Beans: A History and My Legume Love Affair Ninth Helping Round-Up

Beans: A History by Ken Albala (Berg 2007) may be the most interesting single-subject volume of food history I’ve seen; it reads as easily as a novel. Beans are Albala’s plucky hero, ever striving to overcome the cultural elite’s prejudice against what it deemed low-class trash food.

From continent to continent, Albala tracks beans’ essential role in bringing civilization and saving the masses from starvation. Despite their importance to humanity, beans get little respect. They’re too often considered as exclusively poverty food, with personal success being achieved when beans are no longer part of one’s diet.

Albala’s cultural and political history of beans is particularly interesting to read during this time of economic downturn, when too many are relying on cheap fast food for sustenance. The stigma attached to bean eating that Albala describes may partially explain why this healthy eating option is not more readily embraced by modern Americans.

Albala says the only place where beans are universally held in high regard is on the Indian subcontinent. The entire region has a vibrant bean cuisine that is accepted without regard to class lines.

That vibrancy nearly overwhelmed me as I assumed responsibility for hosting My Legume Love Affair Ninth Helping (MLLA9) this month.

The initial wave of MLLA9 recipes came mostly from Indian cooks, a cuisine with which I am totally unfamiliar. I struggled to understand the recipes, with their incomprehensible-to-me names and ingredients. Wikipedia became my new best friend.

I quickly discovered that when Indian cooks use the word “lentil,” they may be referring to what I call lentils, or they may mean chickpeas, pigeon peas, or various members of the Vigna family. Some Indian cooks use the word “gram” or “dal” instead of lentil for any of these legumes. Scientific names were my only hope for understanding the very interesting Indian recipes.

By sheer coincidence, I was reading Albala’s book. It helped clear up some of my confusion. Albala gave me a clear structure for understanding the relationships between all the new legumes to which I was being introduced.

In putting together this month’s round-up, on the assumption that some of my readers may be as confused as I was by Indian terminology, I adopted Albala’s organizational structure. To locate the beans in historical time and place, I’ve included brief quotations from Albala’s book.

For anyone interested in learning more about legumes, I highly recommend Beans: A History; it’s well worth reading.

Each month, Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook, the creative mind behind My Legume Love Affair, offers a prize which is randomly awarded to one entrant. The prize this month was Mediterranean Street Food by Anissa Helou, and the winner is Petra of Foodfreak. Congratulations Petra!

Since this month I’m focusing on species, I’m awarding a second prize for the entry using the most legume species in a single recipe. The prize is A Taste of Thyme: Culinary Cultures of the Middle East by Richard Tapper and Sami Zubaida, and the winner is Maria of Organically Cooked for her Mixed Bean Stew. Congratulations Maria!

With over 80 entries, this month’s round-up is a long read. Grab a cup of tea and settle in to learn about an enjoyable and highly diverse group of legumes and recipes!

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My Legume Love Affair Ninth Helping

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Lentils: Fertile Crescent
The histories of humans and lentils are inextricably intertwined. In Beans: A History, Albala reports at page 9-11: “The lentil was among the very first plants ever domesticated … Somewhere in the Fertile Crescent, what is today eastern Turkey, northern Iraq and Syria, some unsuspecting nomad decided to gather tiny wild lentils and plant them … The earliest charred remains of wild lentils, an indication of cooking, date from about 11000 BCE and are found at the Franchthi Cave in Greece. Somewhere around 7000 BCE or earlier the lentil began to be domesticated, the modern species of Lens culinaris most likely deriving from a wild progenitor Lens orientalis.”

1. Petra of Foodfreak
Hamburg, Germany

Braised Lentils, Peas, and Bacon with Zander Fish
(Lentils – Lens culinaris and Green Peas – Pisum sativum)

2. Simona of Briciole
California, United States

Soup with Lentils from Castelluccio
(Lentils – Lens culinaris)

3. Peter of Souvlaki for the Soul
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Warm Lamb Salad with Beets and Lentils
(Lentils – Lens culinaris)

4. Jaya of Spice and Curry
Kolkata, India

Shrimp and Red Lentil Fritters
(Red Lentils – Lens culinaris)

5. Sushma in My Experiments with Cooking
Singapore

Curry with Lentils, Spinach, and Garlic (Lasooni Dal Palak)
(Red Lentils – Lens culinaris and Toor Dal - split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

Lupines: Europe and Andes
Lupines have a dicey history as food. They need to be carefully prepared to remove bitter alkaloids that render lupines both poisonous and unpalatable. However, Albala suggest lupines may be worth the effort to prepare. They are remarkable high in protein, which is provided at a much higher efficiency rate than beef.

“Unlike other beans, there are native species of lupines on both sides of the Atlantic. Lupinus albus and luteus … as well as augustifolius … come from southern Europe and Lupinus mutabilis comes from the Andes and is uniquely adapted to growing at high altitudes.” Albala at 26. Although Andean lupines are still used in heart of Inca country, “[l]upines were completely effaced from the culinary record in the West. That is not to say ordinary people avoided them. They continued to be eaten commonly as a snack, especially at popular fairs in Italy … Lupines or lupini beans can be found in jars on the shelves of Italian grocery stores in the US and in Provencal olive mixes.” Albala at 30.

I’d planned on writing about lupini beans and bought them both dried and bottled. We tried the already-prepared bottled version first. They were inedibly salty and extremely bitter. No one who ate one was willing to try a second. I soaked them overnight and removed the excessive salt, but the nasty bitterness remained. By unanimous demand, the bottled beans were discarded.

After that, I lost my enthusiasm for the multi-day soaking process necessary to render dried lupini beans edible. Since I have the dried beans, and Mark Bittman claims they’re good, I’ll try them someday; just not this month.

Fava Beans: Europe
Though not much used in the United States, fava beans are wildly popular in Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean basin. Albala tells us at 33-34 that fava beans were “among the early Fertile Crescent domesticates,” but “the origin of Vicia faba is unknown and its wild ancestor is probably extinct. … The oldest archaeological remains of favas were found in a site near Nazareth dated between 6500 and 6000 BCE … Oddly, the archaeological record is otherwise silent and the next findings date from several thousand years later. Exactly when and where favas were domesticated remains a complete mystery, and they quite suddenly appear in Bronze Age sites in the third millennium BCE in places as far flung as Spain and Portugal, northern Italy and Switzerland, Greece and the Middle East. … most likely they spread from the Fertile Crescent in every direction, becoming the premier bean of the ancient world. When the word bean is used in European texts prior to 1492, it is almost always the fava.”

1. Maria of Organically Cooked
Hania, Crete, Greece

Mixed Bean Stew (Pallikaria-Παλλικάρια)
(Fava Beans – Vicia faba, Lentils – Lens culinaris, Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum, Black-eyed Peas - Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata, White Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

2. Sra of When My Soup Came Alive
India

Fresh Fava Bean and Eggplant Curry
(Fava Beans – Vicia faba)

Peas, Chickpeas and Pigeon Peas
Peas’ sweet flavor has made it more popular than most legumes. Peas also “have the broadest range geographically and climactically than any other legume … from the subtropics to cold and arid climates.” Albala at 75-6. According to Albala at 76, peas were “one of the earliest domesticated plants … archaeological remains of which date back as far as 8000 BCE. Its wild progenitor was probably the tall humile type distributed throughout the Levant, eastern Turkey, Syria and northern Iraq. … [A]ll the cultivated varieties used today are Pisum sativum. This domesticated pea spread rapidly, reaching Western Europe by 4000 BCE and thereafter south to Egypt, north into the Caucasus and Eastern Europe and east eventually reaching India by about 2000 BCE.”

