"Default User" > writes:
>What ATK says in their online recipe is, "Add the ground chuck,
>stirring vigorously to separate the meat into individual strands."

>I'm not sure if that's what you mean or not.

>As far as spices, which you mentioned in another message, they listed:

>2 tablespoons chili powder
>2 teaspoons dried oregano
>2 teaspoons cocoa
>1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
>1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
>1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
>1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper


I'm a fan of America's Test Kitchen (a.k.a. Cook's Illustrated)
and I subscribe. However, they are not the be-all, end-all
arbiter of authenticity, and it is proved by their telecast
of this particular episode (which I did see).

Kimball made a side of the mouth comment about "even better
than the stuff you get in Cincinnati". I did try the recipe,
and I think it is a good recipe, but it isn't perfect. It
isn't any better than the one I make all the time.

Kimball admitted on the show that when he was on a book-
signing tour in Cincinnati his hosts took him to a chili
place, and that he didn't really care for it (his plain-Jane
Vermont palate shining through, I suppose). So, based on
one experience, that he didn't like, he's going to pass
judgement about "better than Cincinnati"? I don't think
so.

Look...I'm passionate about my Cincinnati chili. I grew
up there. I've had it probably hundreds to thousands of
times, and I've tried creating my best guess at replicating
the brand I feel is best (Skyline). I feel that I'm a
pretty good judge of what makes a good recipe and what
doesn't. I'm striving for perfection, it has been a
lifelong process, and I'm still not there. ATK is okay,
and better than most recipes I've tried. It's a passable
substitute.

Let me give one more anecdote. All the regulars in this
group know that the question comes up once or twice
every year. One time the question was "how do I make
Skyline chili?". Someone responded with the Jane and
Michael Stern recipe, which in my book is a horrid
recipe, and doesn't come close (back in the day, the
Frugal Gourmet's recipe was scarcely better). When I
responded that the Stern recipe wasn't a very good one
and gave the one I was using at the time, the original
poster responded that the Stern recipe was good enough
for them, and that it tasted just like Skyline to
them. Well, you can't really argue with a palate like
that. For me, the coriander, nutmeg and barbecue sauce
in the Stern recipe was bad enough that I dumped an
entire batch. Skyline chili has none of those things,
and I think the flavor of those are distinct enough
to be able to tell the difference.

Guy