Sidewalk De-Icer

Boiled Peanuts

Boiled Peanuts You can easily double or triple or quadruple the recipe ingredients. The longer the peanuts cook, or sit in the salty water, the saltier they will become. Also the longer the peanuts cook, the softer the shells will become. Some people prefer their peanut shells soft and almost chewy, some prefer a little firm so you can pry open the shells. If you are making boiled peanuts for the first time, work with a small batch (like the one pound recipe that follows). If they end up too salty, use less salt the next time. If you like them softer, cook them longer. The inside nuts themselves should be completely soft. If crunchy or crisp, they need to cook longer. Ingredients  1 pound of raw "green" peanuts (not the color green, but fresh raw peanuts which are called green peanuts)  1/4 cup kosher salt (or 2 Tbsp table salt)  4 cups water Optional seasoning  2 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, shrimp boil mix, or even star anise Method 1 Thoroughly rinse raw unshelled peanuts in water. 2 Put water, salt, seasoning, peanuts in a large stockpot. Bring to a low boil. Cover and reduce the heat just enough to maintain a low boil. Boil for 2 to 3 hours or longer (some boil their peanuts all day), until peanuts reach desired level of softness. 3 Drain. Eat up within a couple of days. Boiled peanuts don't save as well as dry.

Cincinnati Chili

Cincinnati Chili Recipe

1 large onion chopped
1 pound extra-lean ground beef
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa or 1/2 ounce grated unsweetened chocolate
1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 (16-ounce) package uncooked dried spaghetti pasta
Toppings (see below)

In a large frying pan over medium-high heat, ground beef, garlic, and chili powder until ground beef is slightly cooked. Add allspice, cinnamon, cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, unsweetened cocoa or chocolate, tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and water. Reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered, 1 1/2 hours. Remove from heat.

Cook spaghetti according to package directions and transfer onto individual serving plates (small oval plates are traditional).

Ladle chili over spaghetti and serve with toppings of your choice. Oyster crackers are served in a separate container on the side.

Toppings:Oyster Crackers, Shredded Cheddar Cheese, Chopped Onion, Kidney Beans (16-ounce) can

Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cincinnati chili lovers order their chili by number. Two, Three, Four, or Five Way. Let your guest create their own final product.

Two-Way Chili: Chili served on spaghetti
Three-Way Chili: Additionally topped with shredded Cheddar cheese
Four-Way Chili: Additionally topped with chopped onions
Five-Way Chili: Additionally topped with kidney beans

Comments from readers:

One very important thing is - never brown the ground beef and don't put onion in the mix. The onions are saved to put on top. The ground beef is mixed with the ingredients plus water and boiled for several hours. Also use tomato paste instead of tomato sauce.

Another secret for making your Cincinnati Chili even more authentic is to put the ground beef in a food processor and get it very finely chopped before boiling. When finished the chili should be a bit watery, this is where the Oyster Crackers come in.

Chili recipe

I am considering changing my "World Famous" Chili recipe to this one. Let me know what you think.
2 lbs ground beef
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced.
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 tablespoons yellow mustard

Saute beef with onion.
When beef begins to brown, add garlic.
Turn heat to high and cook one more minute.
Stir in remaining ingredients and reduce heat to low.
Simmer 10 minutes and remove from heat.
Line hot dog buns with a steamed or grilled hot dog and top with Chili Sauce mixture, then sprinkle with chopped onions and shredded Monterey Jack or Colby cheese.