A Tradition of Beans
For the third day this week I’ve eaten beans for a meal. Yes, the same beans. No, not different beans. The same beans I made upon arriving home from Miami were eaten twice this week. I’ve never been one to side eye leftovers, rather, I’ve always been a champion for them. Perhaps because the food culture in my home was:
1) eat what I made tonight or starve
2) eat these leftovers or starve
3) we don’t waste food or we’ll starve
4) we don’t have money for anything else, so unless you wanna starve, you’re eating this
I eat my leftovers, always. In some fashion I eat them; be it for lunch or concocting some new twist for a meal.
I thought about going on a bean nutrition tirade, but you already know they’re good for you. If you’re going to eat them you will and if you have something against a bean you’ll find any excuse not to eat them. You know they can make you toot, but it’s NBD and shouldn’t stop you. Beans do not have an overwhelming flavor, which is why they’re great in salads, soups, baking and beyond because they take on the flavor of whatever you’re adding - from the savory, to the sweet or the spicy. What I love most about beans is their versatility.
When I look at all food, not just beans, I see endless possibilities - not a one dimensional meal. You can take the same beans, vegetables, protein, or grains and add a new spice - taking it from Italian, to Mexican to Asian - add an egg on top - throw in greens, make a soup. All. Food.
On the last day of my stay with my aunt and uncle in Miami, they sat down to a lunch of beans, squash and hard bread - typical southern Italian, typical Brooklyn, typical I grew up with my Italian immigrant grandparents type of meal. As I watched my aunt and uncle match one another spoon for spoon, they talked to me about the small farm in Italy where their beans came from; my uncle brings them back on his trips. They talked me through how to make squash with chilies and how they can’t find the exact squash here, but they’ve found something similar and stringy that cooks just like the version they know. I listened, I learned. I got lost in thoughts of my tradition and why I learned to cook and feed myself.
My beans were not from Italy, they were canned from Goya, but I made them with the same love and learnings in only 15 minutes. I also made the squash, but will post that another night.
The beans pictured here contain a simple melding of carrots, celery, onions, garlic, crushed red pepper flakes, salt and water. This brought me back to my grandmothers kitchen. As I sat and ate alone, I was thankful I grew up in a home with traditions - with a love of food - even though I struggled with my relationship to food for so long. Some nights I think about how good it feels to be free, to have redefined what it means to feed myself.
Get in the kitchen, think about yourself, learning and creating new traditions. If you grew up without a tradition of food, what can you do to start one of your own?
XO
Famiglia Fagioli
2-3 tablespoons of olive oil
1 15 oz. can of Cannellini beans drained and liquid reserved
1/2 of an onion, finely diced
2 carrots, finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, finely chopped
*to chop all of the above, for speed, I place all in my food processor
10-15 cherry tomatoes or 1/4 cup of canned, diced, unseasoned tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon of red pepper flakes, optional
Salt to taste
Water to desired consistency
Fresh parsley, optional
Grated pecorino or parmigiano for serving, optional
Place a medium sized stock pot over medium low heat, adding olive oil, red pepper flakes, onions, celery, carrots and a dash of salt - sauteing for 10 minutes until soft and fragrant
add a few drops of water if your veggies are sticking
Add beans, along with reserved bean water and a little more water if needed - until you reach a consistency you desire
Add parsley, toss in cheese or serve with cheese on top
Tips
-We use the bean water because it’s already flavored and has a thicker consistency, it’ll help naturally flavor your beans so you needn’t add much extra salt
-If you prefer a “soupier” bean dish, add more water and flavor accordingly
-Beans can be served over a multitude of items: 1) serve on a bed of spinach and it will melt naturally into the beans 2) serve over rice, grain or tubettini pasta - a tradition in our home 3) serve over spaghetti squash or any hefty pre-roasted root such as butternut squash or sweet potato for a hearty and grounding meal 4) eat as is