Food

In looking up about how much effort goes into growing beans, I came across a reference to something called The Three Sisters: a notion of squash, corn, and beans being grown together. Wikipedia’s article on beans, describes it thusly:

In the New World, many tribes would grow beans together with maize (corn), and squash. The corn would not be planted in rows as is done by European agriculture, but in a checkerboard/hex fashion across a field, in separate patches of one to six stalks each.

Beans would be planted around the base of the developing stalks, and would vine their way up as the stalks grew. All American beans at that time were vine plants, “bush beans” having been bred only more recently. The cornstalks would work as a trellis for the beans, and the beans would provide much-needed nitrogen for the corn.

Squash would be planted in the spaces between the patches of corn in the field. They would be provided slight shelter from the sun by the corn, would shade the soil and reduce evaporation, and would deter many animals from attacking the corn and beans because their coarse, hairy vines and broad, stiff leaves are difficult or uncomfortable for animals such as deer and raccoons to walk through, crows to land on, etc.

I can’t help but think, that this is both a very clever idea, and rather like communities of people. Clever because while it might not be at the scale of modern industrial agriculture, it’s kind of genius to try such an experiment and see if it really works. Like communities of people because we’re likely stronger when we grow together  rather than gutting anyone who disagrees.

Over the years, I’ve come to the conclusion that if you’re going to eat chili out of a can: Wolf chili is as good as you’re likely to get. Especially if you prefer chili without beans^, which are usually the kind that ends up more like dog food out of the can. The main reason I’ll buy canned chili with beans, is to have something less like dog food. Wolf brand chili  on the other hand, actually passes as an edible chili–despite its storage method.

In Florida: it wasn’t really that available as far as I can recall, I can’t remember eating it before coming to Georgia. Sometime after we had moved, my mother was thrilled at being able to find it at Wal-Mart, and always bought that when she could afford it. I think my father used to pack away plenty whenever he found himself back in Texas, or have relatives ship some once in a while, but that was all before my time.

In the end, I suppose I ended up a mixture of my parents, but I understand my father’s taste for the stuff. Typically, I aim for three kinds of chili.

1. Cheap out of can that’s useful for cooking, the kind where it’s just going in a quick pan full of chili mac or something like that.
2. Something to have for a snack once in a blue moon.
3. Make fresh chili and try to have plenty of leftovers, instead of a massive gorge.

There’s nothing quite like a good freshly made chili. But if you can’t spend the day making yummy things, a can of Wolf Brand Chili does the trick. Actually, there’s probably two things that come out of a can that I actually have a high opinion of: Wolf chili, and that Ro-Tel stuff with the diced tomatoes and green chilis.

The cheap stuff is what I’ll usually keep stocked, since it’s useful for mixing into other stuff. Given the price tag attached to the good stuff, I rarely keep Wolf around the pantry, but you can bet sales are noted. And then there’s the holy grail: making my own.

I kind of debate whether making my own chili is cost effective. On one hand, batch quantity is quite large. On the other however is the fact that I’ll basically eat home made chili until I pass out, lol.

^ Some people wage holy war over the issue of beans and chili. My vote is eat whatever you want 😜.

Hunger was banished by beefaroni.

Which happens to be a great recipe for food comas.