The city of Cincinnati in southern Ohio is populated with chili parlors. In fact, there is one on nearly every street corner in some business districts. Most of them stay open late and are frequented by college students at all hours.
The philosophy of serving at a chili parlor is to prepare the food in view of the customer followed by immediate serving. This dish should be prepared and presented in the spirit of the original.
The chili is very easy to make and can be doubled to feed a crowd. You can adjust the spicyness by using more (or less) of the chili powder, in Cincinnati they serve it usually not very spicy (see my note below). Cincinnati style chili is most often served over spaghetti with additional toppings as desired. A coney island is made with a chili topped wiener and a coney bun and represents another classic style.
The chili freezes well and for me it’s the ultimate comfort food on a cold winter night. Just boil some pasta and you’re all set.
Here is my recipe for oyster crackers.
And now for my German readers:
Bei Umrechnungsproblemen in deutsche Masseinheiten bitte hier schauen.
