Don't worry, we're still cooking (and eating)!

Beans soaking

It's New Year's Day 2020 and my intentions for the new year are plentiful: more meditation, more time with loved ones, more focus on things that are truly important to me. That includes cooking with my one true love, Dave. I am also hoping to stretch my fingers and brain a little more often and write more, thus the revival of some of my blogs.

It's been nearly 8 years since I last posted, so my plan is to upload some photos from the missed years, as well as include the latest things we are cooking right now. Also, to mix is up a bit, I might include some delicious foods we have eaten while out.

So, this is not exactly a traditional New Year's meal, but it will be delicious! We made this for friends in Hawaii a month ago and wanted to repeat it: Butter beans in smoked cascabel oil, from: https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/jul/20/yotam-ottolenghi-chilli-recipes-aubergines-cascabel-butter-bean-celeriac

 While we watch the Rose Bowl, the beans are simmering. Pictured above soaking most of the day, next to our special mix of Hawaiian and sea salt with a very sad basil plant and the InstaPot, newly acquired a couple years ago, in the background. The InstaPot was busy making chicken stock and not pictured was the su vide which was busy cooking steak to a perfect temp.

Picture is from the Guardian, but I'll try and post a pic of how ours turned out, too. We are pairing it with some Phoenix Pastificio olive bread, and meat.

Lemon & lime peel

Cascabel peppers dry-frying

Toasted cumin & coriander seeds

Dry-frying in the cast iron pan

Beans mixed in and marinating

Beans were delicious! And even better the next day with sautéed greens. Still have a few more too.