Get Your Chili On!

The post is dedicated to my New England friends who probably know very little about Cincinnati chili. During my last business trip to Boston, I talked to a small group of friends about this chili, but in a slightly inarticulate way. The following is my attempt to paint a very chili picture for all of you.

Chili is big business out here. According to the Cincinnati USA Convention and Visitors Bureau, Cincinnatians consume more than two million pounds of the stuff each year! It’s quite different from the chili I knew growing up. I should preface this entire post by saying that I never really ate it as a kid. It’s not that it wasn’t available but more because I was a VERY picky eater and the contents didn’t really appeal to me. To this day, I’m still cautious about chili as most recipes include beans which I don’t like. This is why Cincinnati chili and I are soul mates.

Cincinnati chili, to quote this wikipedia article, is a “regional style of chili characterized by the use of unusual ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, or chocolate”. Most notable is the consistency which I find akin to a sauce. As a frequent visitor prior to my move here in September 2009, I rarely dined at any of the “hot” chili spots (more to follow about those establishments), given my lack of interest in the dish. When I finally had the opportunity to visit Skyline Chili, I was somewhat horrified that the popular items on the menu were chili on spaghetti (weird) and chili with cheese on hot dogs (gross). My solution was to simply order a bowl of chili, which nearly gave the drive-thru attendant a heart attack. Apparently anyone in the know doesn’t do that. As soon as I got the order, I discovered that I was essentially eating soup. But it was GOOD! There was not a bean to be found and the taste had a surprising, but not scary, kick to it. I was hooked.

After I moved to the area, I decided that it was time to branch out during my next Skyline visit. The thought of chili and cheese on a hot dog still freaked me out, but I rationed that I could handle a 3-way (spaghetti, chili, and heaps of cheese) seeing as I liked all of those ingredients separately. I was hooked again. There was something comforting about the hot chili over the spaghetti…something even better than a hearty Bolognese sauce. Was it the chocolate or cinnamon that is allegedly included in the top secret chili recipe? Or was it the fact that I could refresh each bite with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese and oyster crackers? I’m not entirely sure but I do know that it felt right. It was Skyline Time!

Ever since then, I find myself headed to Skyline more than I would like to admit. I recently jumped over to Gold Star Chili to test the greasy waters of Chili Cheese Fries. Oh. My. God. Those are amazing. What I like about the Gold Star chili cheese fries is that you have nice, crinkle-cut fries which withstand the gobs of chili and cheese better than shoestring fries can. Genius! I also tried a chili cheese sandwich which is a coney minus the hot dog. That was pretty good too, and unlike the 3-way, you can enjoy while driving a car. I need to get a grip...on the steering wheel and not on the sandwich.

It’s time to wind this down but how apropos that my longest post thus far is about food?!? Let’s hope that the length of this post does not correlate to the circumference of my waist.

I'm still here...

It's been a busy week for me, hence very little action in blogging land. Work-related travel always throws a wrench into the week but it was productive. If I had been willing to cough up the money for wi-fi on AirTran, perhaps there would have been a blog post from 32,000 feet.

I did come up with a number of topics for future posts, which I hope to start on over the weekend and next week. Here's a sneak preview of what's in store:

* Cincinnati chili (yum) - preferably before I start working out with a new trainer next week

* Family history tidbits

* Cultural organizations in the area - this could help motivate me to actually visit some of them

A few people have made remarks about my blog, both on this site and in person. I would love to have more and would welcome any comments about topics on which I should address. You don't need to have an account so speak up!

Let's Bake!

Breaking news from the culinary world – Easy-Bake Oven inventor, Ronald Howes, dies.

Did you know that he was from Cincinnati? I didn’t.

The Easy-Bake Oven, as my parents can attest to, was the #1 requested item on my Christmas list for about 5 years. Needless to say, I never got one. To this day, I’m not entirely sure why I was denied this “classic light-bulb” oven. My parents might need to post a comment here to give proper justification.

