"beans" news and stories

Breakfast may be the most important meal of the day, but that doesn't mean we typically plan for it. No, we often find ourselves staring vacantly into the refrigerator musing how we're not really in the mood for this and that is going to go bad soon and wasn't this good but too bad there's so little left of it and, gee, I totally forgot about that.

Some of the best breakfasts I've made have been thrown-together affairs, mixing random leftovers with eggs to unexpectedly delicious result.

Such is this breakfast recipe, which tosses together Mexican/Caribbean odds and ends dug out of the refrigerator. Recipe for my surprisingly tasty Tropicana Breakfast --so dubbed because it was invented one fine Sunday off of Tropicana Aveneue--follows after the jump.

Yesterday, I posted about curing the recession blues by daydreaming of sumptuous feasts à la Alice B. Toklas. As I wrote, I was reminded of an old southern joke my father told me years ago that is now among my favorites. So, if fantasy isn't your bag, how about a little humor to lighten the mood? The joke goes something like this:

Old Man Clackett was getting pretty long in the tooth. Sensing that his dying day was near, he figured it was time to confess his wrongdoings to those he'd sinned against.

"Maw Clackett, you come on in here," he called to his beloved wife of 61 years. "I got to talk to you."

Maw Clackett wheeled into the room. "What are you carrying on about, Paw?" she asked.

"It's time I told you about my old pebble jar, Maw. You see, every time I was unfaithful to you I put a pebble in this here jar." He showed her the jar, which held three pebbles.

"Well, old man, I reckon that ain't too bad. To tell the truth, I got a jar of my own. Every time I stepped out on you, I dropped a bean down in it." She wheeled over to her dresser, opened the top drawer, and pulled a jar out from under the clothes.

Old Man Clackett winced. He hadn't expected this. "Well then, let's see it, woman."

Punchline after the jump...

• How does your favorite cafe roast their beans? What beans go best with which roasting methods? (article complete with eerily magnified photo of coffee bean that looks more like...well, you figure it out)
• Grandpa's Dribble Cake is no easy task: two layers of cake and two kinds of frosting make this a daunting - but rewarding - task
• In the Boston area? In the mood for some ripe, juicy strawberries? Here's where to find 'em
• Forget vanchocstraw - instead, get a load of these Cook Farm family ice cream recipes: apple-blueberry crisp; coconut with chocolate and almonds; and - why not? - asparagus
• Organic spirits continue to gain popularity, so you can drink with a clear conscience
  
• Want to teach your old dog new tricks? Try one with homemade sauerkraut, or even pineapple
• A father, his road to chef-dom, and a really awesome recipe for fig, pear, caramelized onion and blue cheese pizza

Source

Hungry, but down to the last quarters in your laundry money jar? Head to The Culinary Review, a consumer guide to food costs, to figure out just how much grub that last $.75 will get you.

The Culinary Review has broken down the costs of various common meals, some of which make a McDonald's Egg McMuffin look like caviar on toast. Make yourself a fruit yogurt smoothie, hard-boiled egg and toast for a mere $1.11 or a cup of black bean soup for $.80.

They also give the prices of a number of Food Network chef-prepared meals. Some are surprisingly expensive - Tyler Florence's mozzarella grilled cheese is $5.59 a serving, certainly pricier than at many diners, while others are grad student-cheap - Alton Brown's baked mac and cheese is a mere $0.96 a serving. Serve that with some sauteed greens or cabbage slaw and you've got lunch for less than the price of a cup of coffee. Also check out the handy tips for saving money in the kitchen (don't buy pre-cut meat) and a list of where to splurge (olive oil, canned tuna) and where to save (canned veggies, cured meats).

Source

Unlike some states, there is no state food of Indiana, but if you want to inject something from the state into your SuperBowl menu, there are lots of foods that originated in or are otherwise associated with the crossroads of America. For example, Van Camp's Beans was established in Indianapolis in 1861 as a result of the popularity of pork and bean dishes with the early residents. Clabber Girl baking powder, Wonderbread, Gatorade and Endangered Species Chocolate all originated in the state as well, and there have been many noted Indiana fans who also got into the food business, like Orville Reddenbacher.

So, an Indy-oriented menu will have baked goods (made with baking powder), pork and beans, chocolate and popcorn. If you can find some at the market, you could add deep fried strawberries in for dessert, or opt for other fair foods, like corn on the cob dipped in butter. But according to the Indy Star, the one food that really says Indiana is a breaded pork tenderloin sandwich (Hoosier rib-eye sandwich is a close second). You can find a recipe for this (semi) regional treat here.