Squash, Beans and Corn were staples for the Native Americans. They were so important that a philosophy of gardening related to them developed. Called "The Three Sisters", squash, corn and beans were always planted together in mound gardens (usually with fish heads and entrails as fertilizer).

Corn was planted first and a short time later beans were planted close to the developing corn stalks. On the outer edges of the mounds squash was planted. As the plants developed the beans were allowed to grow up the corn stalks. This kept the beans off the ground and away from most hungry pests, and also kept the corn well supported. Amazingly, the beans also added nitrogen to the soil which kept the following year's corn healthy and full. Finally, the squash kept weeds down and slowed moisture evaporation from the soil with its large low leaves. It also further discouraged pests with it prickly vines.

The common idea of America before the arrival of Europeans was of a wildly wooded place populated by a primitive race that lived as hunter-gatherers. The truth is wildly different. Early adventurers as far back as the Vikings and the Conquistadors left written records of large cultivated fields that contained a host of domesticated plants. American native people were hybridizing beans, corn and other plants into many varieties long before the first non-natives ever set foot on the North or South American continents.

For today's entry I have chosen one of my favorite Autumn foods. Squash was also a favorite of many of the New England tribes. To this day one can still find the odd squash patch growing in the woods, a remnant of former native farming.

Oh, and for the record: Corn, beans and squash? Native American gifts to world cuisine. Well, those and potatoes, peanuts, pineapples, etc., etc., etc.

This one is an easy-to-prepare delight.

Native American-Style Baked Squash

1 Acorn, Butternut or similar squash
2 TBS sweet butter
8 tsp maple syrup or maple sugar

Heat the oven to 425°F

Split the squash down the middle and scrape out the seeds and stringy membrane.

Place the squash cut side up in a dutch overn.

Put one tablespoon of butter and four teaspoons of maple syrup or sugar in each half.

Cover the pan and place in the oven for 45 minutes.

Remove from oven, allow to cool enough so you can scrape the flesh from the skins into a bowl.

Mash well or whip. Serve hot as a side or on blue corn cakes (a future recipe).

I'm presently in the beginning stages of putting together the 2009 edition of my cookbook. I've been sorting out my Indian recipes for the new Indian section and I'm looking forward to seeing them in "Chop Onions, Boil Water".

This is a recipe I've put together from several others with a decent bit of tinkering in between to get it right where I like it. It is one of my wife's favorites and watching her eat it is almost as much of a treat as eating it myself. I finally managed to get it to where I like it tonight. So, this one is right off the stove and into the book and blog on the same night!

Channa Masala or Aloo Cholay and naan bread are sort of like the peanut butter and jelly sandwich of India. A lunch and snack standard. A popular and fortifying food that can be purchased from street vendors or prepared in the home. As with many Indian dishes there are lots of ingredients but it's all worth it. This stuff is even better on the second and third day. If you think you may not like chickpeas, you're wrong. Just ask my wife.

Channa Masala

2-3 TBS peanut oil
1 stick of cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 medium onions (chopped)
2 TBS ginger (chopped)
4 green cardamom pods
2 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic (chopped)
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
4 medium tomatoes (chopped)
2 tsp palm or brown sugar
1/2 tsp hot Indian chile powder
2 cans (30 ozs.) chickpeas
2 TBS butter
3-4 TBS yogurt
1/2 tsp garam masala
Juice of one lime
Chopped cilantro

Put the oil in a heated pan place on medium heat, when the oil begins to shimmer add the cinnamon, and cloves. Heat until the cinnamon begins to unravel. Then remove the cinnamon and cloves. Immediately add the cumin seeds. When the seeds stop crackling immediately add the onions and saute until translucent.

Add the ginger, cardamom and bay leaves and stir. Add the garlic, curry powder and amchoor powder until mix is well blended. Do not burn the mix. Lower the heat or add a little water if necessary.

Add the tomatoes, palm sugar and Indian chile powder and mix in well. Allow the tomatoes to break down and liquefy.

Add the chickpeas (and some water if necessary).

Continue to cook until reduced and thick and rich.

Add chopped cilantro and blend well.

Finish with butter, yogurt, garam masala and lime juice. Salt to taste.

Serve with naan or pooris.

Much like the Brady Bunch influenced my lodging decisions in Hawaii, a host of 1970’s African American-based television sitcoms influenced my first venture into piedom (pausing for your laughter). I cannot count the times I heard the characters of various shows praise the promise of a sweet potato pie! Strange huh?

Mostly, it was out of odd curiosity. I remember thinking “ugh, how good can a pie made from potatoes be?” So, a number of years later that curiosity and wonder got the best of me and I decided to see for myself. I am here to tell you their praise was justified because sweet potato pie is (clap) DY-NA-MITE! Its flavor hovers somewhere in the area of pumpkin and squash pies, but in my opinion it offers subtle complex nuances and just a better overall taste.

