Refried Beans – Cooked Well, Not Twice

Contrary to popular belief, refried beans are not called refried beans because they’re refried.   As it turns out the name actual…

Lentils, celeriac and a cooking practice

Every so often, I find myself having a conversation about our family dinners or Pablo’s lunchboxes, and I notice that look in the…

Black Lentil Soup – Always Bet on Black

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with green lentil soup, but once you start making it with black “beluga” lentils, you’ll have a …

When I Think March, I Think Peanuts

For some arbitrary reason, March is National Peanut Month, and to help kick it off, here are a couple of video recipes that featu…

Farinata – Why Didn’t You Wish for This Sooner!

The third best part of this job, after the fame and fortune, is learning about unique, new foods; and this farinata video is a pe…

Flageolets beans à la française

Do you know you've achieved maturity (read: getting old) when you start finding youth endearing? It's a complex feeling, …

A Quick and Easy Cassoulet Recipe – Pork & Beans with Benefits

Of course you can’t make a real cassoulet in an hour, but you can make this very acceptable cheater version, and as long as you m…

Quick and Easy Black Bean Soup – Something from Almost Nothing

This black bean soup saved me during a recent attack of, “Oh my God, there is nothing in kitchen to cook with!” Even though it so…

It’s Easy Being Green Hummus

This simple, basil-spiked “green” hummus is a great summer twist on everyone’s favorite spread. While making your own hummus is q…

Sandy Beans! Getting Our Grit On with Crispy Parmesan Breadcrumb Coated Beans

We all know our food has to look and taste good, but one of the more overlooked aspects in cooking is texture. This sandy beans r…

Don't Sleep on Boston Baked Beans

When was the last time you made Boston baked beans? It's so easy to forget about the classics when brainstorming side dish op…

Beans and Greens for New Year's Day? Good Luck with That!

One of the oldest culinary traditions in American cooking is serving beans and greens on New Year's Day. Tradition has it tha…

Cool Beans! Fresh Corn and Shelling Bean Ragout a la Ramblas

At a recent dinner at Ramblas in San Francisco, Michele and I enjoyed an incredibly simple, yet deeply flavorful shelling bean ra…

Cool Beans - Turning the Mysterious Fava Bean Inside Out

This fava bean video recipe was originally published last year, but since I've been seeing beautiful fava beans at farmer'…

Scallops and Arugula with Lentils and Butter Beans - Great Recipe, Horrible Soundtrack

One great thing about using Apple's iMovie editing software is the library of instrumental soundtracks that you can use as mu…

Is This Really a Buffalo Bean?

I came across this incredibly bizarre object being used in a window display at a florist shop near my home. I snapped a couple sh…