1. Matt of Hurst Bean Blog
Indianapolis, Indiana, United States

Split Pea and Asparagus Soup
(Green Peas – Pisum sativum)

2. Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Split Pea Soup with Ham Hocks
(Green Peas – Pisum sativum)

3. Ragee of Simply Innocence
Copell, Texas, United States

Sweet Green Peas and Fresh Fenugreek Leaves in Spicy Cream Sauce (Methi Matar Malai)
(Green Peas – Pisum sativum)

Albala points out at 81-2 that like peas, chickpeas have “largely escaped the ignominy of beans. Though … they are hardly a pea at all. They are properly a bean. … The origin of chickpeas is once again in the Fertile Crescent … in Turkey and Syria the oldest carbonized chickpeas have been found, about 10,000 years old, but these are small and may have been gathered wild. Larger seeded, domesticated samples are found in Bronze Age sites in Israel and Jordan. They made their way to Greece by 6000 BCE and France a few thousand years later, and, like the other beans, eventually to Africa and India. … There are two distinct types of chickpea – the large smooth-skinned variety common in the Mediterranean called Kabuli and smaller darker chickpeas more common in India and thereabouts called Desi.”

1. Vani of Mysoorean
United States

Mexican Bean and Vegetable Burger
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

2. Trupti of Recipe Center
Virginia, United States

Chickpea Burgers
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

3. Nuria of Spanish Recipes
Barcelona, Spain

Oven-Baked Rice with Chickpeas, Pork, and Morcilla (Arroz al Horno)
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

4. Sree of Taste Spell
United States

Chickpeas in Spicy Curry Sauce (Chole Masala)
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

5. Divya of Easy Cooking
Channai, India

Curried Garbanzo Beans with Fresh Fenugreek Greens (Methi Chole)
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

6. Maya of Stories from Emona
Ljubljana, Slovenia

Tomato and Onion Sautéed Chickpeas with Scrambled Eggs and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

7. Varsha of Will-O’-the-Wisp
Seattle, Washington, United States

Garbanzo Bean and Spinach Curry (Palak Chole)
(Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

8. Asha of Foodie’s Hope
North Carolina, United States

Brown Chickpea Masala (Chana Masala)
(Desi Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

9. Hema of Salt to Taste
Bayonne, New Jersey, United States

Spicy Chickpeas Fritters (Masala Vadai)
(Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

10. Sanghi of Sanghi’s Food Delights
Singapore

Sweet Steamed Dumplings (Kolukattai)
(Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

11. Sanghi of Sanghi’s Food Delights
Singapore

Spicy Chickpeas Fritters with Buttermilk Curry (Masala Vadai Mor Kuzhambu)
(Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

12. Indrani of Appyayan
Singapore

Fry Bread Stuffed with Spicy Chickpeas (Radhaballavi-Dal Puri)
(Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

13. Sonal of Khaane Ke Shaukeen
Singapore

Fry Bread with Chickpea Flour Stuffing (Besan Kachori)
(Chana Dal Flour - Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

14. Rinku of Cooking in Westchester
Westchester County, New York, United States

Radish and Scallion Pakoras with Chickpea Batter
(Chana Dal Flour - Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

For Americans, Pigeon Peas are the least well-known of the “peas” catalogued by Albala. Cajanus cajan is also known as the Congo or gunga pea and, in the Caribbean, as gandules. Albala says at 86, “They probably originated in India, where they are split, thereafter called toor dal, and cooked down with spices until they disintegrate. … To this day the majority are grown in India. From there they spread basically to every dry tropical region where peas do not grow well. Thus in East Africa they found a welcome home, though some speculate that they originated [t]here.”

1. Varsha of Will-O’-the-Wisp
Seattle, Washington, United States

Spicy Vegetable and Pigeon Pea Soup (Sambar)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

2. Lubna of Yummy Food
Bangalore, India

Spicy Vegetable Soup (Sambar) with Shallots
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

3. Lubna of Yummy Food
Bangalore, India

Cucumber and Pigeon Pea Soup (Dosakaya Pappu)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

4. Saritha of My Kitchen’s Aroma
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Coconut and Pigeon Pea Chutney (Kandi Pappu-Cobari Pachadi)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

5. A&N of Delectably Yours
Atlanta, Georgia, United States

Lemon Pigeon Pea Soup (Rasam)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

6. Usha of Veg Inspirations
North Carolina, United States

Bitter Gourd with Pigeon Pea-Tamarind Sauce (Pahakai Pitlai Kozhumbu)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan, Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum, and Urad Dal – split black gram – Vigna mungo)

7. Priyanka of Not Yet 100
India

Pigeon Peas and Tomatoes (Tamatar Dal)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

8. Priya of Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

Peppery Chayote and Pigeon Pea Stew (Chayote Pepper Sambhar)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

9. Chitra of Ratatouille-Anyone Can Cook
Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Crispy Bean-Rice Pancakes with Curry Leaf Chutney (Moru Moru Adai)
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan and Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

10. Le of Heartful Concoctions
United States

Spicy Pigeon Pea, Eggplant, Drumstick, and Green Mango Soup
(Toor Dal – split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

Oddballs and Villains
“Every family has its black sheep oddballs and criminal types. Beans are no different. They seem odd only by comparison to the respectable members of the Fabaceae family, and many have found very happy homes throughout the world. Some of these are real degenerates though, surviving on the very margins of the human food supply, mostly as famine foods. … Although in no way related to each other, these beans [are included in a single chapter] because few readers are likely to be acquainted with them. This rogues’ gallery will include Lathyrus and Lablab, the Vetch clan, as well as the more obscure Canavalia, Mucuna and Macrotyloma, and the beautifully seductive Psophocarpus tetragonolobus…” Albala at 90.

1. Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

Santorini Fava with Capers (Fava Pantremeni-Φάβα Παντρεμένη)
(Santorini Fava, Lathyrus clymenum L.)

2. Divya of Dil Se
Los Angeles, California, United States

Hyacinth Bean Stew (Mochai Kuzhambu)
(Hyacinth Beans – Lablab purpureus)

Mung and the Vignas: India
In India, beans escaped the low-class reputation in which they were held elsewhere in the world. Albala at 107-08 attributes this to a variety of political and religious reasons which “catalyzed the valorization of beans in a way that was diametrically opposed to Western Civilization’s denigration. Beans thus became an essential staple crop in India, the primary source of protein for the majority of people… Although the majority of modern Indians are not vegetarian, dense population and the high price of meat has meant the majority still receive most of their calories from vegetables, primarily grains and beans. As we have seen, Fertile Crescent legumes such as lentils and chickpeas were introduced at a very early date. But the subcontinent also had its own species, the most important of which are the Asiatic Vigna species or as they are known in India ‘grams’: mung beans (V. radiata or green gram), urd beans (V. mungo or black gram) as well as moth beans (V. aconitifolia), and rice beans (V. umbellata). … The Taxonomic distinction of the Vigna beans is also a relatively recent phenomenon. Many were classed as Phaseolus until that name was reserved exclusively for New World species…These Asian Vigna species were also given a sub-genus classification called Ceratotropis.”

