I point that out because my wife has asked me to make a small additional comment to the recipe. I forgot to say "Have the butcher trim all visible fat from the meat." So now that's been corrected, and you can see the recipe here for Cinda's World-Famous Chili. Enjoy!

FDA News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE P07-32 March 1, 2007

Media Inquiries: Michael Herndon, 301-827-6242 Consumer Inquiries: 888-INFO-FDA

FDA Update on Peanut Butter Recall

Salmonella found in the ConAgra Plant

As a follow-up to the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is conducting an extensive inspection of ConAgra’s Sylvester, Georgia processing plant. Samples collected by the FDA revealed the presence of Salmonella. The fact that FDA found Salmonella in the plant environment further suggests that the contamination likely took place prior to the product reaching consumers. Last week, tests by several states identified Salmonella in many open jars of Peter Pan and Great Value peanut butter recovered from consumers. In these instances, the Salmonella found in the plant and in the open jars matched the outbreak strain recovered from consumers who became ill.

Peanut Butter Toppings Part of Recall

FDA has learned that the ConAgra plant in Sylvester, GA, sent bulk Peter Pan peanut butter to its plant in Humboldt, TN. The three brands described below are part of the original Peter Pan recall. These brands have been recalled and are no longer being sold. However, some consumers may still have these products in their home.

Consumers who have any of the products listed below should discard them. Individuals who are not sure if the purchased product contains the recalled peanut butter topping should contact the store where the product was purchased.

The bulk peanut butter was used to make the following toppings:

• Sonic Brand Ready-To-Use Peanut Butter Topping in 6 lb. 10.5 oz cans. Sonic outlets used the topping until 2/16/07, when the product was recalled.
  The topping was used in the following Sonic products:
  - Peanut Butter Shake
  - Peanut Butter Fudge Shake
  - Peanut Butter Sundae
  - Peanut Butter Fudge Sundae

• Carvel Peanut Butter Topping in 6 lb. 10 oz. cans. Carvel used the topping until 2/16/07, when the product was recalled.
  The topping was used in the following Carvel ice cream products:
  - Chocolate Peanut Butter
  - Peanut Butter Treasure
  - Peanut Butter & Jelly
  - Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Sundae Dasher
  - Any other customized products containing the Peanut Butter Topping, including peanut butter flavored ice cream in ice cream cakes

• J. Hungerford Smith Peanut Butter Dessert Topping in 6 lb. 10 oz. cans: This topping may be used by retail and restaurant outlets throughout the United States but is not available for direct purchase by the public.

Recall Status and More Information

ConAgra informed the public that it is recalling all Peter Pan peanut butter and all Great Value peanut butter beginning with product code 2111. The company’s recall extends to products made since December 2005. FDA’s advice to consumers continues to be not to eat any Peter Pan peanut butter or any Great Value peanut butter beginning with the 2111 product code.

FDA will provide updates on recalled products, including any other products that may have been made with potentially contaminated peanut butter and distributed to consumers.

Symptoms of foodborne illness caused by Salmonella include fever, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. In persons with poor underlying health or weakened immune systems, Salmonella can invade the bloodstream and cause life-threatening infections or death. Individuals who have recently eaten peanut butter-containing products from these companies and who have experienced any of these symptoms should contact their doctor or health care provider immediately and report the illnesses to their state or local health authorities. Similarly, institutional food establishments and other food service providers who have received reports of illness from consumers after they consumed a product containing this peanut butter are encouraged to share that information with their local health department.

FDA is continuing to work closely with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and with states and local officials to identify how the contamination occurred in order to prevent similar foodborne illness outbreaks.

Anyway, he has this thing for my wife’s chili. This is actually my father’s recipe, followed to perfection by my wife, Cinda. Not too hot, not too mild. And remember — if it has beans in it, it ain’t chili!

Hubert’s Not Too Hot Chili:

3 pounds boneless chuck roast beef, coarsely ground, 1 quart water

3 tablespoons chili powder, 6 cloves garlic or 1 teaspoon minced dry garlic, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1 teaspoon marjoram, 1 teaspoon red pepper, 3 teaspoons salt, 1 tablespoon sugar, 3 tablespoons paprika

3 tablespoons flour, 6 tablespoons corn meal

Sear meat, stirring constantly. When it turns gray, add water and cook covered at a bubbling simmer for 1 and 1/2 hours.

Remove lid and add next 8 ingredients. Cook for another 1/2 hour without the cover.

Make a smooth, runny paste with the flour and corn meal and about 1 cup water. Add slowly to pot while stirring.

Cook another 5 minutes to check consistency. Serve hot. Can be frozen. To make this chili seriously hot, use two teaspoons of red pepper. To make it “take off the top of your head hot,” use three teaspoons.

Have the butcher trim all visible fat from the meat. The secret to this recipe is to get a less tender cut of meat and put it through the grinder one time on the coarsest setting. You may have to argue with the butcher about it. Cinda always has to convince him that she knows what she wants. Regular chili ground meat will only make a tasty chili soup, instead of this hearty chili.

Have fun!

The chili recipe is worth waiting for, and I’ll put it up this weekend. Sorry…

And here’s my chance to type today’s date — 05/05/05. Now I have to wait 13 months before I can do that again.

The pub is offering a new hamburger that weighs 15 pounds. Dubbed the Beer Barrel Belly Buster, the burger comes with 10.5 pounds of ground beef, 25 slices of cheese, a head of lettuce, three tomatoes, two onions, a cup-and-a-half each of mayonnaise, relish, ketchup, mustard and banana peppers — and a bun. It costs $30.

Oh, to be young again, and foolish enough to try to eat something like this. Of course, when I was young and foolish I never had $30 to spend on a hamburger. I only hope these kids take the American Cancer Society health test mentioned in a previous post.