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Summer is the season for music festivals. Coachella, Bonnaroo, SXSW (which technically takes place in March, but whatever), Glastonbury, Austin City Limits, etc. And since the festivals are only a few months away, festival line-ups are starting to emerge.

Last week, the line-up for Coachella was announced…

…Cue the subsequent blow up on the interwebz.

Let’s look at the line-up, shall we?

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click to enlarge my jealousy

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Vampire Weekend!  *breath hitch*
The Cribs? swoon
The Avett Brothers?! omg
She & Him… my girlcrush will be there?!
The Temper Trap… drool
Hot Chip... hiccup
Little Boots… oh dear
Matt and Kim… be still my heart
Phoenix… yessssssss
Spoon… *fangirl squee!*

Since I have featured 6 of the above artists on the blog in the past 8 months, I can only come to one conclusion… This festival line-up may or may not have been planned out by my unconscious. My unconscious who apparently doesn’t care about me, because as much as this line up is totally rocking my world right now… I can’t go. *sadface* I’ll just have to live vicariously through my girls Chelsea, Nikki, and Vicky… sigh.

So, with the thought of missing one of the best indie/alternative festivals in the entire world heavy on my heart, I had to find someway to dull the pain!

Buffalo numbs pain… right?

I’m a big fan of buffalo; it’s a very lean meat and has lots of flavor. I especially like it in chili, since I usually find beef to be too greasy, and chicken and turkey to be pretty lackluster in terms of flavor.

I found this original chili recipe over at Half-Assed Kitchen. I love their recipes, and I would have made the recipe exactly, except Mr. Kitchenette downright refused to let me put 3 cans of beans in the chili (party pooper… you know I love me some beans). I was really impressed with the depth of flavor in the spices and I thought the touch of red wine vinegar at the end was perfect; it really lightened up the chili in the best way possible. Go check out the H-AK site, their rating system is hilarious and they’ve got some great recipes.

So even though this chili was unable to magically conjure me up some tickets and time off for Coachella… it was the epitome of comfort food. And after all… there’s always Bonnaroo.

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Buffalo & Kidney Bean Chili

Adapted from Half-Assed Kitchen

Printable recipe

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Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 pound ground buffalo
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2  tablespoons chili powder (not the same as cayenne, mind you)
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
2 14-oz cans dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes
1 cup low-salt chicken broth
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Directions:
Heat oil and buffalo over medium heat. Break up meat into bite-size crumbles and cook until meat is browned and almost cooked through. Add onions and garlic and cook until onions are translucent. Add chili powder, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and paprika. Stir for 1 minute to mix with buffalo and onions. Add beans, tomatoes, broth, and vinegar. Simmer over low heat for 20 minutes or until thickened. Serve now or later with rice or cornbread. Serves four.

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Now Playing in the Kitchenette: Hot Chip/One Life Stand

… love this band. Had them on my list of bands to feature, but they fit well here! Follow them on twitter here… I do!

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Sooooo… Are you planning on going to any festivals this summer? Have you ever tried buffalo?

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