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Spring Gardening Tips for a Flourishing Garden
As the vibrant colors of spring burst forth and the air fills with the sweet scent of blossoms, it's the perfect time to roll up your sleeves and tend to your garden. Whether you're a seasoned gar...
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Recipe: Cincinnati chili is served over spaghetti; beans optional
Chopped onions and shredded cheese are traditional toppings for Cincinnati chili. Debbie Arrington
The first time I saw Cincinnati chili served, I thought: This is crazy! Chili over spaghetti? And it smells like … chocolate?
But then I tasted it and this chili’s unique blend of a dozen spices and herbs all made sense. The pasta soaks up the flavorful sauce. Although some folks tuck beans under the chili, too, the spaghetti is enough for me.
This chili is more Greek or Mediterranean than Tex-Mex, and intensely aromatic. Unsweetened cocoa (not chocolate) combined with the chili powder reminds me of mole sauce; the cocoa adds a distinctive rich brown color to the chili.
Skyline, a chain of Cincinnati restaurants, made Cincy chili famous, and this recipe is based on best guesses of their secret spice mixture. Skyline also came up with five ways to serve it. For ordering purposes, “1-way” is straight chili; “2-way,” chili on spaghetti; “3-way,” chili, spaghetti and cheddar cheese; “4-way,” chili, spaghetti, cheese, onions OR beans; and “5-way” is the works.
Cincinnati chili
Makes 6 servings
Ingredients:
For chili:
1 pound lean ground beef
Salt and pepper to taste
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup red wine
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups diced tomatoes (canned or homegrown)
1 cup water
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tablespoon chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ teaspoon turmeric
½ teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon crushed dried red pepper
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
For assembly:
1 pound spaghetti
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
½ cup yellow onion, chopped
2 cups pinto beans, cooked (optional)
Instructions:
In a large heavy pot over medium heat, brown ground beef; season with salt and pepper. While browning, add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook until onions are translucent.
Add red wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up the brown bits stuck to the bottom. Sprinkle flour over the meat-onion mixture; stir. Add diced tomatoes and water; stir to blend. Stir in tomato paste.
Add cocoa powder, chili powder, cumin, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, turmeric, paprika, red pepper and oregano; stir well. Add vinegar and honey; stir.
Over medium heat, cook chili for 30 to 45 minutes, stirring often, until desired thickness. Add a little water if needed. Adjust seasoning (it may need more salt depending on how much the meat was seasoned while browning).
Cook spaghetti according to package directions. Warm beans.
To serve, put spaghetti in wide shallow bowls. Top with beans, if desired. Cover each serving with several spoonfuls of chili. Top with grated cheese and chopped onion.
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A recipe for preparing delicious meals from the bounty of the garden.
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Garden Checklist for week of May 19
Temperatures will be a bit higher than normal in the afternoons this week. Take care of chores early in the day – then enjoy the afternoon. It’s time to smell the roses.
* Plant, plant, plant! It’s prime planting season in the Sacramento area. If you haven’t already, it’s time to set out those tomato transplants along with peppers and eggplants. Pinch off any flowers on new transplants to make them concentrate on establishing roots instead of setting premature fruit.
* Direct-seed melons, cucumbers, summer squash, corn, radishes, pumpkins and annual herbs such as basil.
* Harvest cabbage, lettuce, peas and green onions.
* In the flower garden, direct-seed sunflowers, cosmos, salvia, zinnias, marigolds, celosia and asters.
* Plant dahlia tubers. Other perennials to set out include verbena, coreopsis, coneflower and astilbe.
* Transplant petunias, marigolds and perennial flowers such as astilbe, columbine, coneflowers, coreopsis, dahlias, rudbeckia and verbena.
* Keep an eye out for slugs, snails, earwigs and aphids that want to dine on tender new growth.
* Feed summer bloomers with a balanced fertilizer.
* For continued bloom, cut off spent flowers on roses as well as other flowering plants.
* Don’t forget to water. Seedlings need moisture. Deep watering will help build strong roots and healthy plants.
* Add mulch to the garden to help keep that precious water from evaporating. Mulch also cuts down on weeds. But don’t let it mound around the stems or trunks of trees or shrubs. Leave about a 6-inch to 1-foot circle to avoid crown rot or other problems.
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