Tofu In A SoyNutshell: Gonna Make Me Some Freedom Chili

I’m gonna cook up a vat of freedom chili this 4th of July. It’s gonna be spicy, smoky and bursting its seams. Fly be free, I’ll sing to my fleet-footed friends, ’cause tofu, not meat, will be singin’ harmony with those beans.

I’m gonna savor that freedom chili; sweet, sharp, warmth of sunshine on my shoulders. I’m gonna roll the cornbread in the sauce, dancing my fingers to its heady rhythm. I’m gonna fling open the doors and ring the bells. Come on back. Fill a bowl. Taste your freedom.

Yeah, I’m gonna savor my freedom, sweet and sharp. Heady and strong. Pungent and full of beans. I’m gonna dance its rhythm, clickety-clack down the track, powerhouse engine blaring and blasting, running steam through my veins, movin’ me on down the line.

I’m gonna yank that whistle, long and loud, shaking my hips, feet skip-hopping the job of freedom. I’m gonna get real. Gonna get up. Gonna go.

Yep, that chili’s gonna stir things up. The sun on my shoulders is blazing now. And these words come raging at me in the heat:
We hold these Truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.*

That chili is shakin’ me up. Right down to my core. Freedom is. It is. I sing, It is, it is, it is! And I swoop that cornbread down. And throw back my head, open, and pop it in. Come on back, friends. Fill a bowl. Taste your freedom.

And I can’t stop dancing. A frenzy’s boiling in that chili. It’s so hot. Won’t cool down. Can’t be stopped!

Got me the shivers and shakes. The job is Big and I’m fillin’ my tanks; my dancing limbs break sweat, pop bumps, and a thousand guard hairs stand at attention; freedom soldiers.

Who said peace was quiet and contained? This stuff is spilling out over the whole universe!

The sun shines. Now I shine. My veins are boiling and I know:
…that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth. **

I’m gonna yank that whistle, long and loud. I’m gonna get real. Gonna get up. Gonna go. Cause:
When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"***

Fiery Freedom Chili
Freedom chili is sometimes fiery, but it is never fierce! Grab your spoon, and ladle up some home-cooked passion. Beware the spice. It is known to breathe hot, hot energy into those who taste its truth; opening them to taking massive and minute action steps toward a peaceful planet. For when all is swallowed and done, the freedom dance erupts from Love. And when, one day soon, we can get clear about this, all the fighting and the violence will cease forever.

Love the sinners, secede the sins. Independence Day! "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

Sauté the garlic and onion in oil for about 3 minutes stirring often. Add stock or water, tomatoes, sauce, beans, tofu and beer. Turn to medium heat. Add all the dry spices. Reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 3o minutes. Add vinegar, salt and cilantro to taste only to individual servings. The vinegar gives the chili a cheeky zing, but it will wreak havoc on your beans, making them bitter, if you reheat the leftovers. My favorite side is cornbread. Sop away! Warmed tortillas or chips are feisty, too. A dollop of plain yogurt smoothes the flavors and the punch, mellowing the mix into something a bit more, um, shall I say, Peaceful?

*From The Declaration of Independence

**From The Gettysburg Address, by Abraham Lincoln

*** From Martin Luther King Jr.’s, I Have a Dream speech.