Cincinnati Chili

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1/4 cup chili powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 (1 ounce) square unsweetened chocolate
• 2 (10.5 ounce) cans beef broth
• 1 (15 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1/4 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring frequently, until tender, about 6 minutes.
2. Add beef, in batches if necessary, and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until browned.
3. Add chili powder, cinnamon, cumin, allspice, cloves, bay leaf, chocolate, beef broth, tomato sauce, cider vinegar, and red pepper. Stir to mix well. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cover and simmer 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
4. It is the best if you now refrigerate overnight.
5. Remove the bay leaf. Reheat gently over medium heat. Serve over hot, drained spaghetti. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.

Semifreddo Champagne

Ingredients: (makes 2)

½ cup frozen peaches
2 oz peach schnapps
1 oz orange liqueur
½ cup ice cubes
8 oz chilled champagne
2 tsp superfine sugar

Directions: blend peaches, peach schnapps, orange liqueur and ice in a blender until ice is smooth. Top with champagne and stir.

Crab Imperial

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon margarine
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 1 pound cooked crabmeat
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 green bell pepper, minced
• 1 egg, beaten
• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• cayenne pepper to taste
• 2 slices white bread, crumbled into fine breadcrumbs
• 1 tablespoon melted butter

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9x9-inch baking dish.
2. Melt the margarine in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the flour, and cook a few minutes until the bubbles begin to subside. Whisk in the milk, and cook over medium-high heat until thickened. Stir in the crabmeat, Worcestershire sauce, green pepper, and beaten egg. Season to taste with salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook, stirring constantly until quite thick. Spoon into the prepared baking dish.
3. Place the breadcrumbs into a mixing bowl, and drizzle with the melted butter. Toss together until the breadcrumbs are evenly moistened with butter. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs evenly over the crab mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole has firmed and the bread crumbs are golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes.