I was already into my first batch of chili this season, when all of a sudden a family member posted a picture on Facebook of Cincinnati chili. My mouth was watering right away, probably because I am not only a food, but also, it just looked darn good. Now if you have never had Cincinnati chili, it probably is a must try. It is your classic chili con carne, but has the addition of some really great seasonings, and is cooked slightly different, well, a lot different from your standard chili.

A bit thinner in consistency, the great thing about this chili is that it not only tastes amazing, but you serve it completely different. Commonly referred to as 1-way all the way to a 5-way, the chili holds its own by itself, but when going one way, or how I like it, four-way, this chili will be sure to please.

Lets get started.

Ingredients: [Print this Recipe]

• 2 lbs ground beef
• Water, enough to cover the ground beef, approximately 4-6 cups
• 28 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 cups of onion, finely diced
• 2 tbsp cocoa powder
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 5 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp cinnamon powder
• 1/2 tbsp cayenne powder
• 1 /2 tbsp cumin powder
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

To Serve:

• 1/2 lb of cooked spaghetti
• 1 cup of onion, finely diced
• Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• oyster crackers
• Red kidney beans, cooked (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional)

Begin by getting a large pot on the stove. Add the ground beef and water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium, and begin stirring the beef, breaking it up as you stir. Continue this process for about 45 minutes. Skim off any of the crud that might float to the top and discard.

Next, add everything else, giving a good stir. Bring this mixture to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer, cover, and let it cook for approximately 3 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time.

Now if you are living on the edge and like that fatty flavor, you could go ahead and serve this right now, but instead, I recommend that you take it off of the stove, let it cool, then place in refrigerator overnight. The reason you will probably want to do this is that when you remove the chili the next day, the fat that was cooked off from boiling the ground beef will rise to the top, allowing you to remove all of that fat. So do just that, and remove that thin layer of fat from the chili.

Once you have removed the fat, take it back onto the stove, bringing it up to a boil, then get ready to serve.

Remember now, I went four-way, which means, spaghetti, chili, onions, and cheese:

To serve, add a layer of the cooked spaghetti on the bottom of your bowl. Ladle a generous amount of the chili on top of the spaghetti. Top with onions, and a lot of grated cheese. Place a small handful of oyster crackers on the side, and dig in!

You will be surprised not only on the awesome texture of this chili, but more importantly, the flavor. You get the richness from the cocoa powder, and the clove and cinnamon really stand out. But it is also the texture you get from the onion and cheese that make this chili just melt in your mouth.

Give it a shot, and hope you enjoy the recipe!

My kids, I think, notice that. And to me, that is great.

Two weeks ago, my second child, eagerly asked if he could help me make a salad. I should back track a little bit and say that my lovely wife suggested that I make a salad for an upcoming party. “You know, that pasta salad you made that one time with cheese, and stuff?”. I like surprises, but don’t get me wrong…

So to both of their surprises, I said yes. Yes, you can help me with the salad, and yes, I would love to make a salad for the party. But what salad was it, that one with cheese?

Most of my creations are just that. Creations. Our backyard garden. Fresh herbs, and everything in between. Cheese? I remember one that I came up with cheese, and chunks of salami… but just cheese?

Ingredients:

• 1 package cheese stuffed ravioli, cooked
• 1/2 lb your favorite pasta, cooked al dente
• 1 small head of brocoli, steamed for 3 minutes
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 zucchini, diced
• 1/2 cup of sliced cherry tomatoes
•  1 orange bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup of fresh mozzarella cheese balls
• 1 cup of radicchio lettuce, diced
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• 2 tbsp dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp salt, more to taste
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper, more to taste
• 1 cup of colby jack cheese, cubed
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil, torn

Lets begin and get to the story a bit later.

Every time you cook, it is important you prepare all of your ingredients. If you have eager people that want to help, use them!

To a large bowl, add your vegetables. Drain your cooked pasta and add it to the bowl, and mix. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper, and let it come to room temperature.

In the meantime, make your dressing. To a mason jar, or sealed tight container, add your oil, salt and pepper, garlic, vinegar, and mustard. Shake this vigorously for about a minute until it looks like a nice, thick salad dressing.

Add the cheeses to the bowl, toss or mix, then add in your dressing. Mixing again.