1. Deeba of Passionate About Baking
North India

Mung Bean Pancakes
(Moong Dal – split mung beans – Vigna radiata)

2. Sanghi of Sanghi’s Food Delights
Singapore

Sweet Mung Bean Pudding (Kheer)
(Moong Dal – split mung beans – Vigna radiata)

3. Saritha of My Kitchen’s Aroma
Sharjah, United Arab Emirates

Sweet Mung Bean Pudding (Payasam or Kheer)
(Moong Dal – split mung beans – Vigna radiata)

4. Aparna of Ap’s Kitchen
Mangalore, Saudi Arabia

Spiced Mung Beans and Rice (Sheeth ani Mooga Dali Bette)
(Moong Dal – split mung beans – Vigna radiata)

5. Priya of Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

Mung Bean Fritters (Green Gram Medhu Vada)
(Mung Beans – Vigna radiata)

6. Priya of Priya’s Easy N Tasty Recipes
Paris, France

Spinach and Mung Bean Soup
(Mung Beans – Vigna radiata)

7. Kalva of Curry in Kadai
Florida, United States

Steamed Rice-Bean Cakes with Garlic-Spice Powder (Kanchee Idli and Vellulli Karam)
(Urad Dal – split black gram – Vigna mungo)

8. Ashwini of Nanna Adige
Dallas, Texas, United States

Steamed Bean Cakes (Dal Idli)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo, Moong Dal – split mung beans - Vigna radiata, and Toor Dal - split pigeon peas - Cajanus cajan)

9. Sonal of Khaane Ke Shaukeen
Singapore

Bean Dumplings in Yogurt (Dahi Vada)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo and Moong Dal – split mung beans - Vigna radiata)

10. Priyanka of Not Yet 100
India

Crisp Flatbread with Black Gram Stuffing (Urad Dal Parathas)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo)

11. Lavanya of vividharuchulu
Redmond, Washington, United States

Rice-Bean Pancakes (Plain Dosa)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo)

12. Sharmistha of Cook-a-Doodle-Do
Hyderabad, India

Indian Bread with Bean-Asafoetida Stuffing (Hing er Kochuri)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo and Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

13. Priya of Food and Laughter
India

Spicy “Gunpowder” Seasoning (Molaha Pudi)
(Urad Dal – split black gram - Vigna mungo and Chana Dal – split skinless Desi chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

Albala concludes his Vigna chapter with the Adzuki bean at 113: “Although clearly thematically separate from the discussion in this chapter, there remains one more relative in the Ceratotropis sub-genus. He is much bigger than his brothers, and more boisterous, with his bright red coat. He is also a little sweeter and something about the adzuki bean (V. angularis) makes you feel like celebrating.”

1. Apu of Annarasa
United States

Adzuki Beans with Swiss Chard
(Adzuki Beans - Vigna angularis)

2. Lucy of Nourish Me
Melbourne, Australia

Aduki and Celery Leaf Soup
(Adzuki Beans - Vigna angularis)

Black-eyed Peas: Africa, Soul Food
“Vigna unguiculata, at least according to botanists, is a cousin to the Asian Vigna species. … The black-eyed pea is, in any case, a resolutely and characteristically African bean. Archeological evidence from the Chad basin suggests that the pastoral people who migrated into this area around 1800 BCE began to switch to an agricultural regime by about 1200 BCE … with the staples of pearl millet and black-eyed peas. This bean has thus always played a central role in African agriculture and was brought with slaves to the Americas where it remains an indelible marker of African-American identity. … In the Old World, black-eyed peas spread northward and eastward in ancient times and the earliest recorded evidence of their use is not in Africa but among the Greeks and in India. … Africa, however, is the real home of black-eyed peas and West Africa still produces roughly 90 percent of the world supply.” Albala 117-19.

1. Pavani of Cook’s Hideout
New Jersey, United States

Black-Eyed Pea Burgers
(Black-eyed Peas - Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata)

2. Keerthana of Kitchen Vibes
Germany

Curried Black-Eyed Peas (Lobhia Curry)
(Black-eyed Peas - Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata)

3. Sia of Monsoon Spice
United Kingdom

Curried Black-Eyed Pea Sprouts with Bottle Gourd (Lauki-Lobia Curry)
(Black-eyed Peas - Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata)

4. Rachel of The Crispy Cook
Saratoga County, New York, United States

Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Preserved Lemons
(Black-eyed Peas - Vigna unguiculata subsp. unguiculata)

Phaseolus vulgaris: Mexico and the World
The common bean, Phaseolus vulgaris, wasn’t known outside the Americas until after 1492. It is now grown throughout the world, and comes in a myriad of wildly different shapes and sizes. Albala describes its origins at 127-28: “The wild ancestor of Phaseolus spread from Northern Mexico to Argentina and it was domesticated independently both in the Peruvian Andes...as well as in Mexico… Exactly when these events took place is more difficult to determine, partly because archeological remains are sparse in the humid environment of Mesoamerica… Remains of P. vulgaris from a cave in the Peruvian Andes have been radiocarbon dated at about 6000 BCE and they may have been domesticated well before that … it is safest to say that these beans were domesticated several thousand years ago, without indicating a precise chronology.” Albala goes on to describe in fascinating detail the dramatic changes for both P. vulgaris and humans that occurred after Columbus encountered the New World. As P. vulgaris was incorporated into cultures across the world, the numerous bean varieties with which we are now familiar evolved and came into common use.

1. Katerina of Culinary Flavors
Athens, Greece

Bean Salad
(White Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

2. Emiglia of Tomato Kumato
Paris, France

Minestrone
(White Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

3. Valli of More Than Burnt Toast
British Columbia, Canada

Better for You Taco Salad
(Red Kidney Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

4. Maya of Konkan World
Texas, United States

Minestrone Soup
(Red Kidney Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

5. Laura of The Spiced Life
Midwest, United States

Kidney Beans with Cardamom-Yogurt Sauce
(Red Kidney Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

6. Neha of Tasty Recipes
Singapore

Red Kidney Bean (Rajma) Curry
(Red Kidney Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

7. Renuka of Fusion
Tamilnadu, India

Curried Red Kidney Beans (Rajma Gravy)
(Red Kidney Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

8. Nina of Miss Adventure at Home
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Four Bean Salad

(Red Kidney, Green, and Yellow Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris and Chickpeas - Cicer arietinum)

9. Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen
London, Ontario, Canada

Spicy White Bean and Turnip Soup
(Cannellini Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

10. Lavi of Home Cook’s Recipes
India

Amaranth Greens and White Kidney Bean Curry (Sirukeeri Rajma Curry)
(Cannellini Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

11. Swarna of Saivam
Fremont, California, United States

Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Cannellini Beans
(Cannellini Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

12. Allison of Local Lemons
Berkeley, California, United States

Spring Cannellini Bean Soup with Romano Croutons
(Cannellini Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

13. Lori of Taste with the Eyes
San Pedro, California, United States

Cannellini Bean Asian Slaw with Miso Sesame Dressing
(Cannellini Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

14. Erin of You-Name-It-Free
Basel, Switzerland

Royal Purple Baked Beans
(Black Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