I’m not the only one who thinks this either. The first pies I ever made were sweet potato pies, a few of these made their way to my parents home, and since then it has become a Thanksgiving tradition. My mom insists that I bring them, and it seems no one else objects either, especially my wife who insists I make a few for home as well. There’s nothing like a cool slice o’ sweet tater pie and some fresh whipped cream to top off a holiday meal.

Interestingly enough, during my various trips to Hawaii, I was introduced to a purple sweet potato. In the future I’d like to try making a pie from it. The idea of a purple dessert intrigues me (stay tuned). Anyway, there’s no secret to baking this masterpiece, if I had to add anything I’d offer that you should mash and whip the potatoes to a silky smoothness and also, after cooking, let the pies cure in the fridge overnight.

Sweet Potato Pie

1-1/4 lbs Sweet Potatoes (approx. 2)
1/2 stick unsalted butter (1/4 cup)
3/4 cup of sugar
3/4 cup whole milk
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/4 tsp freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp salt
1.5 Tbs dark rum
1 Tbs all-purpose flour
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Prick the sweet potatoes with a fork and roast them on a shallow baking pan in the middle of the oven until VERY tender. Allow to cool.

Increase the oven temperature to 400°F.

Remove the flesh from the sweet potatoes and thoroughly mash them until smooth.

Melt the butter in a small pan and slowly stir in the sugar.

When the sugar melts stir in vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, rum, salt and flour.

When thoroughly mixed add butter/spice combination, milk and eggs to mashed sweet potatoes. Mix well. Pour the mix into the pie shell.

Move pie into the oven and bake until the filling rises and just sets. Remove from oven and allow pie to cool before serving topped with whip cream.

One of the great things about getting older is noticing how much better things were when I was younger. Are you in your forties or fifties? Think about it. Isn’t it great? It’s even more fun to rant about it. Here, I’ll show you!

Rap and Hip Hop? Come on, it sucks! It really does! As a matter of fact 90% of popular music sucks! I see these buffoons in music videos posturing and pretending to be something they’re not and I just love it because it sucks! Most of it is barely music. Black, white, yellow or red the new music mostly sucks. That is saying something because I grew up during DISCO!

When was the last time you saw a great movie? When was the last time you saw an original concept, original script, that was well written, excellently acted and filmed beautifully? I can’t remember because all the new movies SUCK! They are making movies based on television shows and other movies from when we were kids. Do you know why? Because it was better then! They just can’t get it right though, can they!

How about television? There are good shows right? I know there are several I like. That still sucks though. Do you want to know why? I’ll tell you anyway. Because there were ALWAYS several shows I liked, even way back when there were ONLY THREE CHANNELS! Now we have over a hundred or more and still there are only several good shows!!!! There should be sixty good shows but there aren’t because today’s television SUCKS! Television was so good back in the day that Hollywood keeps making bad movies based on the good old programs!

Cars suck today! Okay maybe they’re better for the environment and safer, that’s good, but why do they all look the same? Remember when you could look at a car and know its make and its year of manufacture? Not today, they are all so bland! The ubiquitous conformance of the gray flannel suit of the 1950’s has manifested itself in the auto industry! It’s boring and it sucks!

One of the few things that has gotten better is food. Today we have access to a wider variety of ingredients and produce. Foods like Thai, Japanese and Lebanese that would have been considered exotic when we were kids are commonplace today. We even have channels on television that are dedicated to food and its preparation (though it’s a pity that many of the programs still SUCK!). So while it is a pleasure to know how much better we had it back then, it’s still good to know we can count on some improvement!

What’s all this got to do with the recipe to the right? Well the basis for the recipe comes from a cookbook inspired by the television program “Northern Exposure”. A great program! How do I know? Easy, because I can weigh it against all the ones that suck today!

Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie

5 cups cooked chicken/turkey cubed
1-1/2 cups of sliced carrots
1-1/2 cups of sliced celery
1 10-ounce package frozen peas, thawed
4 cups homemade chicken/turkey stock or canned broth
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup reserved vegetable broth (see below)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 flat sheets ready-made or homemade pie dough

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Fill a saucepan with 1 inch of water and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Add celery and carrot and cook for 10 minutes.

Remove from heat. Strain through sieve reserving 3/4 cup of resulting vegetable broth and allow it to cool a little in the freezer. Rinse vegetables under cold water.

Put celery, carrots, chicken and peas into a large bowl. Toss together to mix thoroughly.

Distribute evenly between 2-3 pie dough lined pie plates. DO NOT pack tightly.

Combine chicken stock, milk, celery salt, pepper and nutmeg in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer.

In a small bowl, mix flour and reserved vegetable stock and whisk into a smooth paste. Stir paste into the saucepan. While continuing to stir, raise heat and bring back to a boil. Lower heat and simmer, stirring constantly, for about 2 minutes or more, until mixture is thick and smooth. Test and season to taste. Pour sauce in equal amounts over the chicken-vegetable mixture.

Cover each pie with dough. Seal edges well. Put four knife slits in each pie to allow venting. Brush the top of each pie with egg white. Cook in the oven until golden brown. Remove, allow to set, and then serve with any surplus gravy.