My story continues…

“Can I do something for you Dad?”. A tear about came to my eye. It was one of those moments I had been waiting for. That moment. As I am not a mechanic, or tinkerer for the most part, I am a technologist, with a creative mind, and a hobby of cooking. That question simply got me.

I brought out a couple of knives, and began teaching him what I knew of knife skills. Fingers are precious, so curl them, and cut. Dice, and be precise. Take your time. He got it, and instantly took his time slicing and dicing.

Teachable moments. A moment and faint memory of cubes of cheese, and a lovely pasta salad that pleased many. I was won over by my nine year old son who began thinking of cooking and helping out in the kitchen. This pasta salad goes out to my lovely wife, and my son who is eager and willing to learn basic cooking skills. Enjoy.

What you end up with is a bowl of your backyard garden. Fresh and seasonal. The best part, well, probably two parts awesome; your kid wanting to cook with you and your wife wanting you to create something you never recall ever making. Maybe it was the cheese. Who knows.

Some times you just want something different from those standard side dishes. This is where a classic macaroni salad came into play. I did not necessarily do this for myself, rather, I wanted to surprise my wife with something new, and I think I did just that.

This classic macaroni salad has everything you would expect in flavor and texture. A nice light dressing along with the great crunch from fresh celery, made this macaroni salad go great with the barbecue. So whether you are making chicken, pork, beef, or something in between, skip the bland deli style salads that you would typically pick up from the grocery store and try this one before summer ends. You will be happy you did.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 lb of macaroni pasta, cooked al dente
• 1/2 cup of celery, small dice
• 1/4 cup of red onion, small dice
• 1 small roma tomato, small dice
• 1/2 cup of light mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp Italian leaf parsley, chopped

Begin by boiling your pasta in salted water. While the pasta is boiling, prepare your ingredients, chopping all of the vegetables. When the vegetables have been chopped, make the dressing.

Combine the mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, pepper, mustard, sugar, and sour cream to a small mixing bowl. Do just that, mix well until you have a nice and thin dressing.

When the pasta is done cooking, drain, and rinse with cold water to cool the pasta. Drain well.

To a large mixing bowl, add the pasta, chopped veggies, and top with half of the dressing. I say half because depending on the pasta, you want to make sure the sauce stays nice and light, not too much sauce. Mix to incorporate everything until you have the desired about of consistency with the dressing.

Taste. Adjust any salt and pepper to your liking. When you are ready to serve, transfer the macaroni salad to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh parsley. Serve cold, or at room temperature. Enjoy.

I have never been a real pasta fan, until the last five years or so. It is probably because until then, I did not understand what good pasta was. Those times have changed, and now some of my favorite pasta dishes are the simple ones. A few simple ingredients that just really take a pasta dish to the next level. This seafood pasta dish is one of those, and one I recently got to share with family and friends on vacation. I think they all agreed. It was great.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb penne pasta
• water, salted
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 large shallots, minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 20 oz can of crushed tomatoes
• 1 lb of raw shrimp, 31-40s, cleaned and deveined
• 15 clams, or so
• 2 cups of good white wine
• Salt, to taste
• Black pepper, to taste
• 3/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• Olive oil, for finish
• Rustic French or Italian bread, sliced and warmed (optional)

Begin by making the sauce for the pasta. Start by heating the two tablespoons of olive oil on medium-high heat in a large skillet. Toss in the shallots and garlic, and cook for a minute or so. Next add in your tomatoes, and a dash of salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook the tomatoes.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Generously salt the water, and begin cooking your pasta, just under the allotted time for al dente.

To the pan of cooked tomatoes, add in the wine and give a good stir. Bring to a simmer, then toss in the clams and cleaned shrimp. Cook just until the clams begin to open and the shrimp is nice and opaque.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Give a couple of good stirs, then toss in the parmesan cheese. Stir once again. Taste, and season with any salt and pepper before serving.

What you get right away from this seafood pasta is the great wine taste along with the flavors of the shellfish. Every bite is worth the next so be careful as this recipe is not only a bit elegant, but also very simple and comforting. Hope you enjoy.