15. Tigerfish of Teczcape-An Escape to Food
Singapore and California, United States

Spicy Pinto Beans
(Pinto Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

16. Katie of Eat This.
Haslett, Michigan, United States

Andean Pinto Bean and Butternut Squash Soup
(Pinto Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

17. Giff of The Constables’ Larder
New York, United States

Pancetta, Chard, Cranberry Bean and Gouda Gratin
(Cranberry Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

18. Manju of Mirch Masala
Seattle, Washington, United States

Barley and Mixed Bean Soup
(Beans - Phaseolus vulgaris)

Limas and the Lesser Phaseoli: Andes
After P. vulgaris (see above), the most important of the 55 separate Phaseolus species is the lima bean, Phaseolus lunatus. Albala says at 191-93 that the lima “is native to the Andes. Those found at the Guitarrero Cave in the highlands of Peru were domesticated even before both the common bean and corn. … They are roughly contemporary with many Old World sites of bean domestication. … Like P. vulgaris, the lima bean was taken to Europe sometime in the 16th century, and also to the Philippines with the Manila galleons. It is widely grown throughout SE Asia, particularly in Burma. It was also taken to Africa from Brazil, and is now the primary dried bean eaten in the tropics there and in Madagascar. … It never really caught on as a major food in Europe, probably because the climate is not ideal for its growth.”

1. Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska

Pan-Fried Salmon with Curly Endive and Christmas Lima Beans & Christmas Lima Bean Salad
(Lima Beans – Phaseolus Lunatus)

2. Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook
New York, United States

Lima Bean and Artichoke Soup
(Lima Beans – Phaseolus Lunatus)

Tepary Beans: Native Americans
I tried tepary beans for the first time this month, because I wanted to have at least one recipe for each of Albala’s 11 bean chapters. Having done so, it’s hard to understand why it isn’t more widely available; it’s one of the best beans I’ve ever tasted. Albala explains at 203-04 that the origins of the tepary bean, Phaseolus acutifolius, “are debated since wild forms are found stretching from the Southwest through Central America. Archaeological remains in Puebla, Mexico, date back 5,000 years, but it is not known where it was first domesticated. A strong claim is made for domestication, perhaps independently, in the [American] Southwest where wild varieties can still be found. … As recently as the 1930s, the Tohono O’odham [formerly called Papago Indians] grew 1.5 million pounds of teparies a year. Half a century later the bean had almost completely disappeared.”

Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Tepary Bean and Vegetable Stew
(Tepary Bean – Phaseolus acutifolius)

Soy: China, Japan and the World
Soy is “the most widely grown bean on the plant,” according to Albala at 209, though most of it is processed “into milk and curd and made into a variety of condiments bearing little resemblance to the humble bean.” Albala attributes this to soybean’s slight bitterness and its “unpleasant beany odor” (noting that green Japanese edamames are “a very specific cultivar bred for its mild flavor and consumed immature”). “Glycine max is the Latin name for the soybean, which was descended from another wild bean, Glycine soja. … [It] was first cultivated in the eastern half of Northern China, based on recent DNA evidence, … about 3,000 years ago, though some make a claim for Mongolia. That makes it a relative latecomer among the ancient beans, but with an extremely long pedigree nonetheless. … Although archaeological evidence may eventually push back the origin of soy domestication, 1100 BCE is for the moment the earliest certain date.” Albala 209-10.

1. Laurie of Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska
Anchorage, Alaska, United States

Mushroom and Edamame Risotto with Homemade Pancetta
(Soybeans – Glycine Max)

2. Soma of eCurry
Texas, United States

Stir Fried Ginger Tofu and Veggies with Brown Rice
(Soybeans – Glycine Max)

3. Christine of Kit’s Chow
Kitsilano, British Columbia, Canada

Savory Tofu Puffs
(Soybeans – Glycine Max)
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Thank you to everyone participating in MLLA9. If I've made any errors, or left out any entries, please let me know so I can make a correction. My Legume Love Affair - 10th Helping: Starters and Desserts for April 2009 is being hosted by Courtney of Coco Cooks.

Recipe for Artichoke Pastitsio with Basil Béchamel (Παστίτσιο με Αγκινάρες και Κρέμα Βασιλικό)

Is it possible to make vegetarian Pastitsio with more zest than its traditional namesake? The answer is an emphatic yes. Artichoke Pastitsio with Basil Béchamel is so alive with flavor it will make your tastebuds stand up and sing the Greek national anthem.

Pastitsio is a traditional Greek dish. As with most foods that’ve been around for a long time, there’s a million and one ways to make Pastitsio. Family and regional variations are the norm rather than the exception. A typical Pastitsio recipe has layers of tube pasta surrounding a meat-based tomato sauce and is topped with creamy béchamel.

When Tony Tahhan and Peter Minakis laid down a challenge to recreate Pastitsio using my own individual style, at first I was stumped. I’d already created a wonderful recipe for Pastitsio with Greens and was doubtful I could come up with anything better.

For nearly a week, I laid in bed at night coming up with Pastitsio ideas, and rejecting them all as uninspired. Then I went to Costco, lost my shopping list, and found my inspiration.

Losing the list forced me to go up and down every Costco aisle, something I rarely do, in hopes that seeing what was there might remind me of what we needed at home. Roaming the aisles helped, but also led to impulse buys (the exact reason I avoid wandering around without a list).

One of my impulse buys was a 65-ounce jar of Kirkland/Cara Mia marinated artichoke hearts. That’s right – a jar of artichokes weighing just over 4 pounds. I didn’t have any particular plans for the artichokes; even so, I had to have them.

That evening when I went to bed for my nightly game of Pastitsio, Pastitsio, What Kind of Pastitsio, a partial answer came almost immediately. I’d make my Pastitsio with marinated artichoke hearts.

In 1982, I bought the ground-breaking Silver Palate Cookbook. The day I bought it, before I had time to crack the book, I went to a friend’s house for dinner. She served tortellini and a spicy tomato sauce full of artichoke hearts. It was love at first taste. I asked for the recipe; she’d made it from the very cookbook I’d just purchased.

Pasta Sauce Raphael, the recipe I’d fallen in love with, was named after a cook at the Silver Palate, the New York City take-out shop that gave its name and recipes to the cookbook. Recently, I read an interview with one of the owner/authors, on the occasion of the Silver Palate Cookbook’s 25th anniversary. She said Pasta Sauce Raphael is one of the all-time most requested Silver Palate recipes. I understand why; it’s delicious.

Since I first encountered it, I’ve never stopped making Pasta Sauce Raphael, a blend of tomatoes, marinated artichoke hearts, herbs, and lots of black pepper. It’s always a hit, no matter to whom I serve it. Best of all, it’s made with pantry staples.

My well-used Silver Palate Cookbook has a notation that I made Raphael Sauce in July 1987 for Alaska Governor Steve Cowper when he visited our home in Bethel, Alaska. I also made it in 1990 when I catered a fundraising dinner in Juneau, Alaska for not-then-but-later Alaska Governor Tony Knowles. Both Governors loved Pasta Sauce Raphael. At least, they said they did and Alaska Governors never lie, right?

After settling on a Raphael Sauce variation for the Pastitsio filling, I needed a topping that would stand up to its robust flavors. I started with béchamel, the standard topping for Pastitsio, and enhanced it with fresh ricotta cheese and lots of fresh basil.

