Heirloom Beans by Rancho Gordo (Steve_Sando)

[NancyH]

Steve- can you tell us more about your upcoming book?

[Jaymes]

Steve- can you tell us more about your upcoming book?

←

Well, I tried to add the Amazon link, but something seems to have happened. I'll monitor it, and put in the link if the info comes back up.

Edited September 22, 2008 by Jaymes (log)

[rancho_gordo]

Steve- can you tell us more about your upcoming book?

←

It's a recipe book, but we've listed substitutions if you can't find that exact bean. The introduction is by Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. I thought I'd give him a break and help him out with a little promotion! Some of the recipes are from my restaurant customers like Manresa, Range, Blue Hill at Stonebarns and some are original, from my kitchen and some by Vanessa Barrington. We chose not to make it Mexican even though there is a lot of Mexican and Latin included. There's a lot of theory on cooking beans (including The Parson's Method from our own Russ) and an entry on how to reinvent a pot of beans. I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out.

Amazon seems nutty today but it's on Barnes and Noble and smaller bookstores seem to have it already.

[Jaymes]

Looks like the Amazon site is back up.

Heirloom beans.

[rancho_gordo]

Word comes back that shipping notices have been received and smaller bookstores actually have it in stock.

Help is on the way!

[Kerry Beal]

Jessica's Biscuit (www.ecookbooks.com) says it's in stock!

[rohandaft]

Steve- can you tell us more about your upcoming book?

←

It's a recipe book, but we've listed substitutions if you can't find that exact bean. The introduction is by Thomas Keller of the French Laundry. I thought I'd give him a break and help him out with a little promotion! Some of the recipes are from my restaurant customers like Manresa, Range, Blue Hill at Stonebarns and some are original, from my kitchen and some by Vanessa Barrington. We chose not to make it Mexican even though there is a lot of Mexican and Latin included. There's a lot of theory on cooking beans (including The Parson's Method from our own Russ) and an entry on how to reinvent a pot of beans. I'm pretty pleased with the way it came out.

Amazon seems nutty today but it's on Barnes and Noble and smaller bookstores seem to have it already.

←

I just ordered a copy through amazon.co.uk You try my beans, I'll try yours.

[edsel]

My book arrived last week. I've barely had time to browse through it, but I have to say that it's living up to my expectations. Lots of useful information, well-organized, but with a relaxed tone.

The recipes look terrific. I think I'll have to make "Cellinis and Martinis" for the name alone.

[adey73]

Steve, are there measures in metric in the book?

[BetD]

Yippee!!!

After being on pre-order from Amazon since April, it has arrived and it is lovely. Although I have never really met a bean I didn't like, these look like dishes that I will want to add to my "YUM.....make again" list. Nice job Steve

[rancho_gordo]

I'm glad you like what you see so far. My editor told me we're all ready going into another printing, based on reaction and pre-sales. I told him it was probably my mother and her friends and not to get too excited but it seems a go.

adey73, there's a metric conversion chart in the back, but this kind of cooking isn't so specific. Some of this and that and you have magic.

rohandaft, I'm loving your book, Menu del Dia. I hope mine works for you!

[Kim D]

Steve,

Any chance that you'll be selling your beans at Union Square Greenmarket this Wednesday when you do your book signing?

- Kim

[robert40]

I can't wait to pick up this book. Needless to say you know your a rancho_gordo fan when you still have the companies calender on your kitchen wall, even though its three years old.

[muichoi]

rohandaft, are you the author of the irreplaceable 'Daft about Lager'? I was thinking about that superb publication the other day.

Edited October 4, 2008 by muichoi (log)

[Jaymes]

I can't wait to pick up this book. Needless to say you know your a rancho_gordo fan when you still have the companies calender on your kitchen wall, even though its three years old.

←

Yeah, Rancho. When are the new calendars coming out?

This might be a good time since, as we all know, you've got nothing else on your plate in your beanpot.

[rancho_gordo]

Steve,

Any chance that you'll be selling your beans at Union Square Greenmarket this Wednesday when you do your book signing?

- Kim

←

They're pretty adamant that I don't and I understand.

Luckily, there apparently is someone who grows them and they'll have them for sale.

Mine are just available at Marlow and Sons in NY, and of course mail order.

[rohandaft]

rohandaft, are you the author of the irreplaceable 'Daft about Lager'? I was  thinking about that superb publication the other day.

←

Not forgetting my Brutish collaborators, Malcolm Bennett and Aidan Hughes, yes, I am the author of Daft About Lager. The book was published in 1989 and my overriding memory of it is going to the Penguin offices in Kensington twice a week in a cab to pick up the many, many cases of lager we were sent, and then paying for the cab with the likes of Tennants Super or the particularly horrible Kestrel (remember that?) equivalent. It's very nice to know that you were thinking about it and consider it irreplaceable.

[rohandaft]

I'm glad you like what you see so far. My editor told me we're all ready going into another printing, based on reaction and pre-sales. I told him it was probably my mother and her friends and not to get too excited but it seems a go.

adey73, there's a metric conversion chart in the back, but this kind of cooking isn't so specific. Some of this and that and you have magic.

rohandaft, I'm loving your book, Menu del Dia. I hope mine works for you!

←

Congratulations - it's just arrived and looks great. A late night platter of canned sardines, avocados, and pickled sliced chiles at the Opera Bar in Mexico City is very appealing. As is the recipe for Anasazi Cowboy Chili with Buffalo and Nopales - I have direct access to cactus but have never cooked with it. I'm really looking forward to this.

[prasantrin]

I wasn't sure where to put this, but Rancho Gordo got a little shout out on David Lebovitz's blog!

[Kerry Beal]

I was heading out of the car a couple of days ago with my very favorite Rancho Gordo cloth bag - when my neighbour Gord spied it in my hand. You could see the excitement on his face as he tried to figure out how he was going to get me to give it to him.

He hasn't got it yet - I'm going to have to get another bag first. It's interesting how many questions that bag generates when you are in the grocery store.

[Lapin d'Argent]

Let me say that the recipe for Tuscan Ribollita with Runner Cannellini Beans is worth the purchase price alone!

I hesitated (briefly) before posting this, because with a second batch of this wonderful, hearty seasonal dish in the oven/on the stove now, I went to order more runner cannellinis, and discovered that Steve is temporarily out. But fear not, I'm sure more will be in stock soon, and besides, there are lots of other great recipes to try -- one for every week of the year!

If you haven't already purchased this book, RUN to the bookstore or your nearest online purveyor and get your copy now.

Thanks Steve for all the great beans and now all the great ways to cook them!

- Laura

[kayb]

Resurrecting this topic to ask a question. I was gifted with a smoked pork tenderloin today, and decided I needed some Boston baked beans to go with it. Hadn't soaked any beans, as I hadn't planned on cooking beans tonight, but no worries -- I have an Instant Pot, and I'll just pressure cook those babies unsoaked.

 

Put a half-pound of alubia blanca beans in the IP with the requisite ingredients, and decided to go 45 minutes at high pressure. Quick released the pressure because I was getting hungry and everything else was done -- beans were not. I said...well, never mind what I said, but I started 'em back for another 30 minutes. At the end of that time -- still hard. So I cursed, fixed my plate without them, and set them for another 45 minutes. For anyone who's counting, that's a solid two hours under pressure. And they still weren't done.

 

I presently have them on the slow cook setting and plan to let them cook all night.

 

Has anyone else had this experience with these beans? I've had them in my pantry less than six months. I'm befuddled.

 

[JoNorvelleWalker]

Are you sure you didn't accidentally grab ayocote blanco?  I've had to pressure cook RG ayocote varieties four hours.

[blue_dolphin]

I cook the alubia blanca beans fairly often and find that they are usually done fairly quickly, on the spectrum of all beans but I have not tried them in the instant pot.

My usual method is no soak, bring them to a boil on the stovetop with a couple of bay leaves, a few cloves of garlic and 2 or 3 dried red chili peppers.  I let them boil briskly for 5 min or so then add the salt, put the covered pot into the oven at 250 or 275, just enough to barely boil.  I'd say the alubia blanca beans are usually ready after 60-90 min in the oven or less.  

 

With the instant pot, I liked the beans best when I cooked them part-way under high pressure, let the pressure reduce naturally for 10 min before releasing the valve and finished cooking them at a simmer using the saute function.  For the Yellow Indian Woman beans, I think it was around 25 min under pressure and 25 min simmering in the pot.

[kayb]

@JoNorvelleWalker, no, they were alubia blanca. I got the bag back out of the trash and looked.

 

Update -- this morning, after 12 hours on slow cook, they were done -- but surprisingly, still quite firm and not mushy. Bonus -- the long, slow cook made the sauce absolutely delectable. As I am cooking risotto today, they'll go in the fridge for sometime later.