As much as I love paging through all the beautiful cookbooks that are getting published at a rapid rate these days, I will always be devoted used cookbooks. I picked up this one, Simple Pleasures by Helen Hecht last December while I was in Portland (the main Goodwill Store in lower SE has one of the best book sections around) and it's become one of my new favorites. The first time I leafed through it, I had to leap up for a pad of post-it notes, to mark all the appealing recipes.

Helen Hecht wrote a series of cookbooks in the late seventies and early eighties, all of which seem to be out of print now. I'm sad about that, as this book is an accessible and gentle entry into home entertaining (and contains a number of recipes that are also perfect for everyday) and I imagine her other books are just as nice.

I've been trying to make at least one pot of soup a week, so as to get six to eight meals for Scott and me from a single cooking effort. This week, I used Hecht's recipe for Black Bean Soup (recipe after the jump) as my starting place (I made a few changes, as I'm simply unable to follow a recipe word for word). It turned out perfectly and will be good eating all week long (I'm also taking a couple of quarts to friends who had their second baby on Thursday).

Other recipes from this book that I've marked? Whole Roasted Onions, a Tomato, Peach and Red Onion Salad, White Bean Salad and Miniature Lime Muffins. When I make them, I'll be sure to let you all know how they turned out!

Helen Hecht's Black Bean Soup
from Simple Pleasures: Casual Cooking for all Occasions
1 pound dry black beans
9 cups cold water
3 tablespoons unsalted butter (I subbed in some olive oil instead)
2 cups fine-chopped yellow onion
1 celery stalk, chopped fine
2 large garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 smocked pork hock (I used some bacon ends instead)
3 cups chicken stock or broth (I just used more water)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup Madeira (I didn't use it because I didn't have it. Tasted fine without it).

Soak the beans overnight in 8 cups of water.

In a large heavy saucepan or Dutch oven, melt the butter and saute the onions, celery and garlic until soft but not brown. Add the parsley, bay leaf and pork hock. Pour in the beans and their soaking liquid, the remaining cup of water and the chicken stock.

Partially cover, bring to a simmer and cook gently for 3 to 3 1/2 hours, or until the beans are very soft. Remove the pork hock and bay leaf and puree the soup through a food mill (or do what I did and just smash some of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon. I like the chunkier texture).

Just prior to serving, add the lemon juice, Madeira and ground pepper to taste. Garnish with sour cream, freshly chopped onion and minced chives.