cincinnati chili

As I've mentioned in a previous post, I love to cook. I have very few passions, but this is one of them. Actually, I think the correct thing to say is I love to EAT, and since a lot of the things I like to eat cannot be obtained on demand, I resort to cooking them myself. One such example can be found in my recent craving for Cincinnati Chili. This is a dish I became acquainted with during one of my numerous visits to that fair city (which was a major training center during my tenure at AT&T). One of the instructors of one of my first training sessions suggested that a visit to Cincinnati was not complete without sampling the local dish.

For the uninitiated, Cincinnati Chili is not like your traditional chili. It contains a mixture of spices and ingredients (cinnamon, allspice, chili powder, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, tomato sauce, chicken broth and ground beef that is boiled in the sauce) that combines to form a mildly sweet, aromatic, mildly spicy chili. But the uniqueness does not end here. Cincinnati Chili is served in several possible variations: two-way, three-way, four-way or five way. Two-way is with the chili served over spaghetti noodles (this is the minimal way - it MUST be served with the spaghetti, otherwise it is not Cincinnati Chili). Three-way adds grated cheese on top. Four-way builds upon the mound with raw onions, and finally, Five-way adds kidney beans. It's really quite an odd dish and you can sample it in the food court of the Cincinnati Airport if you have time during a connection there (a Delta hub). The booth that serves it is directly across from the McDonald's. In reality, I found the dish to be a little off-putting, but thought the novelty of it to be quite charming.

Recently, Cooks Illustrated, my favorite source for recipes, featured their version of the regional dish. Whatever flaws I found with my samplings in Cincinnati have been masterfully addressed in the C.I. version. C.I. has refined the combination of ingredients to the point of perfection. The dish I once thought odd, but quaint, and not necessarily desirable has now become a frequent obsession of mine. Never mind that is has no redeeming nutritional benefits (well, I guess there IS protein), the important thing is that it makes me happy and warm inside, all the while delighting my taste buds! Last night, I made a batch after a self-imposed hiatus of three months without Cincinnati Chili. It was truly a culinary delight. I recommend it highly. I'm not sure what the ramifications would be of posting the recipe on the web, but if you're tempted to try it, shoot me an e-mail and I'd be happy to share it with you.

Cincinnati Chili. It is the "Sin" in "Cincinatti!"