Cincinnati Chili

So it's no secret that winter has descended upon Denver. It was 80 on Monday then we got 6 inches of snow on Wednesday and it will be back into the low 60's this weekend. We've welcomed the changing seasons with a lazy evenings at home and lots of fragrant comfort food and movies-on-demand by the fire. Last night we made Cincinnati Chili that was seriously out of this world. Our apartment smells of cinnamon and meat and it's pretty amazing. We managed to get away with leftovers on this one, but Dave was sure to stockpile what he could at work so that my brother won't get to it all. It's that good!

From Cook's Illustrated, Published February 1, 2005, Serves 6 to 8

Note: Choose a relatively plain tomato sauce-nothing too spicy or herbaceous. To warm the kidney beans, simmer them in water to cover for several minutes and then drain.

Chili
2 teaspoons table salt or more to taste
1 1/2pounds ground beef chuck
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 medium onions , chopped fine (about 2 cups)
2 medium cloves garlic , minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 2 teaspoons)
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 teaspoons cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 cups water
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar
2 cups tomato sauce
hot pepper sauce

Accompaniments
1 pound spaghetti , cooked, drained, and tossed with 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
12 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 can red kidney beans (15-ounce), drained, rinsed, and warmed
1 medium white onion , chopped fine (about 1 cup)

FOR THE CHILI: Bring 2 quarts of water and 1 teaspoon of the salt to a boil in a large saucepan. Add the ground chuck, stirring vigorously to separate the meat into individual strands. As soon as the foam from the meat rises to the top (this takes about 30 seconds) and before the water returns to a boil, drain the meat into a strainer and set it aside.

Rinse and dry the empty saucepan. Set the pan over medium heat and add the oil. When the oil is warm, add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are soft and browned around the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the chili powder, oregano, cocoa, cinnamon, cayenne, allspice, black pepper, and the remaining 1 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring constantly, until the spices are fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, water, vinegar, sugar, and tomato sauce, scraping the pan bottom to remove any browned bits.

Add the blanched ground beef and increase the heat to high. As soon as the liquid boils, reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the chili is deep red and has thickened slightly, about 1 hour. Adjust the seasonings, adding salt and hot pepper sauce to taste. (The chili can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat before serving.)

TO SERVE: Divide the buttered spaghetti among individual bowls. Spoon the chili over the spaghetti and top with the cheese, beans, and onion. Serve immediately.

Ethel's Sugar Cookies

A classic recipe, originally found in Betty Crocker's New Picture Cook Book (1961). This was our base for the Halloween "pumpkin cookies" that we grew up making and decorating each October. The tradition lives on with my family.

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons vegetable shortening
6 tablespoons butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Cream together shortening, butter and sugar. Add eggs and vanilla. In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder and salt. Add to butter mixture. Combine.

2. Chill 1 hour.

3. Roll out and cut. Bake at 400 for 6-8 minutes.

4. Decorate with orange frosting, M&Ms, licorice laces and candy corn.

FREE Online Cooking Course

Last week, Dave and I decided to try out a free sample cooking lesson online. It was a lot of fun and we certainly learned some new facts and techniques. I found out about it through America's Test Kitchen's website when they started to tout their new Test Kitchen School that was launched last month. By the end of the lesson, you use many of the things you learned to make a large pan of cheese manicotti with a quick tomato sauce. Simple, yet delicious.

There was also an exercise in which you tasted six different kinds of canned tomatoes to train your palette in detecting certain flavors. In hindsight, I wish we would of done this activity, but in the interest of not buying a ton of tomatoes we would have likely just thrown away, we skipped over that part.

The free lesson was nice but I don't know if I would fork out that much cash and dedication to go through an entire series. (An eight week course on the Principal of Cooking costs $500!) We will definitely be trying out their free knife skills lesson when we get around to it.

Cap'n Crunch French Toast? The hell you say!

We did a little couch crashing while we were in Columbus this weekend, which means I got to enjoy free cable in the comforts of a friends home. When I had the TV to myself, I caught up on some cooking shows and came across the idea for Cap'n Crunch French Toast. When cooked properly, the crust is crunchy and caramelized and the inside is gooey and rich. I haven't stopped thinking about it so I found the recipe online and I'm going to make it for Sunday brunch. Then we will have to head up into the mountains to burn it all off! Sunday can't come soon enough.

"Based on a recipe from Guy Fieri’s book, Diners, Drive-ins and Dives: an All-American Road Trip! This celebrates the Blue Moon Café in Baltimore, Maryland. This is absolutely wonderful. My friend Eric, who loaned me this cookbook, slices the berries the night before and coats them with maple sugar and marinates them in the 'fridge overnight - this makes them quite succulent by morning!"

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup heavy cream
• 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 3 cups Cap'n Crunch cereal
• 8 -10 slices bread, such as Texas toast or 8 -10 slices French bread
• butter

TOPPING

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 cups fresh seasonal berries, assorted

Directions

1. In large bowl, mix together cream, eggs, sugar, and vanilla. Whisk until well combined.
2. Crush cereal by placing in plastic storage bag and rolling over it with a rolling pin. Once it resembles cracker meal, transfer to a shallow dish.
3. Moisten a couple pieces of bread in cream mixture until soft but not completely soaked. Allow excess liquid to drip off bread, then press into the cereal crumbs to coat evenly. Set on a sheet pan and repeat with remaining slices.
4. Heat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Adding butter as needed, cook bread on both sides until it caramelizes, about 6 to 8 minutes total.

Topping

1. In large bowl using a hand mixer beat the cream, confectioners’ sugar, and vanilla until soft peaks form.
2. Dollop on top of the French toast and serve with the berries.

Cajun Chicken, Sausage & Corn Stew

Taken from The Best Slow & Easy Recipes by the Editors of Cook's Illustrated, 2008.

This homey dish is usually served with a crusty, rustic loaf of bread to help sop up the sauce and plenty of hot sauce; you can also serve this over plain baked rice. We just ate it straight up.

6 ears corn, husks and silk removed (we used frozen kernels instead)
3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (8 to 10 thighs), trimmed
salt and ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 pound kielbasa sausage, sliced 1/4 inch thick (we used turkey kielbasa)
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 medium onion, minced
2 celery ribs, minced
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 4 teaspoons)
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1/4 teaspoon dried
3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, minced

1. Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Working with one ear of corn at a time, stand the corn on end inside a large bowl. Use a paring knife to cut the kernels off the cob. Using the back of a butter knife, scrape any remaining pulp off the cob and into the bowl. Discard the cobs.

2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add half of the chicken and brown on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes, reducing the heat if the pot begins to scorch. Transfer the chicken to a medium bowl. Repeat with the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and the remaining chicken; transfer to the bowl. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove and discard the skin.

3. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat left in the pot. Add the kielbasa and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the peppers, onions, celery, cayenne, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until the vegetables are softened, 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the corn, scraping up any browned bits. Stir in the broth and bring to a simmer.

4. Add the chicken with any accumulated juices and the bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Cover, place the pot in the oven, and cook until the chicken is very tender but not quite falling off the bone, about 1 1/4 hours.

5. Remove the pot from the oven, transfer the chicken to a cutting board, and remove the bay leaves. When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and shred into large pieces; discard the bones.

6. If the sauce is too thin, continue to simmer the stew over medium-high heat as needed to thicken. Off the heat, stir in the shredded chicken, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Stir in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.