Cincinnati Chili

My local hardtimes is usually total cover. Depends on the guy with the ladle.

quote:

Originally posted by divefl

My local hardtimes is usually total cover. Depends on the guy with the ladle.

yeah, I agree. The proportions of the 5-way I had in Old Town Alexandria was different.

Not to change the subject but... Who uses celery, or celery salt, in their Cinci chili? And please do not say "No One". Some places do. I just do not know who does and who does not.
Joe

absolutely no one uses celery. as far as celery salt, who knows? almost all cincy chili parlors tout their "secret blend" of spices, so i won't say it's definitely not there, but if it is it's certainly not a major ingredient.

Well, not Cincy Chili per se, but I'm sure some people in Maryland put Old Bay in the Chili. Some people put Old Bay on everything, so I'm sure someone puts it in chili. Oh, and celery salt is in Old Bay.

quote:

Originally posted by Robearjr

Well, not Cincy Chili per se, but I'm sure some people in Maryland put Old Bay in the Chili. Some people put Old Bay on everything, so I'm sure someone puts it in chili. Oh, and celery salt is in Old Bay.

old bay on fries, chili on top...sure, it's great! Old bay is our friend. Baked potatoes, chips, flank steaks, chicken, it's kinda like shrimp for Bubba - it's an endless list.

Ahhh, celery salt in Old Bay!

Many recipes for Cincy chili, floating around the big recipe sites, call for celery or celery salt. Just a dash and not enoughh to taste. It still changes the flavor though. There are 133,000 Googles for celery chili recipe, no ""'s. No guys, we are not talkin Texas Chili here!

Shanghai Jimmy's (he was form Minnesota) chili rice restaurants in Dallas, and offshoots (is that a word?)in Austin and Tyler, offered chopped celery as one of the optional toppings. That was the only place I know of that had celery. There may have been some celery salt in his chili also, but not enought to taste. He also had the oyster crackers like the northern chili places. There is a good thread here about Jimmy, and one at Dallashistory.org, for anyone who has an interest.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Ahhh, celery salt in Old Bay!

Many recipes for Cincy chili, floating around the big recipe sites, call for celery or celery salt. Just a dash and not enoughh to taste. It still changes the flavor though. There are 133,000 Googles for celery chili recipe, no ""'s. No guys, we are not talkin Texas Chili here!

Shanghai Jimmy's (he was form Minnesota) chili rice restaurants in Dallas, and offshoots (is that a word?)in Austin and Tyler, offered chopped celery as one of the optional toppings. That was the only place I know of that had celery. There may have been some celery salt in his chili also, but not enought to taste. He also had the oyster crackers like the northern chili places. There is a good thread here about Jimmy, and one at Dallashistory.org, for anyone who has an interest.
Joe

When I make My "Chili for the Masses", not my "Competition Chili", I put very finely chopped Celery and leaves in it. I also add a little bit of whole celery seeds. I don't use celery salt because there's enough salt in the canned tomato products that go into it.

Foodb, that is good to know! How do you get whole celery seeds? And, about how much celery stuff per Lb. of meat do you use? And, how did you get the idea to do all that?
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Foodb, that is good to know! How do you get whole celery seeds? And, about how much celery stuff per Lb. of meat do you use? And, how did you get the idea to do all that?
Joe

You can get the seeds at any supermarket or if you want quality spices, go to http://www.penzeys.com They have mailorder and are opening a bunch of really neat stores around the country. I don't measure much and I probably add two stalks per #. Just like the flavor of celery & celery seeds so I use them in all kinds of dishes.

quote:

Originally posted by buffetbuster

CajunKing-
We talked about this in Mobile.....maybe you could join us there?

LMK

I will be there

Score, I mised the deal about Bubba and shrimp. You must love that Old Bay! :~)

Thanks FoodB! 2 stalks per Lb. sounds like allot of celery though.
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Score, I mised the deal about Bubba and shrimp. You must love that Old Bay! :~)

Thanks FoodB! 2 stalks per Lb. sounds like allot of celery though.
Joe

Not if you like celery! Do whatever cranks your tractor!!

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Foodb, that is good to know! How do you get whole celery seeds? And, about how much celery stuff per Lb. of meat do you use? And, how did you get the idea to do all that?
Joe

I can't speak for the rest of the country, but down here any normal supermarket has them in the spice and herb section. I buy McCormick's.