The end result, Artichoke Pastitsio with Basil Béchamel, was everything I wanted: spicy, but not overwhelming; layers of distinct flavors that taste good on their own and even better blended together; vegetarian, with no compromise on flavor; a recipe for slow evenings at home or rollicking dinner parties; creative fare that fits the traditional Pastitsio mold.

Most importantly, Artichoke Pastitsio with Basil Béchamel is distinctly my own style of food: colorful and bold tasting, using Mediterranean flavor principles and simple techniques. This is a recipe I’ll make again and again.

Artichoke Pastitsio with Basil Béchamel (Παστίτσιο με Αγκινάρες και Κρέμα Βασιλικό)
Serves 12 as a main course or 24 as a side dish
Be sure to crush all the peppercorns; most eaters won’t want to bite into large peppercorn chunks. Though 2 tablespoons of crushed peppercorns sounds like a lot, it's balanced by the mild pasta, cheese, and topping. (The original recipe for Raphael Sauce calls for a whopping 3 tablespoons of freshly crushed black peppercorns.) Don't cut up the artichoke pieces, leaving them large protects the flavor of artichokes from being lost in the spicy sauce. Instead of small jars of marinated artichoke hearts, it’s more cost-effective to buy large jars.

Sauce:
3 6-ounce jars marinated artichoke hearts (or 24 artichoke pieces and 3/4 cup of marinade from a giant jar of artichokes)
4 cups diced yellow onions, 1/2” dice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
1 tsp. Aleppo pepper or 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
14.5-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
1 Tbsp. dried oregano, crushed
2 Tbsp. freshly crushed black peppercorns

Béchamel:
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup flour
4 cups whole milk
Salt
3 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1 cup ricotta cheese, preferably whole milk
1 packed cup fresh basil leaves

Pasta:
1 pound Pastitsio pasta, small penne, or other hollow pasta
1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Make the Sauce: Separate the artichoke pieces from the marinade. Remove as much oil from the marinade as possible; a fat separator makes this task easy. Discard the oil and reserve the rest of the marinade.

Sauté the onions, lightly seasoned with salt, in olive oil until the onions soften and start to turn golden. Add the Aleppo pepper and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the crushed tomatoes, diced tomatoes, oregano, and crushed black peppercorns, bring to a boil, turn down the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.

Add the reserved artichoke marinade and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the artichoke pieces and simmer until the sauce is very thick, about 30 minutes. (The sauce may be made ahead to this point.)

Make the Béchamel: While the artichoke sauce is cooking, make the béchamel. Warm the milk over low heat or in the microwave; don’t bring the milk to a boil. Melt the butter in a large saucepan, thoroughly mix in the flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Slowly stir in the warm milk and cook, stirring, until the sauce is smooth and the thickness of heavy cream. Season with salt to taste. Stir in the 3 ounces of freshly grated parmesan cheese and take the béchamel off the heat.

Measure out 1 1/2 cups of béchamel and set aside to mix into the pasta. Thoroughly mix the ricotta into the remaining 2 1/2 cups béchamel. In a blender or food processor, purée the basil and one cup of the béchamel-ricotta mix; stir this purée back into the remaining béchamel-ricotta mix.

Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, and cook the pasta until it’s al dente (the length of cooking time depends on the size of the pasta). Drain the pasta in a colander, and mix it with the reserved 1 1/2 cups béchamel.

Assemble the Pastitsio: Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place half the pasta in the bottom of a well-oiled 9” x 13” baking pan. Sprinkle the pasta with 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Spread the artichoke sauce over the cheese, making sure the artichoke pieces are evenly distributed. Top with the remaining pasta and another 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese. Spread the Basil Béchamel over the pasta and top with the remaining 1/3 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Bake at 375°F for 20 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350°F and cook for 40-45 minutes, or until the top of the Pastitsio is golden and set. Let cool for at least 15-20 minutes before cutting into squares and serving (if you cut Pastitsio immediately after removing it from the oven it will fall apart).

Recipe for Edamame Pesto Spread (Ενταμάμε Πέστο Σαλάτα)

I always keep a bag of shelled edamame beans in the freezer. They’re colorful, taste great, and very versatile.

Edamames are green soybeans, harvested while the pod is still soft and bright green. In Japanese, “eda” means branches and “mame” means beans; thus, edamames grow in clusters on the soybean plant’s many branches. Edamames are rich in fiber and protein and, like all soybeans, may have significant health benefits.

Last weekend I used them to make Edamame Pesto Spread, a garlicky bean spread loaded with fresh basil, fresh mint, and parmesan cheese. The recipe was inspired by, but quite different from, Marcella Hazan’s Ligurian Raw Fava Bean Spread in Marcella Cucina.

I often use edamames as a substitute for fresh fava beans in Greek recipes, such as braised favas with dill and onions or favas and potatoes baked in grape leaves (recipes for both are in Tastes Like Home: Mediterranean Cooking in Alaska). Recently, I used edamames in Seafood and Vegetable Stew with Rouille.

Except for the fresh herbs, which are readily available at most grocery stores, Edamame Pesto Spread is made with pantry staples. It goes together in minutes and can be served right away. As a result it’s a handy recipe to keep in mind for last minute entertaining, especially in summer when herb gardens flourish.

Edamame Pesto Spread (Ενταμάμε Πέστο Σαλάτα)
Makes about 2 cups
Serve as an appetizer with pita chips or thin slices of bread. Edamame Pesto Spread is also good in sandwiches or on pasta.

1/2 cup freshly grated (or finely ground in a food processor) parmesan cheese
2 cups shelled edamame beans (frozen), thawed
2-3 garlic cloves
1/4 cup whole mint leaves
1/4 cup whole basil leaves
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Put all the ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth, being sure to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl. Taste and add salt, freshly ground black pepper, or lemon juice, as needed.
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This is my entry for My Legume Love Affair, created and hosted by Susan from The Well-Seasoned Cook.

Grilled Cheese and Edamame Pesto Spread Sandwich

The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber with Recipe for Jordanian Kofta and Yogurt Sauce (Ιορδανικό Γιαουρτλού Kεμπάπ)

Diana Abu-Jaber grew up in the environs of Syracuse, New York during the 1960s and 1970s. She shares the dominant cultural references of all Americans her age. Her mother and influential maternal grandmother are Americans, their distant heritage “Irish, German, maybe Swiss?”

Abu-Jaber’s father is from Jordan; his heritage Bedouin and Palestinian. His large, loud, exuberant family, many of whom lived in or near Syracuse, was a constant in Abu-Jaber’s life. At home and in her lunchbox, Abu-Jaber ate Middle Eastern food. This food and her Arabic name, so unlike her pale skin and murky green eyes, set her apart from her schoolmates.

When Abu-Jaber was in grade school, her family moved to Jordan. In Jordan, it was her pale skin that set her apart. The smells and sounds and experiences of life in a crowded Middle Eastern city woke up senses Abu-Jaber hadn’t known in America. Just as her heart began to beat with the rhythm of Jordanian life, Abu-Jaber’s family moved back to America.

“America is a cold breeze that snaps us awake … We’ve left Jordan, with its lush winds, dust, and sun-stained air. When I wake in a hotel bed on the first morning back in America, I’m dazed by a blankness around me: the sleekly painted walls, the air slack without the scents of mint, olive, and jasmine, and an immobilizing silence. I close my eyes and conjure the songbirds Mrs. Haddadin kept in a gold cage hanging from a tree branch; the wobble of Munira’s singing as she dashed a broom through the courtyard. … We’ve returned to Syracuse, to a split-level house that does not have another family living in the upstairs apartment or a communal courtyard or thick hedges of mint.”

