Bob's Little Household Reference Library

Cinfully Good Chili

Adapted from Square Meals (New York: Knopf, 1984)

1-½ teaspoon salt

1 pound ground chuck

2 onions; finely chopped

2 cloves garlic; minced

1 cup tomato sauce

2 tablespoon catsup

1 cup water

1 tablespoon red-wine vinegar

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon paprika

1 teaspoon black pepper

½ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon turmeric

½ teaspoon marjoram

½ teaspoon allspice

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon mace

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

¼ teaspoon ground cardamom

½ bayleaf

1 teaspoon honey

½ ounce unsweetened chocolate; grate

Tomato juice as needed

9 ounce thick spaghetti cooked butter

2 Onions; chopped

¾ pounds Cheddar cheese; grated

1. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large skillet. Heat to medium and add the meat, the first two chopped onions that appear first in the recipe, the garlic. Cook until Meat is browned but still soft.

2. Add tomato sauce, catsup, water and vinegar. When mixture boils, add the rest of the salt, the remaining spices and herbs, the honey and chocolate. Adjust seasonings, adding more salt if it needs perking up, more cumin for a more strident chili flavor, more cinnamon and mace if you want it more aromatic, more cardamom for more bang, and more chocolate for more body.

3. Cover and simmer on very low heat for about 1 hour, stirring and tasting occasionally, adding tomato juice if it is getting too dry. It should be a thick sauce. Discard bay leaf.

4. For 4-way chili (use small oval plate if available), layer spaghetti on the plate, top it with chili and then chopped, raw onions. Pat on the cheese while the chili is still hot and serve immediately, with oyster crackers on the side. Serves 4.