More On Black Beans

[kbobam]

Well first off I want to say to the one or two of you who aren't particularly fond of my 'Weekend Happy-Hour' posts

and read the title and thought to yourselves "Ha! Probably more like a 'Moron black beans' post!", well, I'm not mad.

Just terribly disappointed!

Cooking up my latest batch today, and had sort of a flash-back. I was sampling a few to check how 'done' they were.

And it hit me that at this point in the cooking process they tasted just like chick-peas. Which brought me back to the

streets of New York many many years ago. In some areas you could get hot chick-peas in a paper cup from street vendors.

With lots of melted butter and black pepper. They were cheap and one of the greatest things you'd ever eat.

So you already know what I had to do. Took a big spoonful from the very pot o' beans you see pictured below, and

whipped 'em up in a cup with butter and pepper. I couldn't believe how well it worked.

This was at a seriously 'al dente' point in the cooking process.

And I'm finding recently that as you continue to cook them the taste changes significantly.

Cook them a little more and they shift from chick-pea to chestnut.

After that, they start to get the more traditional 'bean' taste.

I don't think butter would work well at this point, but of course a lot of other things would. ( :

Black gold! Didn't know beans had aventurine in them, did you?

[Steph]

So, you cook them from scratch?

I'm never learned to cook beans.

I have several cans of black beans. Might have some tonight.

[kbobam]

Canned beans are always great to have around too.

You could also wait until breakfast like our British friends. ( :

[disco005]

You had me at melted butter and black pepper

[lstmmrbls]

I really do enjoy the inspiration you give me!!

[kbobam]

Galen, I was just remembering something from many years ago.

And I'm pretty sure you're the guy to ask since I'm pretty sure you've been

known to take advantage of all the great Asian food available in your wonderful part of the world.

Have you had 'bean' ice-cream?

I had it once, and I'm thinking it may have been a Thai place but don't really remember.

It might have been called 'red bean'.

I was a little scared to try it, but it was great.

There was also a 'green tea' ice cream that was also a 'two thumbs up'. ( :

[migbar]

I live in an old post-war Japanese neighborhood downtown, and there is a Japanese shaved ice place down the street. The sweet bean snowcones are one of the more popular flavors there. They have green tea snow cones, also, but no ice cream.

[lstmmrbls]

The bean and tea are both Ice Cream flavors and I really really like the different tea flavors. But I stay away from any of the shrimp or fish flavors!! No shaved ice around here, dog gone it

[kbobam]

Wouldn't have imagined snow cone versions, but why not?

Oh man. Shrimp and fish? Thought I was being pretty 'daring'

with the bean ice cream. No thanks!