Cincinnati is certainly judged by its chili. Some claim it's not even chili, but those are just fighting words to natives who have developed the crave. Cincinnati is a long way from El Paso, and our chili is not Tex-Mex style. It is a unique blend typically served as a three-way: over spaghetti and covered in shredded cheddar cheese. From its 1922 roots with the Slavic-Macedonian immigrant brothers Kiradjieff in a burlesque theater, Cincinnati chili has become a million-dollar industry supporting 250 chili parlors. Many chili parlors have come and gone, but a few familiar names remain: Dixie, Camp Washington, Gold Star, Price Hill and Skyline. This is their amazing chili story.

Become a cupcake superstar with this fantastic new recipe book, packed with hints, tips and easy-to-follow steps. From creating cakes with a cloud-like consistency, to decorating with frosting and sprinkles, this book has something to tantalize the taste buds of both beginners and experts.

The first time culinary student Ron Gaj is instructed to cut up a whole chicken into precise parts, he confidently moves forward with the surgical procedure. By the time he has finished the task, his chicken looks like it has just gone through a wood chipper. And so begins the zany odyssey of a sexagenarian who has just mistakenly entered the world of culinary arts thinking the learning experience will be a culmination of creating elegant fare while engaging in casual conversation and sipping a glass of wine. He could not have been more wrong.

Approaching retirement means different things to different people, but to sixty-something Gaj, who had always loved to cook, it meant trying something new--culinary school. As he details his often hilarious journey through the world of culinary arts with a cast of characters who seemed better groomed for reform school, Gaj provides a glimpse into how he sharpened his rudimentary cooking skills through weeks of chopping, dicing, boiling, sauteing, and participating in the solution of simple math problems that were treated like quantum physics--ultimately becoming a braver soul in the kitchen.

Purple Chicken shares one man's entertaining foray into the often unpredictable world of culinary arts as he learns to produce delectable creations and discovers the unexpected.