2 lbs. lean ground beef 1 quart water 1 28oz. can tomato sauce 1 28oz. can peeled whole tomatoes 2 onions, chopped finely 2 tblsp. cocoa powder 2 tsp. cinnamon 1½ tsp. ground allspice 1 tsp. cumin (seed or ground) 2 tblsp. chili powder 1 tsp. salt 1 tsp. ground black pepper 1½ tblsp. white vinegar 2 toes of garlic 3 bay leaves

This may well be the easiest-cooking meal ever created.
DO NOT brown the meat first, just combine everything in a large pan or crock pot, and cook slowly for 4 - 5 hours, covered. This is even better if you put in the refrigerator overnight and reheat it.

Remove the bay leaves and garlic before serving.
See below for serving suggestions
Serves 6 - 8

Cincinnati-style chili is quite different from its more familiar Texas-born cousin. Unique to the Cincinnati area, the most popular sources of Cincinnati Chili are the fast-food restaurants that specialize in it, notably the Skyline and Gold Star chains. But the dish is also served in full-service restaurants, much as hamburgers are served throughout the rest of America. Also, like the hamburgers at McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King, the subtle differences in recipes can produce profound differences in preference. Thus "Skyline" regulars often don't care for the chili served by Gold Star and vice versa.

Chili (the Texas kind) has always been popular here. The story of Cincinnati chili appears to have begun long ago with a Greek immigrant who opened a chili stand to sell a version more in tune with his own origins and tastes, and the dish became very popular. Just who this mythical Greek entrepreneur was is not quite clear, however. Both of the major fast-food chains and several other restaurants like to imply that he was their founder.

One of the main differences between Cincinnati and Texas chili is that the Cincinnati recipe calls for some sweet spices such as cinnamon and allspice, and also cocoa. No, it doesn't taste like chocolate, but certainly does taste different from anything you'll find in the southwest.

The way it's served is different, as well. Cincinnati chili is traditionally (and universally) ordered in accordance with a list of five available "ways". For reasons that are as obscure as they are rigidly adhered to, these "ways" are the same regardless of where the chili is being served. They are:

• One Way:      Served all by itself in a bowl. Unlike southwestern chili, the Cincinnati variety is usually not ordered this way

• Two Way:      Served on a bed of spaghetti, with oyster crackers on the side

• Three Way:   This is the classic Cincinnati Chili, topped with a mountain of shredded cheddar cheese.

• Four Way:     Add either red kidney beans or chopped fresh onions

• Five Way:      Add both beans and onions

A third difference is that the "hotness" of the spices is not a particular issue with Cincinnati chili, as it often is with Texas-style. Cincinnati chili is mildly spicy, but would not rate as even a "two-alarm" on a Texas scale. Many Cincinnatians enjoy sprinkling (or pouring) cayenne- or habenero-based hot sauce or dried red peppers over their meal as a condiment.