The Cincinnati 5-Way

Now, get your mind out of the gutter. In honor of the Patriot's continued march to perfection last Sunday, I wanted to make some chili and remembered a style I had read about that's seen around Southern Ohio- Cincinnati chili. The chili itself is a sweeter, spicier, beanless version, but the five way comes from the assembly: Start with thick spaghetti, ladle the chili over, add plain kidney beans, diced onion, and cheddar cheese. If you don't like any of the toppings, leave them out and be content with a 4 or 3-way experience (your loss). The recipe was from a great cookbook from Jane and Michael stern called "Square Meals". If you don't have the book but want the recipe, email for it. Or, if you're from Cincin, let me know if I did it right- it seems like this is one of the regional foods that people get pretty passionate about.

Of course, now that we're in the Super Bowl, it will have to be chowder next time. Sorry, Bengals.