster Parfaits, may be out, but most of my recipes were still good, except maybe the ribs and pizza. I will have to experiment.

I am not to the point where I am ready to write about adventures in food, yet. I still have to work through my doubts. But at least I do see a light at the end of the tunnel.

And now comes before the court, Dale Chandler vs. Beth Chandler…

Actually this is a story on how you don’t have to agree on everything to have a happy life together. Let me explain.

My wife’s philosophy on food, is you EAT TO LIVE! Similar to most of our friends in the animal, aviary and aquatic worlds.

My philosophy is YOU LIVE TO EAT! I am sure most chefs have the similar feeling.

My wife eats the same thing for breakfast and lunch every day, seven days a week. When I ask her what she wants for dinner, the easiest, is the answer or “I don’t care.” I require flavor and variety. Sure I can eat pizza a couple of times a week, steak a couple of times a week, but I also need variety.

I also enjoy shopping for the food, prepping the food and cooking it. I like to go to the grocery store, several times a week, to insure I am buying the freshest items. She gets lost in a grocery store.

I like recipes with lots of ingredients. She likes popcorn. Microwave at that.

My idea of a good everyday dinner, would include three courses, meat, vegetable and a starch (see no dessert!), hers’ is anything sautéed with onions. Are onions considered a course?

I LOVE corned beef hash. She calls it dog food. I like going to buffets for the variety of food you can taste. She calls them troughs and will have none of that!

I like wine, she drinks beer. I like milk, umm, don’t even get close to her with that. By the way, ever met someone who doesn’t like sunny side up eggs? Meet Beth!

And it even goes to the kitchen itself. I would like to have the latest greatest gadgets in the kitchen but she throws them out, too much clutter. I like hanging my pans on hooks, she throws them in a bottom cupboard I have trouble reaching.

Let this be a lesson to all newlyweds, you don’t have to agree on everything to have a happy life together. I have been married nearly a quarter century to the same lady even though we differ on most things in the kitchen. The old physics law of opposites attracting may actually be true.

By the way, do you know where I might find a place to sleep tonight?   I’ll cook!

A funny thing happened while making my daughter’s birthday dinner. It caught fire!

Both kids were in from college to celebrate Ashley’s big 22, okay it wasn’t that big. She asked for ribs and corn on the cob. Simple, made it dozens of times.

So we are in the backyard, the grill is hot (obviously too hot), dogs are playing with the kids, when I sense that there is too much smoke in the yard. How could the grill be that hot? What was causing all the smoke?  I had just put the ribs on for saucing and the corn had been on for fifteen minutes.

I opened the lid to the grill and the mighty inferno exploded. It seem the ribs were jealous of the corn quietly roasting so they unleashed a flurry of juices onto what was nice warm coals. The juice erupted like a volcano as it hit the hot charcoal.

I quickly moved the ribs to safer areas of the grill and looked at the corn. My nice, plump ears were on FIRE!  I couldn’t help but laugh. Using tongs, I picked up an ear and just looked at it on fire. It was hilarious. Sure I am used to singed husk but this wasn’t singed, this was on FIRE. Okay Mr. Chef, what do you do now?

There I am with a tong full of flaming corn husk with six others still on the grill. My first thought was to blow out the fire. But then a vision of singed face entered my mind. I did the next best thing, short of the fire extinguisher, which I haven’t seen for years (yes I know I was ill-prepared for Armageddon), I placed the flaming corn onto a tray and whacked the flames down with my tongs.

But to everyone’s surprise, but me of course, the corn was safe, a little charred at the tip, but very flavorful and juicy.

Let this be a lesson for everyone grilling, always be prepared for flame out. You should never grill without a spray bottle of water by your grill and, better yet, an extinguisher nearby. You never know when the food inside your grill is going to have a very violent argument with the coals beneath them.

I have mentioned before that I have a love hate relationship with vegetables. I love cooked ones, hate most raw ones. Usually I will only eat raw with dip or on top of a sandwich.

I am one of those Neanderthals who believe that certain teeth were shaped in my mouth for the chewing of meat. I also believe that in the succession of this planet, animals and plants were provided so that humans could sustain life.

I am an omnivore!

This all came up last night as I prepared my bacon cheeseburger. I started questioning if I was overdoing the meat. How big the patty was, how many pieces of bacon and how much cheese all played into my head. I believe a hamburger should be no smaller than a quarter pound, but no bigger than a third pound. Cooked that is, not raw weight. A burger weighing a quarter pound raw can lose a lot of size during the cooking process depending on the fat to meat ratio.

