Victorian Mysteries or Chili?

Cooking is one of those things that takes time and is a labor of love. Many, many people only have the most basic skill in the kitchen. They may love food and love to eat, but that doesn't necessarily extend to preparing the food. Some people learn to cook well as an expression of love for their family. Left to their own devises they'd live on cheese sandwiches and salads, however their families inspire them to provide wholesome food, and so they cook. Some people though, just love the process of it. There is something about cooking that is essentially practical alchemy. It's magic combining ingredients in a way that transforms and elevates them into something new.  

That being said, I spent about half my day today cooking. I made my favorite chili recipe which starts with rendering the fat out of half pound of bacon. Rendering fat isn't something that is really talked about in most modern cookbooks but it's a fairly basic skill, and most home-cooks have done it even if they didn't know what to call it. It's a slow methodical process. It isn't hard, but it can't be rushed without risk of burning what ever you are rendering the fat from. I end up with about half a cup of bacon grease and that is what gives my chili its intense rich flavor. I love the stuff and I love making it.

I also mowed the lawn. Also satisfying.

I'm reading the second book in a series of Victorian mysteries written by Philip Pullman called the Sally Lockhart mysteries. This one involves the spiritualist societies that were so common at the time. I enjoyed the first book in the series (A Ruby in the Smoke) and I have high hopes for this one - The Shadow in the North.