A recent conversation between the coworkers led us into a discussion around a No Reservations show when Anthony Bourdain was in Egypt. My coworker got really excited talking about a local street, and common food known as koshari. In a nutshell, koshari is basically rice, lentils, pasta, and garbanzo beans topped with fried or caramelized onions. There is nothing to making koshari, and as it makes a lot of food, and is packed full of carbs, there is one thing that makes this dish shine, and that is the simple, yet complex flavors of the sauce you add on top. That sauce is called shatta, or what I am calling  Middle Eastern Hot Sauce. Think of the entire dish as a Middle Eastern chili recipe, but a spicy one.

This could be the new condiment, and if you like spicy, you will love this. If you cannot handle the spice, you can control that level of spice with as many peppers as you add to the mix. Mine is on the hot side, so balance your peppers to your liking.

Ingredients:

• 8 cloves of garlic
• 3 red jalapeno peppers, stem removed
• 15 Thai bird chilies, stems removed
• 1 cup of fresh flat leaf parsley
• 1 cup of fresh cilantro
• 1/2 tbsp white vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• 6 oz of tomato paste
• 1 cup of water

Simple ingredients that are going to yield huge flavors. Throw everything into a blender or food processor, and pulse it down into you have a nice, smooth mixture. Add the mixture to a sauce pan, cover, and place on medium heat for about five minutes or until it has fully came to a boil. Stir, remove from the heat and let cool.

Serve this on the koshari, or use on pretty much anything, and I mean anything. I’ve been dipping my chips in it on a regular basis, and have also used it as a sauce in one of my homemade pizzas. However you use it, I am certain you will enjoy.

When I decided to create the recipe, I reflected on a restaurant that is no longer in business in Milwaukee, but was known for their mac and cheese. You know it’s a good mac and cheese if people are talking about it right? Well, The Social had a goat cheese mac and cheese, and so I decided that would be one of the cheeses I put into this recipe.
Enough teasing with the cheeses, let’s just get started.
Ingredients:

• 1 lb cavatappi pasta, cooked al dente
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 3 tbsp all purpose flour
• 4 cups of whole milk
• 5 cloves of garlic, grated
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 1 large shallot, grated
• 1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 oz goat cheese
• 2 cups of gruyere cheese, grated
• 3 cups of colby cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

Begin by cooking your pasta, roughly 8 minutes in salted boiling water. During this time, add the milk, garlic, thyme, and shallot to a sauce pan, and cook on a medium to low heat. To a dutch oven, or large pot, melt the butter on medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add in your flour, and continue to mix for a few minutes, until you have a nice golden brown color. Now is the time to add in the milk mixture, slowly, and continue to whisk. You will notice that you are basically making the beginning of the sauce for your mac and cheese. Take half of each cheese, and add to the mixture, slowly melting the cheeses. Toss in the salt and pepper. Add in the cooked pasta, and mix well. Now you have choices.

If you are cooking this in a dutch oven, then top with the remaining cheeses, otherwise, pour the mac and cheese mixture into a large casserole dish, top with the remaining cheese, and place in the oven, uncovered, for roughly 30 minutes. You know it is done with the cheese on the top is bubbling and has a nice golden finish. Remove from the oven, and let it cool for about 5-10 minutes before digging in. Each bite yields huge cheesy flavor with just the right amount of garlic and pepper. It’s a showstopper at the dinner table and makes great for leftovers.

I’m guilty of ordering that tacos that the elderly wait staff do not even bother to give me a menu anymore. They know that I want two tacos al pastor and one carne asada, with a horchata. It is my go to while at El Rey, but I always look at what is being showcased as their daily special. There was one dish that caught my eye one afternoon, and it basically looked like spaghetti. After asking the waitress what it was, she said “fideo, Mexican spaghetti”, and gave me a chuckle. Not sure why she chuckled, but it was probably a look I gave her, the look of “really, Mexican spaghetti?”.