I do like celery FoodB!

So the seeds add a celery flavor without using celery? Or??? How do they differ from just using some celery? Sory for my lack of knowdledge on this subject.

Could it be celery seeds that are a secret ingreadent in some chilis?
Joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

I do like celery FoodB!

So the seeds add a celery flavor without using celery? Or??? How do they differ from just using some celery? Sory for my lack of knowdledge on this subject.

Could it be celery seeds that are a secret ingreadent in some chilis?
Joe

Celery seeds are also pretty tasty when a small amount is mixed in with hash browns while they're cooking. There was a tavern in Clinton, NJ called The Antler's Inn that served them that way at lunch back in the 70's and they were very popular. Regular taters were available though for the "traditionalists". pb

Celery seed is related, but not identical, to the vegetable celery plant. The flavor and aroma of Celery Seed is similar to Fennel and Anise. Think of Celery Seeds as providing the concentrated flavor of celery. Most commercially grown celery doesn't have much flavor so celery seeds give a dish a little extra celery flavor. Celery salt is made of 3 parts salt and 2 parts ground celery seed, and the blend may include herbs such as parsley and dill. Once celery seeds are ground, they loose their flavor fairly quickly and become bitter. To me, celery seeds just add a little different celery flavor to dishes. Celery seeds work perfectly with tomato and are essential to mixed vegetable juices like V-8.That's why many Bloody Mary recipes call for Celery Salt. Have you ever noticed the distinctive taste you get on a Chicago Dog??? Celery Salt! Many popular commercial spice blends for poultry and meat rely on celery seed such as Herbes Provence. BTW Celery is a member of the Parsley Family---How 'bout that for useless knowledge!!
Could be that Celery Seeds are the secret indregrient in some Chili batches. Only the cook knows for sure!

P.S. The ancient Greeks and Romans used Celery Seed for its medicinal purposes and there was a popular belief that it was an aphrodisiac!Give it a shot PJ8!!

A sincere thanks yall for this celery seed info. You can bet the farm that my next trip to the store will result in a jar of celery seeds. And, I will be saving my celery salt for use on a CSD.

I think CS's could well be the missing link in Shanghai Jimmy's chili! Lotsa folks have tried to recreat his recipe but many said there was just something missing. The chopped celery, offered as an optional topping, is the bigest clue to some sort of celery seasoning in the chili.

Hmm, aphrodisiac? How about some of these seeds on a raw oyster?
joe

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

I do like celery FoodB!

So the seeds add a celery flavor without using celery? Or??? How do they differ from just using some celery? Sory for my lack of knowdledge on this subject.

Could it be celery seeds that are a secret ingreadent in some chilis?
Joe

I add them to homemade coleslaw, and to my BBC (Beer Barbeque Chops) BBQ sauce recipe. They also were used in the faux Ollie's Trolley marinade, if I recall correctly.

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

A sincere thanks yall for this celery seed info. You can bet the farm that my next trip to the store will result in a jar of celery seeds. And, I will be saving my celery salt for use on a CSD.

I think CS's could well be the missing link in Shanghai Jimmy's chili! Lotsa folks have tried to recreat his recipe but many said there was just something missing. The chopped celery, offered as an optional topping, is the bigest clue to some sort of celery seasoning in the chili.

Hmm, aphrodisiac? How about some of these seeds on a raw oyster?
joe

PJ8 - Instead of buying that junk at a grocery store, why not treat yourself to some real spices. There's a Penzey's Store in Dallas:

Dallas, TX
12835 Preston Rd
(972) 392-7777

Mon.-Fri.: 9:30AM - 5:30PM
Sat.: 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Sun.: 11:00AM - 5:00PM

Looks like it's just south of Valley View Mall on the other side of I-635

quote:

Originally posted by Foodbme

quote:

Originally posted by PapaJoe8

A sincere thanks yall for this celery seed info. You can bet the farm that my next trip to the store will result in a jar of celery seeds. And, I will be saving my celery salt for use on a CSD.

I think CS's could well be the missing link in Shanghai Jimmy's chili! Lotsa folks have tried to recreat his recipe but many said there was just something missing. The chopped celery, offered as an optional topping, is the bigest clue to some sort of celery seasoning in the chili.

