Here’s a fun little something that I saw a story about on the news this morning (also in the Indianapolis Star).  Apparently the Indiana Office of Tourism and Indianapolis Monthly have teamed up to create a list of the 46 best sandwiches in Indiana and with this list, they are holding a contest to find the best sandwich in Indiana and has provided a list of 46 sandwiches from which you can cast your vote.  The list and voting form for these sandwiches can be found here.

There are several longtime favorites on there that you would expect such as Shapiro’s Reuben, the double cheeseburger from Workingman’s Friend, the Boogie Monster from Boogie Burger, etc.  Of course, there are options for Indiana’s state sandwich, the breaded tenderloin, on there as well.

In fact, we’ve reviewed one of the sandwiches on the list.  Here’s the review:

*Beef Tongue Cheese Steak | The Local Eatery & Pub (Westfield)

I’ve had a couple of the sandwiches on there from my pre-blog review days (tenderloin from the Nickel Plate, etc.), so I think I have an inkling of what I’ll be voting for.

So, if you want to have some fun, check out the voting and cast your vote for the best sandwich.  There’ll be several rounds of voting before a champion is crowned, so you’ll have to check back frequently to re-cast votes each week.

-IndianapolisEater

There has been a lot of discussion about local independent pizza on this blog in the last month.  A lot of my readers are very fond of Puccini’s.  Considering they have survived and tried over the last 20 years, they have to be doing something right.

Haven’t been to Puccini’s in a while?   Be the first person to comment and you will receive a $20 gift card from Puccini’s.

-wibia.

Puccini’s Celebrates 20 Years by Giving Back
Now Serves More Than One Million Customers Per Year

Indianapolis - March 9, 2011 - Puccini’s Smiling Teeth (http://www.puccinissmilingteeth.com/) is celebrating its 20 year anniversary this month with special deals, a contest and a donation to a local nonprofit. The first Puccini’s pizzeria opened in Indianapolis on March 13, 1991. Since then, the italian restaurant has expanded from its original location on 1508 W 86th St. to 13 locations throughout Indiana and Kentucky, and now serves more than one million customers per year.

As the restaurant has grown, it has explored new territories. In 2010, Puccini’s launched a gluten-free menu, which has soared in popularity since its introduction last year. In addition, the restaurant is experimenting with location-based discounting through services like foursquare, and embracing social media to get feedback from customers. A facebook comment from a customer earlier this year motivated Puccini’s to begin offering nutritional data on menu items. The data for the top selling items will be available sometime this summer.

As Puccini’s Smiling Teeth turns 20 this March, the restaurant is celebrating in a number of ways, including:

• Offering a limited time, killer $20 Anniversary Deal
• Hosting a contest to give away a pizza party for 20
• Donating 20% of proceeds on March 13th, 2011 to a local nonprofit

Owner Don Main said, “Looking back at twenty years in business, we feel so fortunate that Indy and our other communities have embraced Puccini’s. In those early days, we would have never envisioned serving more than a million customers in a year. Now as we look forward to the future, we also want to show thanks for helping our business thrive.”

To that end, Puccini’s has chosen to donate 20% of proceeds to a local nonprofit on their anniversary day of March 13. To add a bit of fun, the 20th table of customers at the 86th St. restaurant will be surprised with a complimentary meal.

Original plans for a customer appreciation day featuring a special deal grew into a week-long offer to extend the thanks to even more customers. The 20th Anniversary Deal includes an appetizer, two dinner salads, any medium pizza and one dessert for only $20, and will be available March 14-20, 2011 at the W 86th Street location.

In addition, Puccini’s is running a contest with a grand prize of a Pizza Party for 20. “This promotion will be a fun way to do what Puccini’s does best – share happiness though our pizza,” Main added. Starting Monday, March 7, the general public may nominate their own group of friends, their office, little league team or any other favorite group to win. The pizza party, valued at $250 dollars, will be awarded to one lucky winner on March 31st, 2011. Details and official rules of the contest can be found online at http://www.puccinissmilingteeth.com/contest
For all details of the Puccini’s 20th Year Anniversary Celebration, see http://www.puccinissmilingteeth.com/20th-anniversary

Chili is a great way to warm up on a cold winter day and last week, we posted a recipe for King David Dogs’ chili recipe.  This week, we have another At Home segment with another chili recipe, but this one has a twist:  it is my recipe!

My recipe has won the chili contest that WIBIA, EatHSE and several of our friends have had the past couple years.  Yep, that’s right, I’ve won with this recipe twice and had rave reviews on it when I’ve brought it out to football tailgates in years past (it’s actually a sore spot for WIBIA that I’ve won both times).  So, what I am saying is that with this recipe, you are guaranteed a flavorful chili that is simple and cheap to make!

FYI, this is a recipe you would want to make a day or two before and let sit in the refrigerator.  Also, you’ll notice one thing about this recipe…no beans!  Beans themselves are great, but they don’t belong in chili, in my opinion.  Without further adieu, here’s the recipe:

Ingredients
[The spice level of this chili recipe tends to be hot, so that is just a warning.]

• 2 pounds hot/spicy ground sausage (if you want to cool the recipe down some, use mild sausage or ground beef)
• 4 cups of tomato juice
• 29 ounces tomato sauce
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 1 large onion (chopped and diced)
• 1/2 medium-sized green pepper (chopped and diced; seeds removed)
• 1/2 cup of celery (chopped and diced)
• 1/4 cup of chili powder
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (I often use Splenda as a substitute)
• 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon paprika

Steps

1. Brown ground sausage and drain fat out of skillet.
2. Dump ground sausage in large pot and then cover with all other ingredients and stir.
3. Leave mixture in pot and simmer on LOW for two hours (if it comes to a boil, turn off burner and let the pot simmer with no heat source).
4. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
5. On the day of eating, pull chili pot out of refrigerator and re-heat on LOW for one hour.
6. After one hour, increase temperature of heat source in order to get chili to desired temperature (simmering on LOW will probably get you there).

After you get the chili to your desired eating temperature, serve it up plain, with cheese or whichever way you like it and enjoy.

-IndianapolisEater