Why did this toy pull at my heart-strings? Obviously the goodies that you could produce were appealing – chocolate brownies, yellow cupcakes, and frosted cookies…oh my! Perhaps it was the sense of control that a child can yield with this toy. As opposed to cooking in the big (aka adult) kitchen, little Abby would be able to manage all aspects of the cooking project, including oven control, recipe, bowl/spatula licking, and the finished product. Maybe it wasn’t control as much as it was feeling like an adult. It makes me think about all the other times when I was growing up that I wanted to actually BE grown up. Another toy I wanted, but only asked for a copule of times, was an electric car similar to the one here:
I would have lovingly baked some cupcakes in my “oven” and taken a drive down Oak Crest Road in my convertible with American Girl Kirsten Larson in tow. If any of my Oak Crest playmates are reading this, I'm sure they will smile fondly.

Flash forward 20ish years. I have a real car and a real oven. Sadly, Kirsten is hanging out in the attic at my parents’ house. Yet, here I sit, longing for the carefree days when all you wanted out of life was as simple as an Easy-Bake Oven.

Thank you for the memories, Mr. Howes.

The White Death Continues...

Apparently I jinxed the Cincinnati region when I created this post back in January about Cincinnati natives' panicky reactions to snow...aka the White Death. In their defense, the snow has been quite something this winter although not nearly at the levels of the Northeast. According to this article on Cincinnati.com, the area has seen over 23" of snow in February alone! Here's a great picture from CVG yesterday - glad I wasn't flying!



With all of this snow, I am really looking forward to Saturday's tubing extravaganza at Perfect North in Indiana!

How to beat the high cost of living...

...move to Cincinnati, where the living is good AND cheap!

It is refreshing to live in a place where my paycheck can cover more than just rent, utilities, and the occasional night on the town. There are statistics about cost of living indexes and such, but I'm simply going to highlight some real-life data here:

1. Rent: My last apartment in Beacon Hill was less than half the size of my current apartment in Mount Lookout. The rent in BH was also more than two times the price I pay now. Granted, I did choose to live in one of the priciest areas in Boston, but the experience of living in the heart of the city and next to John Kerry was priceless...I think.

2. Dry Cleaning: On my first trip to the dry cleaners out here, I dropped off one bedspread, two sham pillowcases, one dress, one top, one pashmina, and one pair of trousers. The cost? A whopping $17! In Boston, that order would have pushed $50. Makes me want to get dirty!

3. Parking: There are meters outside of my ML apartment, and when I occasionally park there, one quarter will get me one whole hour! A quarter in Boston will probably only buy you 15 minutes. Incredible!

I realize that with the exception of #1, these are somewhat trivial. However, I can't hide my excitement and surprise when accustomed to paying more. It's the little things, right? And boy are those little things little...cost-wise.

Hope everyone has a very nice Presidents' Day weekend. Given ALL the money that I'm saving on living expenses, I'll try to go out and pump some $$$ into the local economy. Hello Prez Day weekend sales! With such a big apartment now, I need to buy more furnishings, accessories, and nick-nacks.

Wait, did I just defeat the purpose of living in a more affordable area by adding a new and costly line item to my monthly expenses - Decorating?

Public Transportation

One thing I miss about Boston is public transportation. Sure, there were plenty of times that I would gripe about the T (the transit system in Boston for those who aren't familiar), particularly if I was on the very fickle and antiquated Green Line. However, the price was right - $59 a month for unlimited use on the subway and buses. I didn't have a car for the last two years in Boston so the savings on transportation were great.

Another plus was Amtrak. I could easily jump on a train from South Station (right across from my office) and head down to Connecticut for a long weekend. I always like to say that train travel is very civilized. And it is! You can take a nap, have a cocktail, read a book, work on your laptop and more...all without having to deal with the annoyances of air travel like security screening, checked bags, getting to the airport at least an hour in advance, etc. Also, the ride along the scenic Connecticut coast was always a treat.

