Let's Talk Beans ...

They come in all colors - red, yellow, speckled, green, black, blue, brown, white, off-white, tan. Oh, I suppose I've left some out. But you get the idea.

Now when Texans do a chili cookoff, they don't believe in beans. Well, that doesn't make a hill of beans of common sense to me! In the Carolinas, chili has beans in it. Right? I couldn't imagine a chili without beans - but I'm no guru. I just like to eat.

So as you're planning your strategy, you may want to do a test run of your chili to see which beans cook up well. Not all beans are created equal. Some hold their shape and flavor. Others get mushy and turn to cardboard. And keep in mind that if you're cooking in the competition, you'll need a minimum of 6 gallons of chili to serve. That's a lot of beans!