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December 13, 2009
cooking beans with the parsons method
For a long time I didn't understand why anyone would choose dried beans over canned. They were cheaper, sure, but saving a couple bucks didn't seem worth the hours spent producing a pot of unevenly cooked legumes, some hard as little marbles, others so soft their skins floated behind them like ragged capes. A can opener and a quick rinse made much more sense to me.
Then I discovered the Parsons Method.
Russ Parsons mentions it in his kitchen science book for non-science geeks, How to Read a French Fry
His method is this: cook your beans in a dutch oven in a low oven instead of on the stove. You don't have to soak them first. And you can add salt during the cooking.
My dutch oven.
It's simple, I know. But there's magic in the even oven heat and early salting, which leaves each bean soft, whole and deeply seasoned. Plus, no soaking means you can add beans to the menu a couple hours before dinner, rather than the night before.
Another crucial component is, of course, the beans. The older they are, the longer they will take to cook and the greater the risk of uneven cooking. I usually avoid beans at mainstream grocery stores, where they have an unpredictable turnaround time, and purchase instead from Latin or Middle Eastern markets, bulk goods stores like Naturewell or farmers markets. And I have only heard good things about Rancho Gordo's heirloom beans, which ship for a flat rate of $8.
Besides extreme age, there are two other factors which lead to beans that never soften: hard water and acidic ingredients like tomatoes or vinegar. Salt is not on this list, despite the widespread belief that salt prevents beans from softening. According to kitchen-science guru Harold McGee, salt does slow the rate at which beans absorb water, but they eventually soften and cook through. I've been salting my beans for over a year now and it has never interfered with the cooking process.
Also: I really need to start dropping the phrase "salting my beans" into casual conversation.
Beans -- The Parsons Method
Measure out your beans, then wash them and pick out any bits of dirt or straw. (One cup of dry beans makes about 3 cups cooked.) If you are using chickpeas, you'll need to soak the beans overnight in cold water; for all other beans no soaking is required.
Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F. Put the beans in a heavy dutch oven and add 2 1/2 cups of water for every cup of beans. Put the lid on the pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Transfer the pot to the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, then add 2 teaspoons of salt for every cup of dry beans. Stir and return to the oven for another 30-40 minutes. If you suspect your beans are very fresh, start checking them after they have been in the oven for a total of 50 minutes. Chickpeas will need the full 70 minutes and often even more.
Beef chili with pumpkin.
If you'll be using the beans for another dish, you can either drain them and use them immediately, or let them cool in their cooking liquid and refrigerate, liquid and all. If you'll be eating the beans on their own, you can add more flavor by sauteing aromatics like onions, carrots and celery in oil or bacon fat in the dutch oven before adding the dry beans. Drop in a bay leaf or the herb or spice of your choice. As long as you don't add anything acidic before the beans are fully cooked, you can simmer whatever you like along with the beans.
I used this batch of beans (pinquitos, from a stand at the Hollywood Farmers Market) to make beef chili with pumpkin, using grass-fed ground beef from J & J -- the perfect meal for a rainy December night.
Posted by anjali at 4:42 PM | Comments (11) | Categories: Recipe
December 2, 2009
eat my blog
Bakery on Figueroa, year unknown. From the LAPL Photo Collection.
Cathy from Gastronomy Blog is full of good ideas. For instance, San Gabriel Valley eaters have her to thank for the handy acronym for the impossible-to-remember JTYH Restaurant: Justin Timberlake, You're Hot! Easy, right? You'll never embarrass yourself in front of the Chinese knife-cut noodle set again thanks to Cathy.
But perhaps her best idea to date is EAT MY BLOG, a blogger bake sale benefiting the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. As soon as she sent out the call for blogger-bakers, I offered to help, and joined Laurie from G-ma's Bakery and Diana from Diana Takes a Bite on the planning committee. Several weeks, hundreds of emails, forty-plus bakers and one planning dinner at Canelé later, the sale is on and I couldn't be more excited.
Click here for the full-size menu.
Come out to Zeke's Smokehouse this Saturday, December 5th from 10 AM to 4 PM and pick up treats like pear and walnut mini coffee cakes, pumpkin swirl brownies, rose and sweet corn macarons and orange and saffron caramels. There will be a couple vegan options and some gluten-free goods as well. Everything will be priced from $1 to $3 and all proceeds will go to the LA Regional Food Bank, which provides food to the hungry all over LA. Rob and I spent one Saturday morning volunteering there, building bags of food for the elderly, and I can personally vouch for the important and inspiring work they do. (You can read more about the LA Regional Food Bank here and find out how to volunteer with them here.)
I'll be making black sesame cupcakes with matcha frosting and cranberry caramel almond tarts, should you want to eat my blog, but no matter what, this Saturday's sale should be a great time. Just ask this guy, who clearly understands how fun baking can be:
Icing a cake, year unknown. From the LAPL Photo Collection.
EAT MY BLOG
Saturday, December 5th from 10 AM to 4 PM
Zeke's Smokehouse
7100 Santa Monica Blvd.
West Hollywood, CA 90046
UPDATE: The event was a huge success, selling out in the early afternoon and raising $3,000 for the LA Food Bank. Take a look at Cathy's write-up and photos for more details. Thanks to all the bakers and sweets eaters who stopped by!
Posted by anjali at 8:24 AM | Comments (8) | Categories: Event | Hollywood | Meals for a Cause