I bring this up to share some of the exciting initiatives in Ohio train travel, which has been virtually nonexistent for years. Of particular note is Ohio’s 3C “Quick Start” Passenger Rail Plan. Here's the gist: trains from Cincinnati to Columbus to Cleveland with some stops along the way. Apparently it will be the first time in about 40 years that these cities will be connected with a passenger train system! Given that 6 million Ohio residents live within 15 miles of these stations, it's about time that there was a way to connect them with regular and reliable train service. The exciting news is that the state just received $400M in federal funding so we are well on our way. All aboard in 2012!

Getting comfy with comfort food

In preparation for more snow, I thought I would share one of my favorite things about cold weather living: Comfort Food! As I type this, a batch of hamburger noodle bake is cooking in the oven and will provide sustenance for several meals this week. With the temperatures taking a nosedive tonight, this meal is the perfect way to stay cozy and full. Best of all, it reminds me of home and my family...comfort food, indeed!

Hamburger Noodle Bake
1 lb ground beef, lean
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 8-oz cans tomato sauce
1 tsp sugar
3/4 tsp garlic salt or powder
1/4 tsp pepper
4 cups uncooked egg noodles
1 cup cottage cheese
1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup green pepper
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Brown meat and onion until meat is lightly browned and onion is tender. Drain fat. Stir in tomato sauce, sugar, salt, garlic salt/powder, and pepper. Remove from heat.

Meanwhile, cook the 4 cups of noodles in boiling water according to package instructions. Do not overcook! Drain and set aside.

Combine cottage cheese, cream cheese, and sour cream in small bowl. Cream together with chopped green pepper.

Assembly
In a casserole dish (I like using this 2-quart souffle dish from Crate and Barrel) spread 1/2 the noodles in the bottom; top with 1/2 the meat sauce. Spread all of the cheese mixture on top. Top with the rest of the noodles followed by the meat sauce. Sprinkle parmesan cheese on top and bake at 350 for 30 minutes...or until warm and bubbly. Depending on who's eating this, you can get 4-5 (heaping) or 8-10 (more modest) servings. Great for dinner parties and wonderful with a simple green salad, crusty bread, and your favorite bottle of red wine.

What's YOUR favorite comfort food?

The White Death Approaches

Growing up in New England and attending college in upstate New York, snow was always called "snow". When there was lots of snow, it was called a "blizzard", and some of my best memories growing up happened on "snow days". Who didn't love hearing that cancellation announcement on the radio and then spending the morning and afternoon sledding, making snow angels, and eating snow cones with maple syrup??

Out here in Cincinnati, I've only heard snow referred to as the "White Death". This term absolutely captures just how people feel about snow...they HATE it and live in FEAR of it. What's worse, and I realize this is a very broad generalization, they often don't know how to handle it. For example, last night, the breaking news on a local website was "Cincinnati Road Crews Brace For Snow". More than 12 hours later, we haven't seen a single snow flake, but I guarantee the snow plows and salt trucks are ready to start their engines.

Sadly, the salt trucks probably won't have to spend much time in my neighborhood due to a layer of salt still remaining on the road from a major fire last week that consumed a local market - the Beacon Food Mart.


An electrical fire started on the left side of the building late Thursday night. I happened to be dining at this great sushi restaurant next door (a future post will be dedicated to this cuisine in Cincinnati) when everyone rushed out to see the flames engulfing the store. It's always sad to see this happen to a locally-owned, family-run business. The reason for all the salt is that several fire trucks flooded the area with water and there was a deep freeze that night. I'll call it the "Ice Death". Up until this morning, before we got the rain (NOT SNOW), there was salt everywhere. Sodium City!

So as I sit in my office, waiting for the snow to fall, I wonder just how the natives will react. I also reminisce about those fun days of sledding down a neighbor's hill. Finally, I think about my friends and family in the Northeast who are bracing for their own blizzard. Have a great weekend and stay safe and warm!