In her 2005 memoir, The Language of Baklava, Abu-Jaber describes her rootless journey to adulthood. She struggles to connect with her American and Jordanian cultures, often standing as an outsider to both.

Abu-Jaber grew up in a family of storytellers: “To me, the truth of stories lies not in their factual precision, but in their emotional core. Most of the events in this book are honed and altered in some fashion, to give them the curve of stories. Lives don’t usually correspond to narrative arcs, but all these stories spring out of real people, memories, and joyously gathered and prepared meals.”

The essential truths and complexities of Abu-Jaber’s relationships to her family and twin cultures, as revealed through her stories, are captivatingly real. By book's end, we understand Abu-Jaber’s American and Jordanian heritages are inseparably bound in her heart and soul.

In telling her family's stories, Abu-Jaber reveals universal truths about the immigrant experience in America. Like millions upon millions of immigrants who've given strength and diversity to their adopted homeland, Abu-Jaber’s family, many of whom are Arab and some of whom are Muslim, is inextricably woven into the fabric that makes up America. None of these immigrants, or their descendants, can be categorically ejected or rejected without leaving an irreparable hole.

In other words, there is no “us” and there is no “them.” As Abu-Jaber wrote in the Washington Post, “The world is a place of nuance, flux, hardship and complexity: We all live together in it. The real safety will come from learning how to live together better, not from trying to push others out.”

For me, Abu-Jaber’s book had special resonance. The Language of Baklava is, in many ways, a love letter to Abu-Jaber’s father. I began reading it in a nursing home, by the bedside of my ill father who, briefly and terrifyingly, didn’t recognize me. The veil of sadness through which I read The Language of Baklava made its message of paternal love particularly poignant.

I returned home from visiting my father emotionally drained. That night, I cooked some of Abu-Jaber’s recipes for my husband. As we greedily piled our plates with Jordanian Kofta and garlicky Yogurt Sauce, I experienced anew the relationship between food and love that inspired The Language of Baklava.

Jordanian Kofta and Yogurt Sauce (Ιορδανικό Γιαουρτλού Kεμπάπ)
Serves 4 as a meal or more as an appetizer
Adapted from The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber
These taste best when cooked over a grill (in winter, we grill in our fireplace), but can also be made on a stovetop grill pan. To serve as an appetizer, make smaller kebabs by dividing the meat into 16 equal pieces rather than 8. Serve with Tomato, Cucumber, and Onion Salad, feta cheese, Kalamata olives, and warm pita bread.

Sausage:
1 pound ground lamb or beef
1 egg
1 cup finely diced onion, 1/8”dice
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. freshly crushed cumin
1 tsp. chile powder, preferably Ancho
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Bamboo skewers

Yogurt Sauce:
3 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt, preferably whole milk
1/4 – 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

Make the Sausage: Put all the sausage ingredients in a bowl, and knead everything together with your hands. Divide the seasoned meat into 8 equal pieces. Roll each piece of meat around a bamboo skewer into a long sausage shape. Refrigerate until you’re ready to cook the Kofta. (The recipe may be made ahead to this point.)

Make the Yogurt Sauce: Purée the garlic and salt with the flat of a chef's knife or using a mortar and pestle. Mix the garlic purée with the yogurt and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Taste and add salt or the remaining lemon juice, as needed.

Cook the Sausages: Grill over a hot fire, turning regularly, and being careful not to overcook. Serve immediately, the hotter the better, with a generous dollop of Yogurt Sauce on the side.

To cook on the stove, heat a cast iron grill pan until it’s very hot, cook the sausages until they are well-browned on one side, turn them over, immediately turn down the heat, and cook until they are done on the other side. Serve immediately.
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This is my entry for Cook the Books Club, founded by Rachel at The Crispy Cook, Ioanna from Food Junkie, Not Junk Food, and Deb from Kahakai Kitchen. Cook the Books is an online book club; this month’s selection is The Language of Baklava by Diana Abu-Jaber.

Easy Recipe for Roast Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce (Αρνίσια Παϊδάκια με Σάλτσα Κόκκινου Κρασιού)

Roast Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce is quick and easy to make, but it’s rich with flavor and perfect for days when you don’t want to fuss with dinner.

The lamb is washed, trimmed, put in a simple marinade for 30 minutes, browned on the stove, and oven-roasted. The marinade is boiled and turned into red wine sauce. That’s pretty much it. The sauce’s intense flavor is balanced by the lamb, which cooks to perfection in 15-20 minutes.

Oven-roasted potatoes go really well with Roast Rack of Lamb. They’re also easy to make: cut the potatoes in 2” chunks, brown one cut-side of each chunk in a little olive oil using an oven proof skillet, turn each chunk browned-side up, and put the pan of potatoes in the oven with the lamb for about 15 minutes to finish cooking.

Roast Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Sauce (Αρνίσια Παϊδάκια με Σάλτσα Κόκκινου Κρασιού)
Serves 3 - 4
I use cabernet sauvignon, or a cabernet-merlot mix, for the marinade. No matter the variety, use wine you’re willing to drink, otherwise the sauce won’t turn out well (don’t use anything labeled “cooking wine”). Be sure not to marinate the meat for longer than an hour. After that, dry red wine’s acidity (3.4 to 3.7 ph) begins to “cook” the meat and break down its texture, neither of which are desirable for tender lamb chops. The ribs in a Frenched rack of lamb are completely exposed; the blade and chine bones are removed. In Anchorage, Costco sells good quality, pre-Frenched racks of lamb.

1 8-rib rack of lamb, Frenched
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups dry red wine
2 Tbsp. minced fresh rosemary
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1/4 cup minced shallots
2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp. butter cut in 4 pieces
1 Tbsp. olive oil

Wash the rack of lamb and remove the silver skin and as much fat as possible. Season the lamb on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper. In a gallon-size ziplock bag or bowl large enough to hold the lamb, mix the red wine, rosemary, garlic, and shallots. Put the lamb in the bag, meat side immersed, and let marinate for 30 – 60 minutes at room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Remove the lamb from the marinade and dry well with paper towels (don’t remove any seasoning that’s sticking to the meat).

Put the marinade in a saucepan and bring to a rapid boil. Continue to boil until the marinade is reduced by half. Strain the reduced marinade and discard the solids. Return the liquid to the saucepan, add the chicken stock, and bring to a rapid boil. Continue to boil until the sauce is reduced to 1/2 – 3/4 cup; watch carefully at the end because the sauce can go from perfect to burnt very quickly. Remove from the heat and stir in the butter, one piece at a time. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

After you first put the marinade on to boil, heat the olive oil in an oven-proof skillet. Brown the lamb, meat side down. When the meat side is nicely browned, turn the rack over and put it in the preheated oven. Cook for 15 – 20 minutes, depending on how done you like your lamb and the size of the rack. Remove from the oven, cover with aluminum foil, and let rest for 5 minutes.

Cut the lamb into chops and plate. Drizzle with red wine sauce and serve immediately.
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This is my entry for Original Recipes, an event hosted and created by Culinarty.

