It's that time of the year again -- there's less daylight, much more chill in the air, and the food cravings are a lot more persistent. There’s nothing like comfort food to satisfy your soul and evoke memories that have a way warm you from the inside out. Savory pot pies, lasagna, cabbage rolls, fresh-baked bread slathered in butter, sweet chocolate chip cookies, the list goes on and on. These foods bring us together, they reconnect us with our heritage.
As you can see from the photo above, we got our first measurable snowfall here in Minnesota so my brain is telling me (more like screaming at me) IT'S TIME TO PACK ON THOSE POUNDS.
There’s one dish that, for me, particularly evokes childhood nostalgia and memories of home. This dish, Cincinnati Chili, can be found outside of my home state (thanks to the Skyline Chili restaurant franchise) but Ohio is the epicenter of it.
Cincinnati chili isn’t the usual chili con carne that most people are used to. This chili is elevated, amazingly complex. Thanks to the dark chocolate and spices like clove, cinnamon, and allspice, it has a flavor profile closer to a good Mexican mole sauce.
It’s, traditionally, topped with a shredded sharp cheddar, diced raw onions and is ladled over spaghetti noodles. A little fresh cilantro sprinkled on top really sets it off, if you’re of the half of humanity that thinks it doesn’t taste like soap.
I made my first batch of the season a few days ago and it was heaven in a bowl.
I usually use a grass-fed beef or bison so it doesn’t just taste good it’s also healthy. Here’s the recipe if you’d like to try it for yourself.
CINCINNATI CHILI INGREDIENTS • 2 pounds lean ground grass-fed beef or bison • 1 medium yellow onion, diced • 4 garlic cloves, minced • 1/4 cup chili powder • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon • 1 teaspoon garlic powder • 1 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/4 teaspoon allspice • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes • 1 teaspoon black pepper (to taste) • 1 teaspoon salt (to taste) • 1 1/2 teaspoon honey • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar • 1 ounce unsweetened chocolate • 1 bay leaf (optional) • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce • 2-3 cans of beans (pinto/kidney and/or black) with liquid • 6 ounces tomato paste • 2 - 16 Oz cans of diced tomatoes • 1 - 16 Oz can of tomato sauce • 2 pounds spaghetti (If serving all at once.) • 6 cups bright orange cheddar cheese, grated • chopped fresh cilantro to garnish.
This should should be simmered, slow and low, with a lid for two-to-three hours. I usually make it a day or two before we eat it so the flavors can have a chance to meld together in the refrigerator. If pasta isn't your thing it can also be served with cornbread or a good sourdough bread.
Since the weather is turning colder for those of us north of the equator I thought it might be a good time to kick off a “comfort food challenge” for the month of November. This will give us all a chance to share our favorite stories and recipes with the global Hive audience.
Now is your time to share, learn about and possibly try new dishes, and pack on that winter insulation. : ) Don’t forget to use the tag #comfortfoodchallenge.
What are some of your favorite comfort foods?
Thanks for reading! All for now. Remember…trust your instincts, invest in you, live boldly, and take chances.
Growing weary of the ads and divisiveness on mainstream social media? If so, why not try Hive? Click on this link to sign-up and join our growing global community.
Poetry should move us, it should change us, it should glitch our brains, shift our moods to another frequency. Poetry should evoke feelings of melancholy, whimsy, it should remind us what it feels like to be in love, or cause us to think about something in a completely different way. I view poetry, and all art really, as a temporary and fragile bridge between our world and a more pure and refined one. This is a world we could bring into creation if enough of us believed in it. This book is ephemera, destined to end up forgotten, lingering on some dusty shelf or tucked away in a dark attic. Yet the words, they will live on in memory. I hope these words become a part of you, bubble up into your memory when you least expect them to and make you feel a little more alive.
Pick up a copy of Ephemera today on Amazon.
Most of us have experienced a moment of perfect peace at least once in our lives. In these moments we lose ourselves and feel connected to everything. I call these mindful moments. Words can’t describe how complete they make us feel.
These moments are usually fragile, evaporating in seconds. What if there was a way to train your mind to experience more of them? It’s deceptively easy and requires nothing more than a subtle shift in mindset. My new book, Mindful Moments, will teach you to be much more content despite the chaos and imperfect circumstances continuing to unfold around you. Upgrade your life experience today for only $15.99 on Amazon.com.
Let’s Keep In Touch
It doesn't snow in the area we live in. If we go to see snow we have to go up 13,000 feet. Where there is equality there are bound to be some difficulties but such natural sights are seen which make the heart very happy. This food looks very tasty. If there are less chilies in the food, it is not tasty.
I would much rather have to travel to the snow. We're having a nice, mild day today though.
Yeah that's good.
I have a story about Cincinnati chili.
I made this chili at my restaurant long long ago. We served it over spaghetti, with onions and something else, probably cheddar cheese now that I think about it. The chili tasted strangely familiar to me, had a comforting taste that I couldn't quite place. I loved the stuff, and it sold pretty well.
Sometime later I took a trip back to my hometown (where I now live after being gone nearly 50 years) and probably went straight to the Texas Hot for one of their famous hotdogs, definitely one of my comfort foods. These hotdogs have a meaty sauce on them that boasts a "secret ingredient." They are then topped with generous amounts of raw diced onions.
I put two and two together that day. Texas Hots are slathered with Cincinnati Chili! I have no idea how the Greeks in my town found this sauce and brought it back to this hillbilly town, but those hot dogs are famous for miles around.
That story is a great example of the power of comfort food. I worked at a coney restaurant in high school, Boardwalk Coney Island, ran by a Greek man. Their food sounds very similar to the dogs that you describe. I gained SO much weight when I worked there. Pete (Smerles) would let us eat as much food as we wanted during our shift. My mouth's watering just thinking about how good it was.
You lived in Brooklyn? Our restaurant is still in operation, 103 years now, but the food is awful. It used to be soooo good.
No, this restaurant was in Columbus, Ohio. I have no idea why Pete named it "Boardwalk Coney Island". It closed sometime in the early 1990's. It's so sad when those iconic places lose their luster.
Cincinnati chili sounds delicious and I'm definitely going to try making it at home. I'm also up for the comfort food challenge, so I'll be sure to share some of my own favorite recipes and stories in the coming weeks.
Wonderful! I'll be looking for your post and let me know what you think of the chili if you try it. Thanks!
You know, I've never had chilli. It's just not a big food where I am, but I keep meaning to try it. So saving this recipe in case I ever work up the courage to do it myself. This version sounds pretty tasty tbh.
You've never had chili?! If you ever try it let me know what you think. This recipe looks more daunting than it really is because of the amount of ingredients but if you mix all the dry spices together in a big bowl it makes the process a lot easier. It's delicious. I usually add just a little more cinnamon and red pepper flakes than the recipe calls for.
I can already taste the flavors on my palate and the aroma of that chili! I'm a witch when it comes to cooking: I can spend hours over a cauldron inventing flavors. hahaha. Arabs use a lot the mixture of cumin, cloves, cinnamon and pepper to make their meals. These are the spices they use for Kibe. Here there is an area, Paria, where they use a lot of dark chocolate (cocoa) to cook everything and the food is really delicious. Here there is a cake they call Hallaca and the stew they use to fill it is very similar to this stew you are offering us today. Perhaps the most significant variant is that it has capers. It is a Christmas cake. When I take vacations, now we are starting college, maybe I can make a dish and participate in your initiative. In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy the dishes you present here.
November started off delicious with that chili! May there be much abundance and success in the days ahead. Hugs, Eric.
What are some of your favorite things to cook? Yes, I think this chili recipe has its roots in Greece (but it was likely inspired by the Middle Eastern people generations before). Food from that part of the world is so delicious, probably my favorite of all cuisines. I'm looking forward to whatever recipe you share! Thank you, Nancy. Have a splendid November!
I like to invent with whatever is in the fridge! Venezuelans, with the economic situation, have learned to invent even in gastronomy. hahahaha. But I like to make empanadas with seafood: mussels, shrimps. Here is famous a "Chucho" pie, which is made of dogfish (previously salted) and that I make sometimes. I also love to make shrimp asopado or pork asopado. These days I went to a party and made some "bollos rellenos" with the three types of meat: pork, beef and chicken and everyone was delighted. I am one of those who believe that when you cook with love, passion and taste, food is more delicious. Love is the secret seasoning. It's raining here. Hugs
Looks like I have to try making this chili sauce. This looks very delicious. I am a lover of spicy flavors. So I had to add lots of chilies. Thanks Eric for the recipe. Have a nice day.
Let me know if you try it, Eliana! I like spicy foods too and usually use more of the red pepper flakes than the recipe calls for to "turn up the heat" just a little more. Thanks!
Sure looks good. Maybe someday Google will invent Cyber-Smell so we all could get a sense of that sweet aroma!
Cooking some of the ethnic meals as close to how I remember Mom doing it is a sure way to spark a nostalgic, sweet memory of Mom's kitchen of my childhood. Usually just the aroma of the meal cooking is all it takes.
Eventually we'll have "smellavision", I have no doubt! : ) I totally agree, sometimes the scents can transport you right back in time.
Even though I haven't had a taste of this food before, looking at the ingredients used in preparing it, I must confess it will really be delicious in taste
Yellow onion, chili powder, red pepper flakes, black pepper. Spicy with spicy. Yummy. I very much like it. Probably this food tastes similar to traditional spicy Hungarian foods. Good appetite.
You can't go wrong with those spices! I just had a very good spicy Hungarian sausage this past September at a festival here in Minnesota. It was one of the most delicious things I've tasted.
Might take me a while to get to it, but I have a post in the future that will fit this bill perfectly. It's pretty rare you find a place that even has meatloaf on the menu let alone a meatloaf that is worth talking about. That was the case when we went to Burlington. It's been forever since I had Cap City Diner meatloaf, but it was pretty close to that good! I've already got my plan in the works to make a batch of chili this weekend. It won't be Cincy style, but it's a recipe I have cobbled together over the years through trial and error. I wasn't really a fan of chili when I was a kid, but now I love it.
Nice! I'll be looking forward to that post! Meatloaf definitely fits into that comfort food category.
Wow that's a whole lots of ingredients! But looks scrumptious! Enjoy 😉
There are a lot of spices in this recipe. Thanks!
Yes im surprised! And i also like food with some spices in it ! I just cant tolerate eating carolina reapers 🤣🤣
It has been about 25C here for two weeks and we sometimes get sweaty afternoon.
The dish seems to keep you warm during a cold day :) Bon Appetite.
We won't feel that kind of warmth until June. Thanks!
Some foods actually connect and makes us remember our childhood days. To be cooked for 2-3 hours is actually a long time for someone who is hungry and craving for it the best thing is to always have it in the freezer, it has additional value apart from making the aroma mix well with the food.
You definitely have to plan ahead when you make this because it isn't quick!
Yeah, I'm gonna be making this for sure. I'll let you know how it turns out. Thanks for the recipe!
It's worth the time. I make it maybe 2-3 times a year and always wish I would have made a double batch. You're welcome! Let me know what you think once you've had a chance to try it. It's great over hot dogs too.
Apart from the honey that looks astonishingly close to my chilli recipe! I haven't served with finely sliced fresh onion on top though which is nuts because I love onions! Enjoy!
The honey adds a sort of balance to the acidity of the vinegar. Oh man, you have to try it with some finely diced union. There's nothing better. Thanks!
Yummy! Your chili looks delicious...I will be trying your recipe as I haven't made it that way yet. The cabbage rolls are comfort food for me as well as a hearty beef stew with biscuits. I saw the upper midwest got their first snow, so you're right....load up for winter LOL
I LOVE cabbage rolls. How do you make yours? My Mom makes them with sauerkraut instead of tomato sauce and that's how I prefer mine, ladled over mashed potatoes. They had some of the best beef stew I've tasted in Ireland. I had a bowl at a cafe near the Cliffs of Moher, that definitely warmed me up!
That's the first time I've heard of saurkraut in place of the tomato sauce but I love the kraut and even drink the juice lol, so will give that a try. I just made some a couple weeks back and am now hungry for more. The stew just 'seems' like an Irish dish, though I'm sure folks have been stewing meat and veg for as long as humans have been around. I bet it was delicious!
Kraut is so good for you and the juice has high concentrations of probiotics. A lot of the cabbage rolls I've had in tomato sauce taste too sweet to me but my tastebuds gravitate more towards savory/acidic than sweetness. The beef and lamb were so much better in Ireland. It tasted like I remember meat tasting during childhood. Sadly, most commercially raised beef in the states is like a science experiment now. : (
I can see winter is loading at it peak. Your Chili looks delicious too😋 though the process is quite long and to know that it even get sweeter when it stays for a day or two left me mouth agape, most foods are like that though. all you have said is spot on, there are some food that connects us to memories.
Thanks, it was so good. I used to cook it without a recipe but it turned out different every time so I, begrudgingly, started using a recipe and I'm glad I did.
You are welcome ☺️ I seriously hope to have a taste of the chilli someday.
It's always a good time to eat some tasty chili.
I agree!
It's looking Yummy. Hope you enjoy it. And it's taste also be as yumm as it's looking. Stunning clicks of leafy roads. Autumn is just peaceful and charming season. I just love that.
Thanks!
Food is an essential part of human primary needs and a healthy meal should be a priority.
I love the look hope it matches the taste
Cheers
Cheers!
Oh man, this looks absolutely delicious. The whole time reading this and seeing the ingredient list, I thought to myself this would go great with some sourdough, and then you said it! I can only imagine how well this will go with some sourdough bread, maybe a little extra water so it is more "saucy" (I do not want to say soupy, but that is where I am going with this) and this will be perfect! In the summer, I might make this for myself but less "saucy" and a little bit more on the dry side.
The addition of chocolate is always so strange to me, but I have made stews with chocolate in them. I am sure it just adds to the complexity! Now I want to bake some sourdough and eat some of this. Thank you so much for sharing your recipe, this is going straight to my "I am going to cook this next" list.
You're welcome. I'll be curious to see what you think after you taste it! I had mine with sourdough drizzled with EVOO and a good red wine. It was pretty amazing! I developed a taste for the Irish brown soda bread during our recent trip. I'm going to bake a few loaves of this soon. After baking sourdough all of these other breads seem easy. : )
Oh that sounds lovely! I have tried to bake one of them many years ago, but I am sure I need to experience the real thing first before you can really try to make it yourself. And I am glad that I am not the only one who thinks that sourdough gives you the confidence to bake almost any kind of bread!
Oh for sure, I will do that! I bought some wild game minced meat this afternoon, so I will try to make something with it very soon, based on your recipe!
I really developed a taste for the soda bread in Ireland. Wonderful! Please let me know how it turns out! I bet it would be great with venison or elk.
That is awesome! I would love to go on a bread adventure and taste all of the world’s breads!
I am so sorry for only responding now, I fell ill and things still needed to be done, so I am a bit slower than usual, and I am already slow by nature!
Oh, I still need to make it. Because of falling ill, cooking was not on my priority list. The venison meat is frozen, still wanting to be turned into your recipe!
I'm sorry to hear you've been under the weather! I hope you're feeling better now.
Luckily the last three days have been better! So I might attempt to make your recipe tomorrow or so! Might even write up a recipe as I go, with your permission of course?
Now that looks delicious. I hope you enjoyed your meal. Well, my favorite comfort food is a hot tomato soup. Sparkled with a few croutons on top makes a cheerful day ;)
I always liked a good tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich!
It looks very delicious and yummy in the picture but in reality it will be even tastier. I wished i can taste it 😍🥰
#hive #posh
Congratulations @ericvancewalton! You have completed the following achievement on the Hive blockchain And have been rewarded with New badge(s)
Your next payout target is 224000 HP.
The unit is Hive Power equivalent because post and comment rewards can be split into HP and HBD
You can view your badges on your board and compare yourself to others in the Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCheck out our last posts: