swensdaystuff

Chili and Beans and Collaboration
Swen Nater

Do you like Chili and Beans? Almost everyone does. Do you have a recipe? I do.

Crock Pot Texas Turkey Chili

Ingredients:
1 Chopped yellow onion
1 chopped pepper (Anaheim, Chili, Serrano, Habanero)
2 pounds lean ground turkey meat
1 25 oz can of pealed diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can of pealed diced tomatoes
1 15 oz can tomato sauce
1 15 oz can Great Northern Beans
1 15 oz can Kidney Beans
1 15 oz can Black Beans
1 table spoon Cumin
Carroll Shelby’s Original Texas Chili Kit which includes
1 packet Chili Seasoning
1 packet Cayenne powder
1 packet Salt
 1 packet Masa Herina

Procedure:
In a sauce pan, cook turkey meat until about 80% done
Put turkey meat and juice into crock pot
Add 1 chopped yellow onion
Add green chilies
Add tomato cans and bean cans with juice
Add Carroll Shelby’s chili powder and salt
 Don’t add cayenne pepper until just before serving
Add 1 table spoon Cumin

Slow cook in Crock Pot on high for 2.5 hours
Add cayenne pepper to taste
Garnish with Sour cream and chives.

How did I get this recipe? About a year ago, in the local grocery store, as I was shopping for ingredients to make my first chili and beans, I asked a lady employee what kind of chili pepper was best. I knew nothing about chili and she figured that out. She told me she had a recipe and asked if I would allow her to take me through the store and gather all the components. I said, “Yes.” That recipe is the one you see above. 

I made the chili and beans and had some people at work try it. Most of them loved it. One even said, “It’s the best chili I’ve ever tasted.” (She must not have too much experience with chili and beans because I think it’s a little better than average.) If I wanted to improve the recipe so it is so good, it could win a contest, how would I do that? Would I keep going to grocery stores and ask questions? Should I Google, find recipes, and try them? Yes, that’s one way but that would take a long time. The very best way to ensure I have an award-winning chili and beans is to physically collaborate with other chili makers. In other words, we need to get together, in one place, and join forces. Me, by myself, collecting information and trying new recipes, am no match for a group of like-minded people who partnership and brainstorm  to make the best chili and beans possible. 

So let’s suppose you, me, and about five other chili and bean makers got together at the kitchen table and began our effort to make an award-winning chili and beans recipe. How would we proceed? It’s really quite simple; there are four steps.

1. Sample
We start with a sample recipe like the one above. We cook and taste. As we try it, each one of us takes notes on what’s good about it and what could be improved. We take note of the spices we taste, the degree of heat, what is featured, the consistency (not too watery and not too thick), the type of beans, and the type of meat.
2. Suggest
Next, we discuss the chili by giving our opinions and suggestions. One might be a change in the chili pepper, one a bit more Cumin, one a better grade of meat or a little more fatty meat, and one might be soaking the beans overnight instead of beans from a can. One might even suggest, not using a slow cooker at all. One by one, we present our recommendations for improvement and a facilitator writes them down on a whiteboard.
3. Secure
When all the suggestions are written down, we go over them, one at a time. One suggestion at a time, we discuss and either put a check next to it, a question mark next to it, or cross it out. At the end, we create and secure a new and improved recipe.
4. Sample
We cook a new batch of chili, using the new recipe. Then, the whole cycle starts again. This may go on for days or even weeks until we all agree, we have an Blue Ribbon chili and beans.

Teachers, in every venue, all over the world, try to improve their instruction by doing what I did—finding a recipe, trying it, and working on improvement by myself. Like me, they might find a good recipe but probably not the best one. Without taking advantage of the knowledge and opinions of others, they go solo to attempt to become experts in such disciplines as:

• How best to teach sports fundamentals
• How best to teach the area of a triangle
• How best to teach fractions, percentages, and ratios
• How best to teach spelling
• How best to teach basic reading
• How best to teach vocabulary

Without collaboration, it will take them forever (if ever) to arrive at a best way. But when minds meet with the pure and unadulterated goal of “finding the best way, not simply my way,” and they keep working together until it happens, we see quick and quality results.  

I know what you’re thinking. ‘Swen, your last posting was on Beano® and this one is on Chili and Beans. I think I see a theme here?’ I assure you; this is purely coincidental.