Hmm, aphrodisiac? How about some of these seeds on a raw oyster?
joe

PJ8 - Instead of buying that junk at a grocery store, why not treat yourself to some real spices. There's a Penzey's Store in Dallas:

Dallas, TX
12835 Preston Rd
(972) 392-7777

Mon.-Fri.: 9:30AM - 5:30PM
Sat.: 9:30AM - 5:00PM
Sun.: 11:00AM - 5:00PM

Looks like it's just south of Valley View Mall on the other side of I-635

I couldn't agree more regarding Penzey's! I place my orders through their website and the quality of service is only outdone by the freshness of their products. Even the common items (celery seeds/salt, garlic salt, telicherry black peppercorns) are a big cut above what you find in your grocery stores. The prices are right, too. Since shopping with them, I've also discovered the "joys" of sea salt, smoked paprika, and their version of seasoned salt (both regular and smoked). Think Lawrey's only better. pb

I just made the Cincinnati Chili from the Roadfood recipe file, exactly as written. Never had chili this way before with spaghetti and kidney beans.
It was delicious, the family loved it. I had all the spices and used every one, the oyster crackers too. What a delicious recipe. Thank you.

An article in this week's City Beat magazine {the Cincinnati local alternative paper} tries to explain Cincinnatian's obsession with Cincinnati Chili.

http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A144656

from the City Beat website: citybeat.com
POSTED ON APRIL 16, 2008:

Living Out Loud

Spreading the Chili Gospel

By Sara Bedinghaus

If there's one thing people from Cincinnati love, it's chili. We love eating it, and we love talking about it.
Those of us who have moved away from the area have cans of chili and spice packets mailed to us. When we return home, it's often the first thing we eat, and then we continue to eat it on a daily basis to hold us over 'til next time.
Another thing we love is making people who aren't from Cincinnati eat it.

Last summer, I made a decision that many Cincinnatians in their twenties make: to leave town and live somewhere else. Since moving across the country, I've forced canned chili upon many of my new friends, only to find that most of them think Cincinnati chili -- specifically Skyline -- isn't that big of a deal.

Since most people I know from home seem to have a substance abuse issue when it comes to Skyline, I'm still caught off-guard when someone isn't elated upon tasting this wildly delicious and comforting dish for the first time.

I recently made Skyline three-ways for my two roommates, one who went to college in Cincinnati and one from Minneapolis. The Minneapolis roommate sat silently while we chiliphiles reminisced about chili days past.

"Did you ever see Alan and Stevo go to the chili eating contests? They used to eat, like, three three-ways and four cheese coneys. It was so awesome!"

"When I worked at Skyline, the old people would bitch about the price of coneys. 'I remember when cheese coneys were a nickel!' "

"Oh, this brings back memories. I wish I were drunk right now."

My chili-appreciating friend and I did try to change the subject in order to be inclusive to the Minnesotan, but the conversation kept going back to all the fun times we had stuffing our faces with cheese-covered chili spaghetti and hot dog dishes in the middle of the night. We've now begun trying to recreate the experience for those who never had the pleasure of injesting these 1,000-calorie bombs at 3 a.m.

Those of us who prepare the homemade version outside Cincinnati just love watching people eat it for the first time. We get no greater joy than when the chili virgin enjoys the meal, and we enthusiastically embrace their naive questions about the cuisine.

"What is 'Skyline'?"

Skyline is to chili as Kleenex is to tissue.

"Wait, you put the chili on the noodles?"

Yes! See how exciting this is?

"Where are the beans?"

No, silly, beans are only on four-ways and five-ways. Baby steps.

"That's a lot of cheese."

Yes, it's obscene. That's how you have to do it!

"Do you ever actually feel good after you eat Skyline?"

No, but it doesn't matter, because it feels so good when you're chewing it.

"Is there a healthy version of this?"

Of course, they offer the low-carb bowl: two hot dogs in a bowl of chili. Duh!

"Hey, I'm switching planes in Cincinnati on my way to New York."

Eat some chili! They have Gold Star at the airport, and that's close enough for these purposes. Your unsophisticated chili palette won't know the difference.

When the chili newbie enjoys our concoction, we feel as though we've helped someone reach a heightened level of food enjoyment. To think they've come this far without ever passing such beefy gold through their digestive system. A travesty, really.

