The unfortunate irony of capitalism

At this time the presidential campaign of Republican Mitt Romney is in turmoil in large part due to some unfortunate comments he made at a fund raiser in Florida. The country as a whole is confused as to how to interpret an apparent  right-off of 47% of the population. Romney tried to walk his statements back, saying that he is in favor of policies that will create opportunities and prosperity for all Americans. The problem is, he's right.  Furthermore, Obama and the Democrats are really in the same position. Capitalism is a shell game. That's the irony of sending Bernie Madoff to jail for stripping the dross off the very nature of Capitalism and running an "honest" Ponzi scheme. The truth is, Capitalism cannot work for all the people. Sooner or later, the pyramid collapses, the music stops and anyone without a chair can't sit at the table.

Now, it is well established that Capitalism, like musical chairs, is an efficient engine for innovation and industry. The problem is, simple conservation principles and economic imperatives combine to thwart any possibility that everyone can be a winner. There just isn't enough to go around. And even if there was, there's no way to win if there aren't losers. That's just the nature of musical chairs. So, of course the government, which is just the manifestation of society, needs to redistribute wealth. Ponzi schemes are incapable of self-restraint.

Chili Con Tofu

First of all, let me weigh in on the notion of whether or not a stew containing beans can be called "chili". I say it can. I mean no disrespect to the great state of Texas, whose denizens believe with religious fervor that true chili has no beans. They gave us Kinky Freedman, after all, so I say, cut them some slack. Nevertheless, my earliest encounters with chili were in LA and if I'm not mistaken, they always involved beans. Anyway, what else to call a dish comprising beans and tofu (a bean derivative, after all) that has all the major characteristics of chili (except for the fact that it has beans, and doesn't have meat, that is)? Beans? I'm not really asking. I call it chili.

While I'm on the subject of beans, I like kidney beans. I have learned that not everyone does. I'm given to understand that most people (outside of Texas) use pinto beans in chili. I'm not a big fan. Feel free to substitute pinto beans or even black beans. Just don't leave out the beans. Then it would just be "nothing con tofu" which is, you know, "tofu". And speaking of substitution, I use sunflower oil. The only real consideration is that the oil needs to be tolerant of high heat. So not olive oil. Lots of folks use canola oil but my wife says they're wrong. I am not going to wade into that. Stay with an edible oil though.

OK. Here goes.

• 1 cup of dried kidney (see above) beans
• 1 package, i.e., 1 lb, tofu (note, I like the firm but it doesn't matter)
• 2 medium size jalapeño peppers
• 1 or 2 tomatillos (depending on how big they are; should be ~1/2 cup diced)
• 2 cloves of garlic (or one if you're feeding vampires)
• 1/2 cup of diced (~1/8" cubes) onion (that's about 2-3 slices from the wide part of a normal sized onion)
• 3 1/2 tablespoons of oil (see above)
• Spices:
• 2 teaspoons of salt
• 1/2 teaspoon of coarse ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon of paprika
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder
• cayenne pepper to taste (I use about 1/4 teaspoon)

I suppose you can use canned beans but I don't so let's start with the bean preparation (if you use canned beans, use the whole can - around 2 cups, right?). Put the dried beans in a large jar or bowl and cover them with water at least twice as high as the beans.  Let them soak for at least 24 hours. Then drain them into a colander and rinse them thoroughly. This is to make them less "musical" so short this step at your own risk. You might even change the soak water once or twice during the soaking period. Now put the beans in a covered pot with enough water to cover them and about an inch more, bring them to a boil, and let them simmer (boiling) for at least 2 hours. You want them to be easily smushed. You can't overcook them here but don't let them run out of water. When you're done, drain them and put them aside.

Dice the tofu (half-inch chunks), onions, and jalapeños. Take the husks off the tomatillos and wash them until the waxy coating is gone. Dice them the same as the others. Mince the garlic. Put the oil in a high-walled skillet or sturdy-bottomed pot.  I use a cast-iron skillet but it gets pretty full. You want to fry some stuff and then add some more stuff and fry that, too and then simmer so a wide shallow (but not too shallow) pot or pan with cover. Set the flame or heat level to medium high and when the oil is hot, add the garlic and onions.  Fry them until they soften and start to caramelize but don't let them burn. Add the tofu and continue frying and stirring.  Add the spices. Stir and fry so that all the tofu gets covered with spices and onions and oil.  Add the jalapeños. Stir and fry. Add the beans. Stir and fry. Once everything is starting to crust, add the tomatillos, lower the heat and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes.