Due to the overwhelming number of requests for my Vegetarian Cincinnati Chili Recipe, I am including it here. Actually my sister-in-law, Phoebe Mortensen, asked for it, but in the interest of deliciocity, I’m sharing before I become overwhelmed. I did not make up this recipe, I found it in a book a couple of decades ago and have changed only a couple of things – it is delicious. Roger was born in Cincinnati, I lived there for many many years and Skyline Chili was my favorite.
Vegetarian Cincinnati Style Chili
1 pound of dried kidney beans, cooked, OR 3 regular-sized cans, drained and rinsed
1 medium onion, chopped
3 tablespoons oil, olive or canola
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon red pepper
4 tablespoons chili powder
3 bay leaves
2 medium bottles of catsup
1 quart water
Saute onions in oil. Add spices and cook for 1 minute. Add beans, catsup and water. Cook for 15 minutes. Mash some beans with potato masher, simmer 20 minutes longer.
Of course you have to serve this over vermicelli and finely grated colby cheese for a 3-way. Add raw onions for a 4-way and extra beans (would this actually be necessary!?) for a 5-way. It must be served with oyster crackers.
This makes a surprising amount of chili and freezes really well.
Oh, man, I’m hungry! Yesterday for lunch I went to Nature’s Pantry in Cottonwood, Arizona, again. Ordered the fruit plate and this is what I got: strawberries, blueberries, kiwi, mango, apple, grapefruit, cantaloupe, honey dew, and pineapple. It was fantastic. I chose the pumpkin muffin sans butter (it’s really not necessary) and I’m here to tell you these people can bake!!
Roger is still out of town and MonsterFest has taken a break. On TCM this month they are showing movies each Thursday that have something to do with the Great Depression. I watched Hallelujah I’m a Bum, 1933, directed by Lewis Milestone, starring Al Jolson and Frank Morgan. It’s based on a Ben Hecht story about a bum in Central Park who is a friend of the Mayor of New York (completely believable). The bum saves the mayor’s girlfriend from suicide and then falls in love with her. She has amnesia and the bum doesn’t know she is the mayor’s girlfriend. (Hey, wait, this sounds kind of stupid!) Ok, it’s not the best movie I ever saw and Al Jolson isn’t the best actor, but as a singer, he’s the cat’s pajamas. I could listen to him all day and sometimes while in My Studio, I do just that. Roger comes out there and the eyes start rolling. The best thing about the movie was that Al sang the title song,
- John Agar
Here is a movie that is difficult to describe…Roger and I watched it before he left for Cincinnati. Curse of the Swamp Creature, 1966, directed by Tony Huston, starring John Agar and some other people you’ve never heard of and would never want to see again. There is a swamp, duh, a swimming pool, stock footage of alligators, a mad scientist (played by Jeff Alexander and quite possibly the worst acting I’ve ever seen), I don’t want to spoil the plot, but don’t get too impatient to see the creature. The main recommendation I have for the movie is this: a group of people row into a swamp, the gorgeous babe wearing white pants, white shirt and white boots. They land the boat and start walking. The go-go boots were way too big for this woman and she walks like a disgusted Charlie Chaplin. The walk and the look on her face are worth the price of admission.
