YOU SHOULD MAKE THIS // ISSUE 09

A newsletter without anything political, just beans. And this good bean making playlist.
And some holiday crafts. But back to the beans. I will never not be cooking a pot of beans. I made these for an 80 person wedding and I feed them to everyone that comes over during winter months. I like to save cooking scraps and sad produce from the week for a weekend pot of beans: extra onion ends, wilted herbs, or flimsy carrots add great flavor and cut down on waste. There's more bean background on my website, but here's the guide to get you going.

BROTHY BEANS: A GUIDE 
Makes 1 big pot of beans (about 6 cups cooked beans)
Takes less than 2 hours, start to finish

PARTS 
— Beans: 1 pound dried beans (about 2 cups). At most grocery stores, or get some Rancho Gordo online 
— Liquid: enough bone broth, water or a mix of the two to fill a large pot 
— Onions: a yellow onion and/or a few shallots, skin on and quartered, or some scallions or leeks
— Garlic: a whole head, halved horizontally or some smashed cloves 
— Woody Herbs: a few bay leaves, whole sprigs of oregano, rosemary, sage or thyme
— Spices: a few dried chiles or crushed pepper flakes for spice, fennel seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns
— Veggies: divided into 2 categories: hearty veggies like carrots, celery, fennel etc. or softer veggies like spinach
— Fat: A few tbsp butter, or a big glug of good olive oil
— Other stuff to add: half a lemon or some lemon peel, a Parmesan rind, a strip of kombu, bacon
 

CLUES 
Prepare Beans: Strain beans and give them a quick rinse, removing any debris, then place in a large pot and cover with liquid of choice: broth, water or a combo of both, covering beans by about 2” to 3”. Add aromatics, hearty veggies and a big pinch of salt. Wait to add the more delicate veggies until beans are closer to being done. 

Simmer Beans: Bring beans to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to a low simmer, cover, and cook for 30 minutes. Then, uncover beans, season with more salt, and continue to cook on a low simmer, stirring occasionally, until liquid reduces a bit and beans are soft and tender. If liquid gets too low at any point, just add more! When beans are getting close to done, add softer veggies and herbs. Feel free to smash a few of the beans for a creamier base, or do what I do and fish around for the soft garlic cloves, smashing them against the side of the pot to release more flavs. The timing on this remaining cook is up to you and your beans, it could be 20 more minutes or an hour longer. Stir beans every so often, and test tenderness here and there. Sometimes I cook my beans to be al dente, sometimes I simmer until they’re buttery and falling apart soft.

Finish Beans: Once the beans are cooked to your liking, remove from heat and use tongs or a slotted spoon and remove bay leaves, dried chilis, herb stems, or onion skins. Stir in butter or olive oil to finish beans and add some cozy richness. Taste and season with (a lot of) salt and pepper. Serve with a drizzle of olive oil, fresh grated Parmesan, or extra herbs. You can store leftover cooked beans in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or you can freeze them. If you are storing in the fridge, make sure they’re covered in the cooking liquid so they don't dry out.

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD MAKE

During the last few months of this ~ special ~ year I've been channeling anxious energy into creative projects, like dying everything I own, and now, holiday projects.

Dried Citrus. Make a wreath with them, add them to your Negroni as garnish, decorate a tree with them, or use them to spice up your gift wrapping. To make: thinly slice citrus into rounds. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake at 200°F for 4-5 hours, flipping every hour or so, until totally dried out. If they're cut a little thick and not drying out, place them directly on oven rack toward the end for extra airflow underneath. 

Canvas Banners. To make these I buy cheap canvas banners and iron on letters at craft stores or online. For this one in particular, I bought a sheet of uninspiring iron-on glitter stars, and then cut the stars into strips. Just arrange and then iron to hold in place. 

Make some beans, make some crafts, and ride light in the saddle.