Beef and Black Bean Chili with Chipotle and Avocado (a lesson in clay-pot cooking)

*NON-Paleo alert.*

This culinary adventure began with wanting to use this glazed terracotta clay pot I purchased at the Motta market several months ago. For 8 euro. For this moment I will boast about its price because it retails in the States for about $60.

My treasure nearly missed it's destiny and became a serving piece. Admittedly I read about the seasoning process and felt somewhat intimidated lazy. Today, however, I seasoned that thang. Soaked it in the sink for 2 hours. Then I rubbed it with garlic inside and out (I know), and finally coating the exposed bottom with olive oil. Who wants to actually COOK now? Oh, that's right. I do.

We went off the Paleo wagon (as we should have been back ON since it was Sunday) and followed finecooking.com's recipe for "beef and black bean chili with Chipotle and avocado". Say that three times fast, I dare ya. If you're not strictly Paleo, definitely give this a try. And then add some cornbread for us, please!

Before I go, if you'll just humor me and notice the charred thumb of the oven mitt in the picture above. Um, beware the heat diffuser below my fancy cooking pot! I completely forgot to mention I had to buy that thing in order to use the pot on the gas range. And then I must have forgotten that while it evenly distributes heat, it is not a shield from flammable objects such as my oven mitt. Sigh, the adventure continues. (No thumbs were injured--thank God--in the making of this dish.)