ten years of hell's

hungry? if you're lucky enough to be driving along highway 12 heading toward boulder, utah, here's what's for dinner:

cream of jalapeño soup, followed by cornmeal-molasses and pecan skillet trout served with pueblo rice & steamed spring vegetables, and for dessert a chocolate-chile cream pot, garnished with grated abuelita mexican chocolate and edible flower petals (or a whole small, dried red chile from the garden.)

my favorite restaurant on the planet, hell's backbone grill, celebrates the start of it's (oh my heck!) tenth season tonight. congratulations to jen and blake, and everyone at the grill.

Cream of Jalapeño Soup
Serve 6

• 7 jalapeño peppers, stemmed and seeded
• 2 Tbsp. Butter
• 1 cup finely diced sweet yellow onion
• 4 cloves of minced garlic
• 1/2 cup diced Haas avocado
• 2 cups diced fresh or roasted tomatoes
• 8 cups heavy cream
• 1 bunch cilantro, stemmed and chopped
• sea salt and pepper to taste

Carefully mince jalapeños and chop onions, then slow cook in butter in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add garlic and stir until onions are translucent. Turn heat off and add avocados, tomatoes, and cream. Turn heat to low and carefully bring to a simmer. Cook at a gentle simmer for 30 minutes. Stir often to keep liquid from scorching. Add generous amounts of salt, cracked black pepper and cilantro. Garnish with edible flower petals and cilantro leaves.

click here to order a copy of the hell's backbone cookbook:
blake and jen go to hell with a measure of grace.