fifi

While the half time show was going on, I was making more sandwiches with Nigella's pork and =Mark's sauce. I could hear all of the absolute noise. There was general chagrin at the lousy show. I also heard some things that passed for lyrics that sounded questionable. So did some others. So I wonder if it was just the flashing thing. I totally missed that. Had to make more sangria.

Oh Lord, yes! Add as many thin slices of ripe tomato as you think you can hold on with the top slice of bread, add a goodly shake of Spike, roll up your sleeves and eat over the sink. There's no way you can put it down, so you'll have to eat it while the juice runs down your chin and arms. And you gonna have to wash your face afterwards. Welcome Purrkins. Sounds like you know your way around a sandwich. My sister sometimes adds tomato. I am a genetic mutant. I hate raw tomato so I don't indulge in that direction. Do you find the big dose of onion makes you nappy?

I second the request for haricot verts. I have never tried to grow them and I never can find them. I don't even know anyone that grows them, come to think of it. Why is that?

I would seriously consider buying a cheap suitcase just to haul it home. That is what our Latin American friends do that come to Houston a couple of times a year to shop. You see a lot of elegantly turned out ladies with these really cheap-o vinyl suitcases stuffed like mattresses.

Reporting in... The little ham came off at 10:00 this morning. Yes... It is good. Damn good. I will admit to a bit of worry about the whole thing. The fresh ham (butt portion, I actually prefer shank) does not have as much marbling and maybe not as much connective tissue as a butt. It did have a fairly nice fat cap. Well... Not to worry. It is moist and succulent. The outside meat surfaces are a bit on the almost crunchy side but that will be fine chopped and sauced. Since I didn't use a rub, I am really glad I brined it. What would I do differently? I would use a stronger brine possibly. I used the classic 1 cup Kosher salt per gallon and it sat for about 12 hours in the brine. It is fairly nicely seasoned but, for eating as-is, I might like a little more salt. However, that probably gives me a little more latitude in the final preparation

No kidding. Like I don't have enough LC already. Unfortunately (or fortunately for my ragged credit card) the new designs haven't shown up on the US site yet.

I am remiss. How could I forget about Rainbow Lodge? This is one of my favorite places in Houston. Years ago, my first trip there, I was reading the history of the place on the menu. To my great surprise, it was originally the home of my beloved pediatrician, Dr. Collier.

I think we should all get together and form an unruly mob, armed with okra, and bombard Brooks until he is covered with okra slime. For shame. A TEXAN, for chisakes, has a gumbo recipe in there.

My dad actually got some papayas to produce one year. Some seeds voluntarily sprouted from the compost pile. He moved the little plants and had a mild winter. I think he only had to cover them once. We had the most interesting compost pile. My mother and dad were adventurous cooks and gardeners, always "bit" on anything unusual that showed up in markets, and everthing went into the compost pile. One year a mystery squash vine showed up. Mom let it go on to produce and no one remembered seeing a squash like that so we figured it was some sort of natural hybrid. We dubbed it the "mystery squash" and had fun figuring out what to do with it. For all of you tomato fans, our own rancho_gordo put a link to his site in the Dried Beans thread. Neat site, and he has some descriptions of interesting tomatoes. He doesn't sell seed but you might find the descriptions and history of some of these interesting.

Thank you, Jaymes. You may have saved my sanity. I am beginning to suspect that our local newspaper, The Houston Chronicle, had the great good sense to pick up a Parsons column. They do that from time to time. Maybe that is why I am remembering "respected SSB" regarding salt in beans but I am not finding it in my library. Russ's book is on my "to buy" list but I am still working my way through my last stack of Paula Wolfert. Maybe Russ will chime in here and share some more details.

Yeah. The whole site is really nifty. I am trying to justify a little trippy-poo to Napa just to buy some beans. Does that sound nuts or what?

In Texas, pintos rule. They are usually cooked with some kind of cured pork product. The addition of chile powder, peppers, onions and garlic is not unheard of. Especially in the SE portion of the state, late summer peas are always popular. sometimes these are allowed to dry but are a favorite fresh in late summer. I still remember sitting on the porch shelling peas until my fingers were sore. Favorites are purple hulls, crowders, cream crowders (getting hard to find) and something called lady peas (also getting hard to find). Then there is the ubiquitous black eyed pea. These are a necessity on New Year's Day. They also form the base for a bean salsa known as Texas Caviar. There are many versions. In my family, navy beans are a favorite. My dad was in the navy during WWII and from then on, a pot of navy beans was the typical fate of the monthly ham leavings. Houston has an incredibly diverse population so all kinds of interesting things are becoming more popular. As our Latin American/Caribbean population continues to diversify, black beans are becoming particularly common. You ask a very good question. I would like to hear of some other regional favorites.

That is what I was afraid of. I'll bet that there is enough difference in tissue structure of different varieties of beans that you can't really make sweeping generalizations. Damn. Something as simple as a bean can get really complicated. Mother Nature is a bitch.

