Good Eats, “Gar-on-teed!”
My sister’s favorite part of Mardi Gras is King Cake –
But much as I love sweets, my favorite New Orleans dish is beans and rice. It’s a simple dish, easy to prepare, but oh so satisfying and tasty! Actually beans and rice is a classic dish all over the world. The difference is in the kinds of bean and added spices.
New Orleans traditionally serves red beans and rice with Tabasco or other hot sauce –
My personal favorite, however, is pinto beans and rice, a Southwest tradition sometimes served with salsa. I like mine with butter and salt –
But the best I’ve tasted anywhere, hands down, is black beans and rice – Cuban style! Known as Moros y Cristianos, the name refers to the Islamic invasion of Spain in the 900s. Here, however, black and white get along beautifully!
- Cuban Black Beans and Rice
- Black Beans and Yellow Rice
- Yellow Rice Salad with Roasted Peppers and Spicy Black Beans
A quick aside about soaking – the debate rages about whether to soak beans before cooking. If you’re concerned about lingering repercussions from ingesting beans, I recommend a side dish of fruit. Mango, in particular, does well with black beans. As for cooking rice – get the $10 dollar cooker from Walmart.
Laissez les bons temps rouler! How will you be celebrating?
kathybryson 