Cincinnati Chili- don't bother!
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At the risk of making the JMDL the America-ONLY discussion list, for this
week at least, I must admit that I can't resist this thread.
When I moved to the Cincinnati, Ohio area some 20 years ago, I was urged to
try "Cincinnati Chili". I tried it and I must admit I don't care for it but
that is beside the point. It turns out that "Cincinnati Chili" was invented
by Greek immigrants to Cincinnati about 40 years ago.
On a bed of spaghetti, they put a ground beef slurry with an unusual sauce
that includes, now get this, chocolate sauce. (There is no tomato in the
sauce at all.) Optionally you can specify red beans and raw, chopped, white
onions. The mandatory topping is about 1/3 pound of shredded American
cheese. (I'm not lying- it is a hideous amount of cheese.)
They serve it on a plate so small that, when the diner attempts to select a
forkful, the cheese tumbles all over one's paper placemat. To add insult to
injury, the spaghetti is cooked, and cooked and cooked, way beyond al dente.
It also appears that aging the cooked spaghetti is a custom if not actually
in the recipe.
One time, I watched as a waitress checked the bucket holding cooked pasta
and called out, "Al, we're running low on spaghetti!" When the fresh bucket
of cooked spaghetti arrived, Al, bless his heart, just dumped it on top of
what-ever was left. So someone got hours-old pasta. Can you imagine? Even
McDonald's food is fresher!
Eating the recommended portion results in a bloated, stuffed feeling that
this diner does not wish to re-visit. Yuck.
To me, the only redeeming social benefit to the local "Skyline Chili"
parlors is that they serve a pretty good Greek salad. Real feta! Yum. :)
Bon apetit, (sp?)
Jim