Recipes for Oxtail Braised in Sherry & Oxtail Ravioli in Leek-Mushroom Broth

Yesterday the sun was shining and the temperature a balmy 15°F (-9°C).

I came in from my walk invigorated, but wanting something that would warm me from the inside out. Luckily, I had some leftover Oxtail Ravioli in Leek-Mushroom Broth, a remarkably delicious dish I’d made with leftover Oxtail Braised in Sherry.

As I’ve mentioned before, using leftovers as an ingredient is one of the easiest ways to create full-flavored food. Instead of eating the same dish twice in a row, try using all the flavors you worked hard to put in the original dish to create something new and exciting.

Although no longer the bargain it used to be, oxtail (actually, beef tail) is ideal for braising in sherry or other wine. The cartilage, marrow, and tendons in the tail dissolve into the braising liquid when oxtails are cooked long and slow. The meat becomes meltingly tender and the sauce rich and unctuous.

On a recent evening, we feasted on Oxtail Braised in Sherry. There were only two pieces of oxtail left over. That night, I lay in bed scheming and planning how best to use the luscious leftovers. I decided to stuff the meat into Oxtail Ravioli and to enrich the already wonderful braising liquid with earthy mushrooms and sweet leeks.

The next day, I hesitated. Making homemade ravioli seemed like too much of a hassle. But I didn’t have any other ideas, so I persevered and discovered, as I do anew each time I make ravioli, they are easy to make and way less trouble than I always anticipate.

The key to making ravioli is having the right equipment. The dough takes 2 minutes to make in a food processor. A pasta machine quickly rolls out perfect sheets of pasta. Because the machine can roll pasta so thinly, the resulting ravioli are light and tender. If you don’t have the equipment to make your own pasta, store-bought wonton or gyoza wrappers make tasty ravioli.

For another take on ravioli making with leftovers, check out Maria's recipe for Ravioli with Parsley-Pesto.

Oxtail Braised in Sherry
Serves 6 - 8
Oxtail is sold cut into 1” thick slices; buy the meatiest pieces you can find. You will inevitably have a few slices from the tail’s end that have no meat on them. Be sure and add these pieces to the stew; their cartilage adds richness to the broth. Oxtail is delicious braised in any kind of dry wine; I use sherry because I enjoy its subtle flavor. I like the soupy sauce this recipe makes, in part because it leaves me more sauce for playing with leftovers. However, if you want thicker sauce, remove the lid when the meat is done and cook the stew at a medium boil until the sauce is the thickness you prefer.

Braised Oxtail is a good recipe to make ahead. Refrigerating the cooked oxtail hardens any excess fat and makes it easier to remove. As with most braised meats, Oxtail Braised in Sherry freezes well. I make the full recipe, even though I’m cooking for 2, and freeze the leftovers in serving size containers. Other ways of using the leftovers are in Oxtail Ravioli (see recipe below) or for soup (cut up the meat, add it, diced leftover potatoes, and beef stock to the oxtail broth and vegetables, and simmer for 15 minutes).

6 pounds oxtail slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound diced thick-cut pancetta, 1/4” dice
4 cups diced onions, 1/2” dice
1 cup diced carrots, 1/2” dice
1 cup diced celery, 1/2” dice
1 Tbsp. minced fresh garlic
1 750ml. bottle dry Sherry
2 cups beef stock
1 14.5 ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted, juices included
3 bay leaves
Fresh parsley, minced, for garnish

Wash and dry the oxtails. Cut off as much fat as you can. Season the oxtails with salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides. Heat the olive oil in a Dutch oven and, cooking the oxtails in batches, thoroughly brown them on all sides. Remove the browned oxtails from the pot and set them aside.

Add the pancetta to the same pot and cook until it is nicely browned. Add the onions, carrots, and celery, seasoned lightly with freshly ground black pepper, and cook until the onions are translucent, being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot as you cook the vegetables. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Stir the Sherry, beef stock, tomatoes, and bay leaves into the vegetables. Return the browned oxtails to the pot. Bring the liquid to a boil, cover, turn down the heat to low, and simmer for 2 1/2 – 3 1/2 hours, or until the meat is very tender and falling off the bone. (The recipe may be made ahead to this point.)

Remove as much fat as possible from the sauce (a fat separator works well for this task or, if you have time, separate the meat and sauce and refrigerate to harden the fat, which makes it easier to remove from the liquid). If the oxtails have been refrigerated, cook over low heat until the sauce is liquid and the oxtails warmed through. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Sprinkle with minced fresh parsley and serve with boiled or roasted potatoes.

Oxtail Ravioli in Leek-Mushroom Broth
Serves 4 – 6 as a main course (makes 12 ravioli, 3 - 4” diameter)
I make this with leftover oxtail because its unctuousness is well-suited for ravioli. However, any leftover braised beef, such as pot roast or stew, may be used instead. Oxtail broth gels when cold, so you need to warm the leftovers to separate the liquids and solids. Use the oxtail liquids, supplemented with rich beef or chicken stock as needed, to make 4 cups of stock for the Leek-Mushroom Broth. Bone enough oxtails to make 1 cup of chopped meat; one large oxtail slice makes about this amount. You can substitute the vegetable-pancetta mix from the oxtails for up to half the meat. Ravioli freezes well uncooked, so if I’m making ravioli, I usually double the pasta and filling recipes so I can freeze some for another day. As for the truffle cheese and truffle oil, they add satisfying umami to the dish, but neither is necessary; the dish will be very tasty even without them. If you have access to wild mushrooms, by all means use them. Be sure to carefully rinse off any dirt that is trapped between the leeks' many layers.

Pasta:
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp. all purpose flour
1 large egg
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. water, if needed

Ravioli Filling:
1 cup chopped oxtail meat
3/4 cup grated sottocenere al tartufo (truffle cheese) or Italian fontina (about 4 ounces)

Leek-Mushroom Broth:
4 cups sliced cremini or wild mushrooms (about 1/2 pound), 3/8” slices
1 Tbsp. olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 Tbsp. minced rosemary
4 cups sliced leeks, white and light green parts only, 3/8” slices (2-3 leeks)
4 cups beef stock (or oxtail broth and beef stock to make 4 cups)
1 tsp. white truffle oil
1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

Make the Pasta: Put the flour, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Process until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed and the dough starts forming clumps. If the dough is too dry, add water in 1 Tbsp. increments and process again. Dump the dough out onto plastic wrap and knead for 1 minute, adding a small amount of flour if the dough is sticky. When you’re done, the dough should be smooth and firm. Divide the dough into two portions, wrap with plastic wrap, and let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. (The dough can be made ahead to this point.)

Run each portion of dough through the rollers of a pasta machine, starting with the thickest setting. Fold the dough in thirds as if folding a letter, turn it 45 degrees, and again run it through the thickest setting. Repeat the folding, turning, and rolling at least three more times, or until the dough is smooth and shiny. Lay the sheets of dough out on dish cloths while they're waiting their turn to be rolled.

Set the pasta machine at the next thinnest setting. Run the sheets of pasta through, dusting with flour as necessary. Continue reducing the setting of the pasta machine and running the pasta through until you reach the machine’s lowest setting. When the sheets of pasta become too long to comfortably handle, cut them into manageable lengths.

