i'm a winner, baby

with the mister now sick, the weekend was spent amongst the comforts of home (or rented condo, anyway). after having read the latest issue of saveur and being reminded of the deliciousness of cincinnati skyline chili, i endeavored to make a batch of mine own, using a receipe i found on the internets (there are a bunch, so i tried to guess which one was closest to what i'd eaten before). as we settled in with houseguest, dogs, glasses of pinot noir and heaping plates of chili (skyline chili is served on a plate because it's served on a bed of spaghetti, then topped with mounds of shredded cheddar cheese), we availed ourselves of the night's entertainment: the 1975 diana ross star vehicle, mahogany.

i don't even know where to begin. there are no words to describe, but let me share with you my favorite bit of dialogue:

"the men love me. the women love me. MAHOGANY!"

not "I'm Mahogany," mind you. just "MAHOGANY!"

also, the title of this post comes from the film. as do the images above, which speak largely for themselves. i don't know how i made it 37 years without exposure to the joys of "MAHOGANY!", but i sense that a dvd purchase is in my immediate future.

ps -- the best part may be the moment immediately after the film ends and the credits begins when the words "COSTUMES DESIGNED BY DIANA ROSS" appear, in type 400 times larger than any other credit that appears subsequently.

and here's the skyline chili recipe:

CINCINNATI SKYLINE CHILI
2 lb. hamburger, browned
2 med. onions, chopped fine
1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. cinnamon, scant
1 tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. allspice, ground
1 tbsp. white vinegar
2 tbsp. chili powder
4-5 whole bay leaves
Salt and pepper to taste, approximately 1 tsp. each
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce
1 qt. water
Bring to a boil, then simmer 3 hours. Mash with potato masher until fine. Serve spaghetti, chopped onions, and grated longhorn cheese on the side if desired.