Recently in Vermont I grabbed some Mackenzie's franks and a couple bags of New England buns to freeze and take home. It would be almost criminal not to—in Pennsylvania these products are non-existent. Mackenzie's are actually made by Kayem who also make the dogs for Fenway Park as well as bright red Maine-style snappers. I couldn't resist committing some regional blasphemy and putting my own twist on the dogs, in the form of homemade chili and some pepper cabbage, an old school Philadelphia hot dog topping that I'm inexplicably obsessed with. More

The Best Chili Ever. Is there chocolate involved? Hard liquor? Marmite? Yes, yes, and yes. More

"The short, stubby franks are smaller than the bun to hold in the ridiculous amounts of chili, fresh onions, and finely shredded mild cheddar cheese." [Original artwork and photographs: Hawk Krall] Past Weeks' Dogs Pastrami DogDanish Hot Dog24th & Passyunk TruckTexas TommyPhilly Dirty Water DogChicago Dog You might think we just featured Coneys, but don't say that to anyone from Detroit, where mounds of cheese are as much of a "hot dog crime" as ketchup. As regional food guru Calvin Trillin famously said: "Anybody who doesn't think that the best hamburger place in the world is in his hometown is a sissy." And I'd say the same goes for hot dogs. Cheese Coneys are a unique piece of the Greek... More

[Flickr: House Of Sims] Chili Recipes Beef and Dark Beer Chili Hot Dog Chili White Chicken Chili Carne con Chile Barack Obama's Chili Three-Bean Chocolate Chili Black Bean Chili with Eggplant When winter looms and it's time for those one-pot meals, nothing hits the comfort factor like a big bowl of chili. There's the endless debate over beans—should chili should include them or not?—but I say to each their own. I'm more interested in what secret ingredients you add to your chili for that unique wow factor. Some months ago, I interviewed Todd Larrabee, who found a club with a long-standing (25 years!) Super Bowl tradition of chili cookoffs. The secret ingredient of this year's winner was grape jam... More

This week's hot dog is more of a technique than a regional style. That's because finding a really good hot dog in the Philadelphia area is almost impossible. Legend has it that some manufacturers even make a special extra-bland wiener for the region. To jack up the flavor, I marinate my Pennsylvania hot dogs in beer, garlic, onions, herbs and aromatics not unlike what you would use to make a classic choucroute. Then I throw the dogs in a small pot of chili on the grill, toss the dog into a bun, cover it with chili and heaping piles of shredded cheese, diced onions, and maybe some scallions if I'm feeling fancy. Mustard is optional though I prefer yellow,... More

Past Weeks' Dogs The Philly ComboTijuana DogsFlo's Hot Dogs, Cape Neddick, Maine The first, possibly most important thing to note about Texas Weiners is that they have absolutely nothing to do with Texas. Originating in Paterson, New Jersey, at Greek-owned hot dog restaurants, a Texas Weiner is deep fried and served with Greek sauce--a smooth, slow cooked meat sauce spiced with cayenne, cinnamon, allspice, cloves and cumin. It's more of a Greek Bolognese or Saltsa Kima than anything resembling Texas Chili. Legend has it the recipe is a closely guarded secret to this day. A Texas Weiner "all the way" includes mustard and diced onions. Texas Weiners also spread to Philadelphia and across Central and Northeastern Pennsylvania, where they... More

Andrew Lee, 33, had just passed a physical at work when he bet his girlfriend's brother he could make a hotter chili. The Telegraph reports: "Toxicology tests are now being carried out to see if the fork lift truck driver suffered a fatal reaction to the dish or whether anything else contributed to his death." [via Michael L.]... More

Editor's note: Spicy thrill-seekers have been getting their fix from Chile Pepper magazine for more than 20 years. Editors Gretchen VanEsselstyn and Andrea Lynn, plus a team of intrepid tasters, testers, writers, and photographers, put together the bimonthly print magazine, temporarily paralyzing their taste buds by working through the newest hot sauces, salsas, and more. And now you'll reap the benefits, as they'll be sharing thoughts and observations from the fiery food world with Serious Eats readers. Check out their posts for the hottest products, recipes, events, and news around. Events If you live the zesty life, and you're in the Dallas–Fort Worth area, check out ZestFest 2008, Chile Pepper's red-hot food show, taking place September 5 to 7 at... More

We asked our friends Jane and Michael Stern over at Roadfood.com to give us their top five chili picks. Here are their choices. From Milwaukee to Seattle to, of course, Cincinnati, where chili is the city dish. More