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You really have to make a concerted to "keep things in the family." I'd love to know the name of the chili parlor my family owned 100 yrs. ago but it's been lost. Sad, but it happens....and I don't want to lose the family chili recipe...at least not on my watch!
The first time ever that I tried Cincinnati Chili was Skyline more than a decade ago. Liked it though they use too much sodium in their recipe. It never had to grow on me... LOL
Great posting, kj, about the chili and the Japanese. I'm currently in Houston and appreciate all the cultures and their unique foods in this city. Of course there's the Texas BBQ and the Tex-Mex, but there's Vietnamese Pho, Russian borscht and blini, Japanese miso and sashimi, etc. We're just missing the great Cincinnati contribution of chili. The closest you can easily get is to walk into a local Kroger and pick-up either the canned or frozen (Skyline only) Cincinnati chili. Once the locals got past trying to compare Texas and Cincinnati chili, I believe a Cincinnati chili parlor could do quite well down here, in the right location. It would be unique enough to stand-out and I think would do especially well close to a university area, such as Rice or UH. I think college students anywhere would devour the stuff.
Great posting, kj, about the chili and the Japanese. I'm currently in Houston and appreciate all the cultures and their unique foods in this city. Of course there's the Texas BBQ and the Tex-Mex, but there's Vietnamese Pho, Russian borscht and blini, Japanese miso and sashimi, etc. We're just missing the great Cincinnati contribution of chili. The closest you can easily get is to walk into a local Kroger and pick-up either the canned or frozen (Skyline only) Cincinnati chili. Once the locals got past trying to compare Texas and Cincinnati chili, I believe a Cincinnati chili parlor could do quite well down here, in the right location. It would be unique enough to stand-out and I think would do especially well close to a university area, such as Rice or UH. I think college students anywhere would devour the stuff.
My very first trip to Japan was with our company head of sales, now the President. They were trying to treat us as some sort of dignitaries. When we went to our first restaurant, small by our standards, there was a large fish tank right inside the front door. Should visualize my trying to cross legs with my 6'4" frame and squat down at a Japanese table. After Sake and beer, that is a combination you have to try, out came the first course.
Very ornate what I would call individual ceramic crocks. Took the top off and floating on top was a whole baby crab. Looked at my compatriot and oh well it may be Japan and Tokyo but when in Rome do as the Romans do. So we followed our hosts and consumed the baby crab, shell and all. After choking that down with a lot more sake and beer, out came the main course. It was a good sized fish from the tank in the front which had been filleted down the sides but was still alive so to speak with all of its parts. I kept looking at the head and mouth sitting there opening and closing like it was still breathing. I had to use all of my willpower to keep from upchucking. One of my Japanese contacts who was fluent in English said very fresh! Can't get more fresh than that!
So when I hear those who complain about our Cincinnati Chili, my first thoughts are go and experience what others around the world have to eat.
When you are involved with people from a country like Japan you frankly get tired of eating steak. In Japan, their best steak cannot equal our worst. When they came here it was Cincnnati Chili for lunch and steak for dinner. I actually got tired of eating steak. Can't we go to some other style of restaurant, Italian for veal scallopini or something? But if you have grown up on an island nation with no capacity to grow beef, no way, when you get the opportunity to come here it is steak every night, unless I could convince them I knew a place with really good prime rib.
You may have heard about Kobe Beef. Yes that is a small amount of beef raised on a small section of land in northern Japan. They are literally hand raised and milk feed, another rarity there. That was the most expensive meal I ever had in my life, over $500 dollars a head and that is now over 20 years aqo. And frankly a Jeff Ruby fillet will beat it hands down.
My family has one "secret family recipe" and it just so happens to be Cincinnati Chili. It came from our family's chili parlor in the early 1900's.....oh man is it good.....and oh so sweet even after I soak it in Tabasco sauce. The recipe calls for 20 lbs to be cooked at a time----and the funny thing is, that it doesn't taste the same if you make it in smaller batches even if you keep the same proportions. My dad guards the recipe with surprising vigor.....he gave it to my brother-in-law but took it away when he didn't cook it with beans (Cincy chili must have beans!).
I need to learn how to cook it before something happens to my parents....and while I've never cooked a thing in my life, this is something I must force myself to do. I would never forgive myself if the recipe died with my parents.
Maybe it is time for your dad to share this treasure with a few friends, us
Seriously, what a way for the legacy to be passed on to make a lot of people happy and to keel your family's 1900s recipe alive
I especially love going in there on Fridays during Lent. The fish and chips special is amazing. They have the best fries.
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