The same phenomenon of chili gospel applies to out-of-town visitors.

My friend once brought her boyfriend from Colorado to Cincinnati to meet her friends and family. We all converged at Northside Tavern, and immediately after introductions we pounded the poor guy with chili questions.

"Did Rachel take you to Skyline? What did you order? Did you like it? Did you like it?"

He thought the chili was OK. He thought we were truly insane. We haven't seen him since, and I wonder if the chili interrogation has anything to do with that.

Some people get it, though. I once treated a friend from Washington, D.C. to late night Skyline at the Clifton location.

"Oh, oh my gosh," he mumbled through a mouthful of steaming hot spaghetti. "This is the best drunk food I've ever had in my life."

I will never forget that victory, but I'm also aware that many who have witnessed a Cincinnatian's eyes light up with enthusiasm for teaching people about chili might think we're nuts. After all, do any other cities have such a loyal food following?

I've never heard of anyone from Baltimore or Seattle or Atlanta or Philadelphia having canned local food shipped to them "for an emergency or special occasion." With so many losing sports teams, depressing election results and a national reputation for weirdness (Jerry Springer, Marge Schott, Larry Flint, Maplethorpe censorship, race riots), this is the one thing we hold onto with pride.

Please know that those of us who have left Cincinnati probably miss the chili more than anything else. We're littered among many American cities, wielding cans of chili and an enthusiasm for preparing foreign fare.

Outsiders don't have to like it, but we demand to be humored. It's the only thing we have that might possibly impress them.

quote:

Originally posted by soozycue520

An article in this week's City Beat magazine {the Cincinnati local alternative paper} tries to explain Cincinnatian's obsession with Cincinnati Chili.

http://citybeat.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A144656

from the City Beat website: citybeat.com
POSTED ON APRIL 16, 2008:

Living Out Loud

Spreading the Chili Gospel

By Sara Bedinghaus

If there's one thing people from Cincinnati love, it's chili. We love eating it, and we love talking about it.
Those of us who have moved away from the area have cans of chili and spice packets mailed to us. When we return home, it's often the first thing we eat, and then we continue to eat it on a daily basis to hold us over 'til next time.
Another thing we love is making people who aren't from Cincinnati eat it.

Last summer, I made a decision that many Cincinnatians in their twenties make: to leave town and live somewhere else. Since moving across the country, I've forced canned chili upon many of my new friends, only to find that most of them think Cincinnati chili -- specifically Skyline -- isn't that big of a deal.

Since most people I know from home seem to have a substance abuse issue when it comes to Skyline, I'm still caught off-guard when someone isn't elated upon tasting this wildly delicious and comforting dish for the first time.

I recently made Skyline three-ways for my two roommates, one who went to college in Cincinnati and one from Minneapolis. The Minneapolis roommate sat silently while we chiliphiles reminisced about chili days past.

"Did you ever see Alan and Stevo go to the chili eating contests? They used to eat, like, three three-ways and four cheese coneys. It was so awesome!"

"When I worked at Skyline, the old people would bitch about the price of coneys. 'I remember when cheese coneys were a nickel!' "

"Oh, this brings back memories. I wish I were drunk right now."

My chili-appreciating friend and I did try to change the subject in order to be inclusive to the Minnesotan, but the conversation kept going back to all the fun times we had stuffing our faces with cheese-covered chili spaghetti and hot dog dishes in the middle of the night. We've now begun trying to recreate the experience for those who never had the pleasure of injesting these 1,000-calorie bombs at 3 a.m.

Those of us who prepare the homemade version outside Cincinnati just love watching people eat it for the first time. We get no greater joy than when the chili virgin enjoys the meal, and we enthusiastically embrace their naive questions about the cuisine.

"What is 'Skyline'?"

Skyline is to chili as Kleenex is to tissue.

"Wait, you put the chili on the noodles?"

Yes! See how exciting this is?

"Where are the beans?"

No, silly, beans are only on four-ways and five-ways. Baby steps.

"That's a lot of cheese."

Yes, it's obscene. That's how you have to do it!

"Do you ever actually feel good after you eat Skyline?"

No, but it doesn't matter, because it feels so good when you're chewing it.

"Is there a healthy version of this?"