Form the Ravioli: Put 2 tsp. chopped meat on a sheet of pasta in clumps far enough apart so you can cut out 3”- 4” round ravioli. Top each clump with 1 tsp. truffle cheese or fontina. Brush water all around the pasta sheet where there isn’t stuffing (use a pastry brush for this task). Top with a second sheet of pasta. Press down to seal the top pasta sheet onto the bottom sheet, being careful to squeeze all the air out from around the stuffing. Cut out the ravioli and place them on a dishcloth while you boil water.

Cook the Ravioli: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil, then adjust the burner so the water boils slowly. Gently slide in the ravioli and cook until the pasta is tender, about 4 minutes. Remove the ravioli from the water with a slotted spoon and spread out on parchment paper while you make the Leek-Mushroom Broth.

Make the Leek-Mushroom Broth: Sauté the mushrooms, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, in the olive oil and 2 Tbsp. butter until they’re well browned on all sides. Add the garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring regularly, for 2 minutes. Remove the mushrooms and seasonings from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Stir the leeks into the same pan, scraping up any browned bits on the pan’s bottom; add oil or butter, as needed. Sauté the leeks until they’re soft and tender. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in the mushrooms and simmer for 10 minutes. Taste and add salt or freshly ground black pepper, as needed.

Stir in the truffle oil, and gently add the cooked ravioli to the broth. Spoon some broth over the ravioli (I use a turkey baster for this task) and simmer until the ravioli are warmed through.

Serve: Divide the ravioli between 4 – 6 warmed pasta bowls. Divide the broth and vegetables between the bowls, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese, and serve immediately.
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This is my entry for the 100th post celebration of Presto Pasta Nights, created and hosted by Ruth of Once Upon a Feast.

Bob in a Blanket

Recipe for Seafood and Vegetable Stew with Rouille (Red Pepper Sauce)

Fish and Vegetable Stew with Rouille

The discovery of a new dish does more for human happiness than the discovery of a new star. John Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, Physiologie du Gout (Physiology of Taste) (1825)

Where do recipes come from? Family, community, tradition, and serendipitous accident are easy but incomplete answers.

The primary source of recipes has always been an individual cook’s imagination and palate. Over time, original recipes are modified by other cooks’ imaginations and adjusted by yet more cooks’ palates, to infinity and without limitation.

The food articles I enjoy most are ones that explain how a dish was developed or why a cook chose to combine certain flavors. Although its authors’ cooking styles and skills are quite different from my own, Ideas in Food is one of my favorite blogs. It focuses on the techniques and thought processes that go into creating unique flavor combinations.

I recently made Seafood and Vegetable Stew with Rouille. Here's how it came into being:

My kitchen counter was overflowing with garnet yams, bounty from more than one Full Circle Farms CSA box. I wanted to do something other than oven-roasting the yams or making oven fries. Looking for inspiration, I randomly pulled cookbooks off the shelves.

Barbara Kafka’s book Soup: A Way of Life had an interesting recipe for Fall Fish Stew that included sweet potatoes. I decided to try it.

My first version of the stew was similar to Kafka’s, though I substituted sautéed sweet potatoes for boiled and edamame beans for limas. After tasting the broth, I wanted more flavor.

In my next version, I added sautéed onions and red bell peppers, and used a different Rouille recipe than Kafka’s. I seasoned the Rouille with dried, ground red Moroccan pepper (poivron rouge). This version was tasty, but I thought it could be better.

In my final version, I added crushed fennel seeds and shelled shrimp. This combination was exactly what I wanted. Although inspired by Kafka, the final stew is uniquely my own.

I internet-ordered poivron rouge from World Spice Merchants in Seattle, one of my favorite herb and spice purveyors. World Spice describes poivron rouge as “sweet red pepper … produced from sweet round red niora peppers grown in the lush valleys at the foot of the High Atlas Mountains to the northeast of Marrakech.“

Poivron Rouge and Sweet Hungarian Paprika

Although Moroccan recipes often call for paprika, niora peppers are what Moroccans use for “paprika.” The flavor of ground niora differs significantly from sweet Hungarian paprika. Niora is spicier and has a fruitier flavor than its Hungarian counterpart, which has a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Moroccan niora peppers are likely the same as the ñora peppers used in Romesco sauce and other Spanish and Catalonian dishes. In addition to having similar names, nioras and ñoras look the same. Most texts refer to nioras and ñoras only as members of the Capsicum annuum family; in other words, as domesticated peppers. However, in Catalan Cuisine, Colman Andrews says pepper scholar Charles Perry “thinks the nyora [ñora] pepper is the variety scientifically called Capsicum annuum grossum/provar. Pomiforme/sub-var. Conc. Humilirotundum Haz."

No matter what its scientific designation might be, poivron rouge has wonderful flavor and a permanent place in my spice cupboard. Its mildly spicy and fruity tastes make distinctively delicious Rouille and a mouth-wateringly good Seafood and Vegetable Stew.

Seafood and Vegetable Stew with Rouille (Red Pepper Sauce)
Serves 4
The stew may also be made with just fish or just shrimp; if so, use 1 pound of either ingredient. Although not necessary, steamed rice is a nice complement to the spicy, aromatic broth. Serve the rice on the side so eaters can stir the amount they desire into the stew.

1 cup peeled, diced garnet yams or sweet potatoes, 1/2” dice (1 garnet yam)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup diced red bell pepper, 1/2” dice (1-2 peppers)
1 cup diced yellow onion, 1/2” dice
1 tsp. freshly crushed fennel seed
4 cups fish stock or clam broth (nectar)
1 recipe Rouille (see below)
1 cup shelled edamame beans (thawed) or fresh fava beans
1/2 pound skinless fillets of halibut, rockfish, cod, or other white-fleshed fish, cut in 3/4” pieces
1/2 pound shelled and cleaned shrimp, 16-20 count, halved crosswise
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (1 lemon)
Minced parsley for garnish

Sauté the garnet yams in olive oil, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until they start to brown around the edges. Stir in the red bell peppers and onions, and continue to sauté until the onions soften. Add the crushed fennel seed and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the fish stock, bring to a boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. (The recipe may be made ahead to this point.)

In a small bowl, whisk one cup of the hot broth into the Rouille. Stir this mixture into the simmering stew pot, along with the edamame beans, fish, and shrimp. Do not let boil or the Rouille may curdle. Simmer for 3-4 minutes, or until the seafood is cooked through. Stir in the lemon juice. Taste and add salt or lemon juice, as needed.

Sprinkle with minced parsley and serve immediately with steamed rice and wedges of lemon.

Rouille
Recipe adapted from In the Hands of a Chef by Jody Adams
Rouille goes well with all fish, and is a tasty addition to fish salads. The recipe may be doubled or tripled and keeps for a week in the refrigerator.

1 egg yolk
1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. chopped garlic
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. poivron rouge or sweet Hungarian paprika
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Put the egg yolk, mustard, and lemon juice in a blender and mix well. While the blender is running, add the vegetable oil drop by drop so that it emulsifies with the other ingredients. While the blender is running, pour in the olive oil in a steady stream. Add the remaining ingredients and blend until the Rouille is very smooth, scraping down the sides of the blender to ensure all ingredients are thoroughly incorporated.
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This is my recipe for Weekend Herb Blogging, hosted this week by Dee from The Daily Tiffin.