Who's Afraid of Soaking Beans?

A few couple months ago I assigned Cooking Homework. November’s homework was to start slow cooking. I did and use our slow cooker every weekend. I don’t love chopping onions with my morning coffee but a few minutes of work and you have chili, soup or a delicious stew waiting for you. Last month, I vowed to embrace my neglected juicer and to break out unused cookbooks.  I’ve definitely juiced more this month. I would encourage fellow juicers reading this to consider using parsnips, papaya is good too, oh and young coconuts. I’m happy to talk juicing because I didn’t cook anything from Healthy Hedonist or Appetite for Reduction. Nada.

I read something over at Verging on Serious that may explain my partial failure. Cameo wrote a great post on making changes and listed these facts from a video series she watched:

Adoption of one new habit at a time- 85% chance of success

Adoption of two new habits at once- 35% chance of success

Adopting of three new habits at once- 10% chance of success.

In my assignment I did something I urge clients not to, I tried to do too much at once thus I’m in the 65% failure faction. So this month, there’s only one assignment I’m throwing out there, beans. Beans would probably make my list of the top 10 healthiest foods; I love Mexican-inspired dishes, bean dips and bean salads. I’m not fond of canned foods so I’ve been using the Fig Food boxed beans. I really should soak and cook my own beans (less packaging, less salt, less expensive) but I don’t. It could be that I lived on black beans and brown rice in college and when I say lived on I mean it.  As scarring as this repetitive eating was the reason I don’t soak beans is really that I’m too lazy. You may have sniffed out that I use lentils and split peas often; they are lazy person’s legumes (no soaking required).

I decided it was time to change my ways reading about bean soaking on More than Cereal. Adele jokes that she used to think of soaking beans as only something a “special” type of person does. However, like other commonly circumvented cooking chores, it’s really not that involved. I did it at 18, in college, and I assure you I wasn’t capable of doing much else at the time.

If you’re contemplating beak soakage, here’s what you do:

Initiate the process the night before (or morning) you plan to cook beans.  Put beans in a large pot, under a few inches of water, and refrigerate. Remove any floating beans as this indicates they’re old. No senior beans allowed. Drain the water (important as you are draining out gassiness), cover with fresh water and cook. I love this slideshow from Serious Eats. Adele and S.E.. concur that cooked beans can be frozen for later use. Love that.

So we have good odds, an 85% chance of soaking success, are you with me? If you’re sitting back a smug soaker, I’m sure there’s something else you been putting off.  What's something you buy that you can make at home or DIY? You have until April.

Cooking Homework: Orphaned Appliances and Unread Books

Nobody puts Breville in the corner.

In October, I introduced the concept of cooking homework. It was a selfishly motivated endeavor to immerse myself in slow cookery but many of you seemed enthusiastic about it. The concept was to give yourself an assignment in the kitchen and then report back with progress. Timing may not be everything but my timing stunk and I checked back with all of you in November right as holiday hell festivities were getting started. Nobody, except me, had done their homework.

Well it’s a new (or newish) year, we’re all back from "winter break" and a new semester is starting. I’ll admit, I have temporarily abandoned my slow cooker and retreated to my cooking comfort zone. Only last week did I do a little rut busting and experimented with some recipes from a beautiful new book "Home Cooking with Jean-Georges". The recipes are manageable but I have to laugh when I see accomplished chef’s concept of “simple recipes”.  Simple to me is fewer than 10 ingredients and does not involve butchering. I cooked Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots and the most delicious chicken breasts ever and really enjoyed it. So, your first homework assignment is to cook 1-2 recipes from a cookbook you haven’t used or haven’t used in a while. I’ll continue to cook Jean-Georges but also plan to make recipes from “Appetite For Reduction” from the author of Veganomicon and “Healthy Hedonist” from one of my favorite chef’s Myra Kornfeld.

After the cooking homework I clearly need some photo homework

Assignment #2 refers to the photo above.  I’m very fickle in the kitchen and with the arrival of the slow cooker and the Vitamix my beloved Breville juicer (in addition to being fickle I’m a bit of an appliance whore, there are worse things right?) has been orphaned. With Organic Avenue opening just a few blocks from my house, I haven’t exactly been juice-deprived.

Can you name the blogger at the register purchasing everything in sight?

 Their Green Coco juice awaits me after a run or barre class while my loyal juicer sits in the corner tucked behind Nespresso. It took some good old-fashioned guilt to get through to me. I was talking to a friend about kitchens and the items we use every day and she said, “well I keep my juicer out because I use it daily.” “You really make a juice every single day?” I had to clarify. “Every day she insisted”. I love the ideal of juicing again (maybe not daily) and also don’t really think anyone needs to spend $10 for greens in a pretty bottle.  Assignment #2 is to revisit a neglected appliance. Whether it’s the blender, waffle iron or even your oven, change things up and maybe you’ll like it.

Mark your calendars, assignments are due a month from today or Friday 3/2. Class will be in session by 6am but you can “hand in” your work any time that day.

What do you think you’ll do for each assignment? Any great cookbook discoveries or new appliances you’d like to mention? Are you more of a cookbook or appliance whore?

Did I mention the NY Giant's Toaster? It's my son's, I swear. Go Giants!