The type of meat is very important to a good tasting hamburger. If you are concerned about too much fat in your diet, you are better off not having the hamburger than making one that is made with less fat. Ground Sirloin is great for meatloaves, pasta dishes and casseroles where you don’t want too much fat or grease developing. But it makes for a dry burger. A hamburger needs the fat, for flavor and for bonding. Ground Chuck is the best for hamburgers.

You want your meat to fat ratio to be 83 – 17 or 85 – 15. This ratio will hold the meat together, give you very good flavor and the reduction from raw size to cooked size is minimal. As long as you don’t overcook.

Regular ground beef with a ratio of 80 – 20 create a lot of grease and shrink a lot in size from raw to cook. Some argue, though, that it creates the best flavor. I haven’t seen that.

As for flavor, the type of meat and style of cooking add a lot. The best, of course, is over a charcoal grill, followed by broiling and then frying. Remember, though, toppings can also add to your fat content, such as my bacon and cheese last night. I am sure my preparation is a nutritionist’s nightmare. But I included raw vegetables. That’s if you consider lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions a good source of vegetables!

We picked the hottest day of the season to venture to 38th and Fall Creek to check out this year’s Indiana State Fair. THE hottest day! But my daughter and I were dead set on elephant ears, corn and watching little pigs run around. My wife was determined not to eat anything this year!

First stop, the corn booth where fresh roasted ears of corn dripped with the sweetest of butter. A bottle of water and the shade of a tree made it a feast to be enjoyed. The wife eyed us as we slurped and devoured the ear. But wait, we didn’t get it all and that is when the “I am not eating anything this year” promise ended. Two ears, three people, we were happy. Not full, but happy.

As we walked along the fairgrounds we passed the Indiana Beef tent with its large grills sizzling with rib-eye steaks for sandwiches. Though the aroma was to die for, the heat from the exhaust fan was too much and we moved on. Across the sidewalk was the Indiana Pork tent. If you are only going to eat pork chops once a year, eat them at the State Fair or the Tipton Pork Festival. Both groups know how to grill a chop with just the right amount of seasoning. I wish mine could be as tender.

The problem with the pork tent at the State Fair is it is too popular, with long lines, and, did I mention it was hot out, so another delectable experience passed by.

Alas nearby another pork delicacy, “Pigs in the Mud”! Let’s just say I love bacon. Until this day, I didn’t think I could ever turn down bacon. “Pigs in the Mud” is bacon dipped in chocolate and though the saying is “everything goes with chocolate,” I was not brave enough to find out. The wife and daughter declined the offer too.

After visiting with every farm animal known to man and sitting through some cow judging, we could hear the elephant ears calling. They did not disappoint. Light and fluffy and topped with powdered sugar. Right out of the vat, we risked burns to the fingers as we pulled apart the most famous of fair food. The one who wasn’t going to eat at the fair ate half the ear! We washed the pastry down with the infamous lemon shake up which after consuming that much sugar, gave me the shakes!

We looked down the row of fair food delights, tenderloins, turkey legs, Italian Sausage, funnel cakes, corn dogs and snow cones. So many choices, so little time. In the end, though, we let the heat, combined with the idea that I truly am trying to lose weight, decide for us as we begrudgingly left behind the cornucopia of carnival cuisine.

Ah to be twenty pounds lighter, that salt water taffy would be mine.

What’s a great breakfast meat?  Sure bacon and sausage come to mind. But I think hash is the ultimate breakfast meat.  Hash, a combination of corned beef or roast beef, onions and potatoes, is a true treat to the palate. Accompanied by a couple of eggs and you have a meal that will get your engine going for a long while. You could even skip lunch!

Problem is, it’s hard to find good hash around here. Most taste, and look, like the stuff you buy out of a can at the grocery store. I have tried all of those and it is somewhat hard to get past the appearance in the can. Don’t get me wrong, once cooked and topped with eggs, you forget the first impression and enjoy the flavor. But, still, its an institutional flavor.

I think good hash has large chunks of meat and potatoes that have been basted in the meat’s juices. The best are cooked until the outside is a nice crisp texture, yet the inside is tender.

I have tried, I have failed, to make my own. I simmered the corned beef, chopped it, added potatoes and onions, and even some juices, but I just can’t get the right texture. It doesn’t combine, its just pieces of meat, potatoes and onions. Its not a complete meal.

So to satisfy my need for a breakfast of hash and eggs, I must set out for the grocery store or hope the next restaurant gets it. If you know of such a place or a great recipe, please share.