I gave up soaking a long time ago. I am not usually that organized. I have a hard enough time planning to brine meat. I have been tearing the house up looking for some books without any luck, and checking all of my SSB type references. I just remembered reading somewhere that you can tell if a bean is old and over the hill by what the skin does if you put some hot water over it and see what happens. WHAT the skin does is what I can't remember and it is driving me nuts. Also, being an SSB, I would have to understand the theory behind that since different beans can have different structures at the microscopic level and might react differently. edit to add: Sorry, I have a day job. Otherwise, selling beans could be fun.

When I had adequate freezer space I used to keep some things in the freezer. Even some specialty flours and stone ground corn meal. For one thing, a long sleep at below zero usually kills the eggs. Also, chile powders (paprika being one) are really prone to the little buggers. I wonder if they are the larvae of some sort of fruit fly critter that likes peppers? Actually, it is better to keep those in the freezer anyway for freshness.

Thanks for weighing in rancho_gordo. I think you are confirming what has been found by testing under controlled conditions. Is the data given in the govt link above correct? Is the peak freshness gone after one year? And does that differ by type of bean? As reported above, I have just started to see "use by" dates on some bean packages. Is that a new trend? Damn. Why don't you sell mail order?

I don't know the chemistry of the Kombu but if it is alkaline in nature, then there could be a difference. The drawback to playing around with alkalinity to make beans softer is that with the cell walls breached, nutrients can be lost. For that reason, use of baking soda or other alkaline additives is not normally recommended. Of course, if you are not dependent upon beans for significant nutritional needs, then it probably doesn't matter. It does seem a waste though. Salt is salt whether it comes from the seaweed or the shaker. I have cooked beans with salt and salted pork for fifteen years and the only time I have gotten beans that wouldn't get smooth textured was when I had good reason to suspect old beans. Then, beans have different textures inherent to the particular type of bean. In the Louisiana thread we have noted that only Camellia brand red kidney beans reliably cook to that famous creamy consistency. I have looked at Camellia brand and other brand kidney beans under the microscope and there did seem to be a difference in size of the amyloplasts, the starch containing bodies. I don't think I have ever had a "creamy" garbanzo, and I am not sure I would want one.

Last year on the general gardening thread, someone was covered up with basil and couldn't possibly make another year's supply of pesto. I suggested buying a lamb and feeding the little sucker up on the basil. Should be pretty tasty.

Our Central Market and Whole Foods is in town inside the loop. That is about a 30 mile trek so I don't frequent the place. I am assembling a list that will justify a trip and I have just added the beans to the list.

Where do you get Anazasi beans? I have heard of them but never had them. I have seen them in "gourmet" shops and such but I have always been wary of those sources. I wouldn't think their turnover is enough to ensure "fresh" beans... whatever that means. Even if I am cooking beans plain as an ingredient for another dish, I add a little salt. I am just going with the same concept as rice and pasta. I do have to say that I don't do that often. For a bean salsa and such, the Goya canned beans are really good so I don't usually bother with cooking beans for such uses. I get bit by the lazy bug.

Camellia Red Beans site with interesting history and a few recipes. I have sent them an inquiry about why their beans are different and what they consider a good shelf life. I will report back here and on the Dried Bean thread.

I went to my local Randall's (owned by Safeway) and while I was there, checked out some bags of beans. House brand... Clearly marked (well, pretty clearly) "best if used by". The more popular beans such as red kidneys, pintos, great northerns and blackeyed peas, were generally given a date toward the end of 2004. Interestingly, limas are dated for May of 2004. Goya... Some cryptic inked on numbers, not always legible, and I have no idea what they mean. Various specialty brands and "gourmet" mixes with accompanying spice packs... No marks whatsoever. Now I am wondering if the "use by" date is the magic one year from harvest? I will see if there is a way I can e-mail safeway and maybe Camellia.

I have my collection of five spice based rub, a latin american rub (cumin is in there), and I am going to make some of =Mark's sauce. I figure I can make just about anything out of this puppy.

Reporting in. My little ham went in the oven at 10:00 this morning. Predictably, I opted not to use a rub. It was brined overnight.

Ah... The acid issue. You are right. I don't have many bean recipes that use tomato products but those that do get the tomato added at the end. Oddly enough, those who INSIST on putting beans in chili exploit this property whether they know it or not. More from McGee: Now... if you are going to adulterate a perfectly good chili with beans , you really don't want them turning into mush. This is one place where a firm bean is called for. McGee also goes on to say that you can use this knowledge to keep beans at a particular texture when reheating or adding to another dish in a secondary cooking by making the new environment more acid. I am going to have to go back and check the cassoulet recipes. I seem to remember at least one that puts a bit of tomato in there but I am not sure how much or at what point in that long process. BTW... This Amazon link to McGee's original tome is eGullet friendly. I highly recommend this book. Then Amazon helpfully gives you that "people who bought this book also bought..." so that you can gleefully run your credit card flat.