The Bean Book

 

Recipes from Rancho Gordo's acclaimed kitchen are included in The Bean Book by Steve Sando. It is embarrassing and regrettable that I had no prior knowledge of Steve Sando and Rancho Gordo Beans until I read The Bean Book. Now I'm hooked. When I saw this book was up for review, I was so excited. My knowledge of beans has grown tremendously and I have found many delicious new recipes. It never occurred to me that there was a cult following for beans! There was a waiting list on Rancho Gordo's website for their Bean Club. Hey Gordo, want to hook me up?

Bean lovers won't be disappointed with this collection of delicious, nutritious, and delectable recipes.

It's the dog days of summer in Texas, so I'm excited to see recipes for: Bean Salads, Beans & Grains, Baked Beans, Bean Patties, Sweets, Salsas, and Dips & Appetizers. Other recipes, such as soups and stews, will have to wait until cooler weather returns.

This book contains the following contents:

Introduction
50 Heirloom Bean Varieties
Bean Dips & Appitizers
Bean Salads
Bean Soups
Bean Braises, Stews & Other StoveTop Dishes
Beans & Grains
Baked Beans
Bean Patties, Fillings, Sauces & More
Sweets, Stocks, Salsas & More
Acknowledments
Index

Unlike many crops that draw nutrients from the ground where they grow, bean plants do not function in this manner. Nitrogen from the atmosphere is transformed into a biological form in the bean plant, which is essential to plant growth.

When making beans, there are many variables to consider:

• How old are the beans?

• How hard is your water?

• How do you store beans?

• What pot will you use to cook your beans?

• What is the weather like?

There is a Master Recipe for Pot Beans.

THE BEAN-LOVER'S PANTRY

• Dried Herbs and Spices

• Chilies and Chile Powders

• Vinegars and Oils

• Other Essentials

50 HEIRLOOM BEAN VARIETIES

1. Alubia Blanca

2. 2. Anasazi

3. Bayo

4. Black turtle

5. Buckeye

For all 50 beans there is a picture of the beans along with a write up on the bean. I will share with you about the Black Turtle bean.

BLACK TURTLE

In some regions of the world,
"beans" means black beans.
Black turtle beans have a rich,
fudgy texture and inky bean
broth that needs little more to
make a soup. It's easy to think of
them for beans and rice, Brazillian
feijoada, or Oaxacan enfrijoladas,
but they're also delicious in
salads or chilis.

Rancho Gordo's Midnight
Black bean is a classic, versatile
black turtle bean that hold its
shape through lots of cooking
yet retains its famous creamy
interior.

RECIPES: Norman Rose Tavern's
Black Bean Burger, page 231,
Midnight Black Bean Soup,
page 122, or Moros y Cristianos,
Page 186

After making a large pot of beans who doesn't love refried beans or hummus! There are recipes for Glorious Refried Beans and Simple Hummus.

ALL of the recipes look amazing!

I would highly recommend this book.