March29,2010

Last week's column generated some email from friends and readers. The very mention of a chili spread can set some of you off into a culinary nostalgia. Facebook friend Agnes Bell said the Turnaround Barbecue Restaurant has a chili spread. Claire Allen wrote a note about how she was inspired by last week's column to make a chili spread at home. Lynn Williams Cole reminded me of the chili spreads that Granny Cole prepared at Smith's Cafe also known as the bus station. I recall when Bert and Aileen worked in the kitchen there. Aileen was Hershell Kirkland's mother in law. Hershell is one of the finest men I've ever known. I was told that Hat Roberts was a chef one at a time at the Dinkler Plaza Hotel in Atlanta. This was long before the Regency Hyatt House and the Marriott Marquis graced the skyline of Atlanta. Hat had a chili recipe that was fantastic. I am also fond of the the chili at Longhorn Steak Houses. The founder of the chain is George McKerrow, Jr. He also partnered with Ted Turner for Ted's Montana Grill. At a charity function I asked George for his chili recipe. He had his executive chef send the the recipe. The recipe was for 200 servings. I had to do the math to figure it down to about 5 people. I lived in Columbus, Georgia and they have a unique spin with chili. The Dinglewood Pharmacy near the AFLAC world headquarters has a concoction prepared by a fellow only known as the Lieutenant. It is a bowl of chili covering a heaping helping of oyster crackers and a cut up wiener. It's called a "scrambled dog" and I am willing to bet the counter is packed already today with people wanting the Lieutenant's creation. Cincinnatti, Ohio claims they are the "chili capitol of the world". Their Skyline Chili Parlors are mainstays in Southern Ohio. They put it on spaghetti and I am told the Skyline Chili 5-way will keep you filled up for the better part of a month. The most unusual local chili recipe I know of is Tommy McClendon's from Bremen prepares a chili with honey in it. I put a dash of cinnamon in my chili, but Tommy puts honey in his. I am told it tastes pretty fantastic. I am hoping that I can get the lawn mower out and give my yard the first cut of the year. I need to find a fellow who can get my riding mower up and going. It has had a flat tire since I bought it two years ago. The push mower can "get 'er done" to quote Larry the Cable Guy, but it takes about 3 hours. I love the smell of fresh mown grass. Am I the only one? I also love the smell of burning leaves in the Fall of the year. I have had lousy luck in growing flowers in my yard. I would like to call the county agent, but I'm afraid the legislature probably has cut off his telephone due to budget cuts. Under the Gold Dome a few weeks back had some talk about not funding 4-H. I was a member of 4-H in high school. Don Heath was our county agent and Ann Scoggins was Haralson County's home economist. They coordinated the 4-H program and a number of my class mates got to go to Rock Eagle 4-H summer camp over in Eatonton. I remember going to summer camp at Camp Calvin ran by the Presbyterians in Henry County just north of Atlanta Motor Speedway once. Some of you might remember Dr. Strickler. He was 7th Day Adventist and my mother worked for him for a time. He funded an annual summer camp a few times run by his church . The camp in Mountain City in Rabun County was in a pristine valley surrounded by mountains and bordered by crystal clear springs. "Camp Cumby-Gay" was a week of canoes on the lake, swimming, plus daily arts and crafts. We went to church on Saturday instead of Sunday. Lots of Bible study time that week. Thou shalt not look at the teenage girls serving as camp counselors was one thing I had to learn that week. Campers dined on soybean hot dogs and hamburgers. Camp was a lot of fun and my mother prepared some fried chicken upon my return from summer camp after a week of no meat. Now and then I'll buy some Morningstar Farms vegetarian burgers to remind me of the fun at that camp. I was grateful to the Strickler family for giving me the opportunity to go. Dr. Strickler was the head of the hospital in town. How many of you remember when Tallapoosa had a hospital on Head Avenue? I don't know how good the hospital was because it was only a block away from the Miller Funeral Home. Hubert Miller was one of the funniest people ever to come from Tallapoosa in spite of being in an occupation that doesn't have much joy to it. I had heartburn just last week and I thought I was having something far more serious. I put Tammy Sue and Keith Miller on speed dial just in case I need them. How many of you remember when we had Dr. Reid, Dr. Downey and Dr. Allen as our town's physicians? That was when doctors made house calls. To get an appointment with my doctor in Cobb County it takes weeks to get an appointment. The new health care bill just signed by the President probably will require a note from House Speaker Nancy Piloso to get an appointment. I have already set up my physical exam for 2019. That's the first time my doctor can see me since the new legislation has passed. I was told after my last physical examination that my blood cholesterol had the same consistency of 10-W-30 Quaker State. My doctor told me to cut back on chili spreads.

Rhubarb Jones is a Tallapoosa native and a member of the administrative faculty at Kennesaw State University. Comments are welcome via email at rhubarbjones@aol.com or rhubarb.jones@yahoo.com or at P.O. Box 1001, Tallapoosa, GA 30176