So, after prompting one of my Latino buddies, Romke, I asked if it were true that there is such a thing as Mexican spaghetti. He responded quickly that his grandmother was the queen of making fideo, and that indeed existed. I had to make some as you could easily tell, the locals in El Rey really enjoyed it, and now I know why.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb dry vermicelli noodles, broken in half
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup of red onion, diced
• 15 oz can of tomato sauce
• 3 1/2 cups of chicken stock
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 1 cup of cooked ground beef, optional
• 1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano, crumbled
• 1 bay leave
• 1/2 tsp salt
• pinch of black pepper
• 1/4 cup of queso fresco, finely grated

Begin by getting a large, deep skillet out, and add the oil. You can to make sure you cover the base of the skillet with oil. The trick to this dish is that you want to lightly brown the dry noodles in the oil, being careful not to burn the noodles. So bring the oil to medium heat, then add in the pasta. Mix well,  and continue to stir for a few minutes, not allowing it to burn. Once you get a nice golden, amber like color on the pasta, add in everything but the cheese. Stir to mix well, bring to a gentle boil, then cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook for roughly 15 minutes, stirring once in between this time.

When you are ready to plate, add the pasta to a plate, or small bowl, and top with the grated queso fresco.

Not only will you be really surprised on how comforting this simple recipe is, but also how unique it is. The texture of the pasta has something about it, something really great about it, due to the browning at the beginning. At first you think you are eating a traditional Italian spaghetti dish, until you get a bit of the cumin flavor, along with the Mexican oregano. A real hit, and one I am glad that I asked my waitress at the supermercado what the heck it was. Enjoy.

I have to get my grilling in before January, and as my outdoor herb garden is also coming to a close, I have lots of basil to use up. When I think of basil, I immediately think of pesto. Not sure what it is, but it’s pesto. That is my vision of basil.

And when I think of pesto, I think of warm pasta. As I wanted to go that route and use a pasta, I also wanted to twist it up a bit and surprise my wife. I wanted that comfort that I would get with a bowl of hearty pasta, and possibly garlic bread, but I also needed that grill. This is when the idea of a grilled sandwich came to mind, and I am so glad I thought of it. Great pesto, toasted bread, and a thinly grilled chicken breast coated with provolone cheese, really brought no conversations at the table. That is always a good sign.

Ingredients:

• 2 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, sliced in half, horizontally
• Fresh pesto
• 1 loaf of French bread, toasted
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 4 slices of provolone cheese
• Fresh garden tomatoes, sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper

Begin by warming up your clean grill on a medium-high heat.  Season each sliced breast with salt and pepper. Measure the size of your chicken breast, or just wing it and eye it out, and cut your loaf into the size of the breasts, slicing in half, and smearing a bit of light butter on the interior of each slice.

Get the chicken on the grill, and grill each side for about 5 minutes. Once cooked, lower the heat, lather the top of each chicken with a generous amount of pesto, and top with the provolone cheese. Let the cheese melt. During this time, add the bread, butter side down onto the grill, and get it just slightly toasted. Remove, add the chicken, and top with the fresh tomato slices.

The end result is a perfect balance of freshness of the pesto, the melted cheese, and the crunch of the bread. A sandwich that yields a perfect farewell to summer, and a hello to fall.

Simple ingredients yielding huge flavors. I have been putting it in everything this week, and I will tell you that if you are warming it up on some of your rice for a quick lunch, or some beans, that your coworkers will turn their heads and say “Wow, that smells good”. It does. Sofrito should become the new condiment. It is that good, and simple to make.

Ingredients:

• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
• 2 tomatoes, chopped
• 1 head of garlic, peeled
• handful of flat leaf parsley
• handful of cilantro
• 2 onions, chopped

Toss everything into a food processor and chop down into a nice sauce. You can use sofrito in most anything, trust me, this is a real winner!

BBQ spaghetti? One I have never had bbq spaghetti, and two, it sounded really good. So, I thought I would give it a try. After all, I recently had great leftovers from making Hawaiian style kalua pig, and I thought what a better way to use that pork leftover on this idea of bbq spaghetti. Let’s get started on this simple, and delicious recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of pasta (I used fettucinni)
• 4 cups of shredded pork
• 2-3 cups of your favorite bbq sauce (here or here)

That is it. Three simple ingredients, yielding huge flavors. Begin by cooking your pasta, until al dente. During this time, warm your bbq sauce on the stove in a saucepan. Add your pork to the sauce to warm it through as well.

Once your pasta is cooked, drain it, and it to a large bowl. Pour in your sauce, mix well, and serve. I served mine with some pickle spears to really make it feel like a down home bbq bowl. Enjoy.