Of course, they offer the low-carb bowl: two hot dogs in a bowl of chili. Duh!

"Hey, I'm switching planes in Cincinnati on my way to New York."

Eat some chili! They have Gold Star at the airport, and that's close enough for these purposes. Your unsophisticated chili palette won't know the difference.

When the chili newbie enjoys our concoction, we feel as though we've helped someone reach a heightened level of food enjoyment. To think they've come this far without ever passing such beefy gold through their digestive system. A travesty, really.

The same phenomenon of chili gospel applies to out-of-town visitors.

My friend once brought her boyfriend from Colorado to Cincinnati to meet her friends and family. We all converged at Northside Tavern, and immediately after introductions we pounded the poor guy with chili questions.

"Did Rachel take you to Skyline? What did you order? Did you like it? Did you like it?"

He thought the chili was OK. He thought we were truly insane. We haven't seen him since, and I wonder if the chili interrogation has anything to do with that.

Some people get it, though. I once treated a friend from Washington, D.C. to late night Skyline at the Clifton location.

"Oh, oh my gosh," he mumbled through a mouthful of steaming hot spaghetti. "This is the best drunk food I've ever had in my life."

I will never forget that victory, but I'm also aware that many who have witnessed a Cincinnatian's eyes light up with enthusiasm for teaching people about chili might think we're nuts. After all, do any other cities have such a loyal food following?

I've never heard of anyone from Baltimore or Seattle or Atlanta or Philadelphia having canned local food shipped to them "for an emergency or special occasion." With so many losing sports teams, depressing election results and a national reputation for weirdness (Jerry Springer, Marge Schott, Larry Flint, Maplethorpe censorship, race riots), this is the one thing we hold onto with pride.

Please know that those of us who have left Cincinnati probably miss the chili more than anything else. We're littered among many American cities, wielding cans of chili and an enthusiasm for preparing foreign fare.

Outsiders don't have to like it, but we demand to be humored. It's the only thing we have that might possibly impress them.

I've never heard of anyone from Baltimore or Seattle or Atlanta or Philadelphia having canned local food shipped to them "for an emergency or special occasion." With so many losing sports teams, depressing election results and a national reputation for weirdness (Jerry Springer, Marge Schott, Larry Flint, Maplethorpe censorship, race riots), this is the one thing we hold onto with pride.



Having lived in Cincy for the past decade I have come to love the 3 way delacacy. Whenever I travel back to San Diego,Detroit, or Cleveland I always bring a couple of cases of Dixie Chili with me to share this great concoction with family and friends. Those who love it get a case sent with instructions each Christmas. I also share my true Hometown favorite my with local friends in Cincy buy ordering in Koegels Hot Dogs and Coney Sauce from Detroit and show them how a true Coney Dog is made. I just wish I could find a way to order a Rubios Fish Taco or a Robertos Carne Asada Burrito from San Diego to Cincinnati.

...Russ

http://www.dixiechili.com/

http://www.koegelmeats.com/products/db.cgi?coneys

http://www.koegelmeats.com/products/db.cgi?hot+dog+chili

A Skyline Chili opened in Virginia back in the mid-'80's and didn't last long. It was next to the Giant Food at the intersection of Rt. 50 and Gallows Rd. in Merrifield.

We enjoyed it a few times, but not enough to make it a regular stop.

Hard Times Cafe, a NOVA-based small chain, offers a Cincinnati chile which is decent, but I always ended up ordering their Texas-style. Surprisingly, their vegge chili is their spiciest offering and is quite good if you can get over the idea of peanuts instead of meat.

Our favorite is from an Emeril recipe of "Texas-style"; it's fantastic, but has considerable prep and needs to simmer for hours to break down the cubed flank steak.

We used to have a few Hard Times in Baltimore, but they're gone now. And I'd rather drive from here to Cincy than to Northern Virginia, so my Cincy Chili options are not looking good.

We have Steak n Shake now in north Texas. How does their Chili Sketty differ from Cincy chili?
Joe

For starters, the Steak n Shake Chili is chunky and has beans in it, neither of which you'll find in Cincinnati style chili

spaghetti is spaghetti

I'd say there is very little resemblance beyond the name (chili) and the fact that is largely liquid between SNS chili and cincinnati style chili

Thanks TJ! You saved me from trying some.
Joe