2009 is the year of paprika, especially smoked Spanish paprika–da bomb (as the kids say). You can get it at Whole Foods. Oh my god.

So, to make a killer, easy and delicious goulash, do the following: Finely chop a couple cloves of garlic and thinly slice about half a yellow onion (or a whole one, it doesn’t matter) and saute them in a pot with some salt and a Tbs or 2 of olive oil. Then add a sliced green pepper, or half a green pepper and half a red pepper. Stir those around for five minutes or so, until they are just getting brown on the edges, and then plop about four boneless, skinless chicken thighs in the pot and brown them on both sides but don’t let them cook all the way. Take them out and chop them up and replace. Add a small (8-oz) can of tomato sauce, a shitload of paprika (maybe 3 Tbsp–1 part smoked Spanish and 1 part Szeged Hungarian, is what I do, but whatever…), a Tbsp of Better-Than-Boullion chicken stock paste, and a little water. Also throw in a couple pinches of cayenne to give it some bite, but not too much. Salt as needed. Stir it all around and simmer just until thickened a bit and the chicken is cooked, and no longer. How many times do I need to tell you: Don’t let the goddamn chicken dry out!

Serve your goulash over mashed potatoes (or fake mashed potatoes, substituting the blessed cauliflower for those evil starch grenades beloved of the Irish). Mmmmmm.