Lock The Doors; Cook The Chili

The last time the Super Bowl came to Tampa, we felt like it was a good excuse to have some fun.

We're not football people by any stretch of the imagination, but fans from across the country were migrating to our little corner of the world. There had to be something special about this event, and we were not going to miss out.

The city of Tampa decided to combine Gasparilla (the celebration of the pillage of Tampa by pretend pirates - yes, we said pretend pirates, for all you out-of-towners) and the Super Bowl festivities. For days, the area was flooded with people who were passionate about the game and/or Gasparilla - all seeking a good time.

The weekend was a blur of beer, hot dogs, rum, blue (for the Ravens and the Giants), gold coins, chili, beads, stuffed jalapenos and, uh, certain body parts.

The word revelry does not begin to describe what happened. We lived in Hyde Park at the time, and we were unable to move our cars for three days before and after that fateful Sunday. We spent a good month getting bright, shiny beads down from the top of our old grandfather oak. We found sunglasses, car keys and undergarments in our mailbox - and a half-eaten apple. The most peculiar task, though, was removing a naked man painted Giants blue from our trash can on Monday. He was sleeping in there ... with the lid on.

This time around, the city opted not to combine the two festivals, and we'll stay up in our new little neck of Tampa with our very tame driveway tailgating party. It's not that we didn't have a good time, but we found we are amateurs when it comes to the true football spirit that drives the Super Bowl. And we will not go through the horror of removing another naked man from our trash can.

What's a tailgating party without chili? This recipe comes from Michelle's father, a true football enthusiast. Good luck, Steelers and Cardinals. May the best team win!

MIKE'S CHILI

2 pounds chuck roast, chopped into small cubes

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, chopped

1 large-sized bell pepper, chopped

1 jalapeno, diced with seeds

1 Serrano chili, diced, seeds removed

1 tablespoon flour

1 can large, tomato puree

2 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste

6 tablespoons cumin powder

2 10-ounce cans beef stock

1 can kidney beans

1 can pinto beans

Salt and pepper, to taste

On medium-high heat, in 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, brown meat well. Remove meat from chili pot. Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, sauté garlic, onions, bell pepper and chilies, season with salt and pepper and cook until just tender. Return meat to chili pot. Add all chili powder and half of the cumin. Stir well. Add beef stock and tomato sauce. Stir well. Add beans and stir well. Season chili with salt and pepper to taste and bring to a boil, uncovered. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow to simmer. Add additional cumin, 1 tablespoon at a time, per your taste and stir occasionally through cooking process. Simmer until chili has reduced and has greatly thickened, about 2 1/2 hours.

Serves 8