Who would have thought a simple bean could do so much? Heirloom bean expert Steve Sando provides descriptions of the many varieties now available, from Scarlet Runners to the spotted Eye of the Tiger beans. Nearly 90 recipes in the book will entice readers to cook up bowls of heartwarming Risotto and Cranberry Beans with Pancetta, or Caribbean Black Bean Soup. Close-up photos of the beans make them easy to identify. Packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins, these little treasures are the perfect addition to any meal.
Heirloom Beans pb
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Book Description
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About the Author
Steve Sando is the founder of Rancho Gordo, the acclaimed specialty food company that distributes heirloom produce, seeds, and beans worldwide. He lives in Northern California.
Vanessa Barrington is a writer and recipe developer.
Sara Remington is a San Francisco Bay Area-based photographer.
Vanessa Barrington is a writer and recipe developer.
Sara Remington is a San Francisco Bay Area-based photographer.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
89 of 90 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
I first discovered Rancho Gordo a couple of years ago at the San Francisco Ferry Terminal Market. I'd gotten bored with vendor after vendor selling heirloom tomatoes, tree-ripened fruit, and wild greens. I love all those things, but I needed a source of protein. And then I spotted the Rancho Gordo booth. Rancho Gordo's booth had dozens of varieties of beans: black midnight beans, anasazi beans, eye of the goat, and many more. I took a chance on a few pounds of heirloom beans. The beans were delicious, but I couldn't figure out what to do with them except cooking them with a bay leaf and a little mirepoix. This works really well for black beans, but doesn't seem to be the best choice for chestnut limas. And that's what excited me about this book.
Heirloom Beans is a pretty, well produced cookbook about beans. It contains basic information about dozens of varieties of beans (though it omits a few popular varieties of heirlooms like pebble beans), and has many recipes that show off the properties of each variety. Most (I would guess three quarters) of the recipes in this book are Mexican, Southwestern, or South American. The remainder are Italian, French, and Spanish.
Most of the recipes appear to be clearly written and straightforward, and don't use too many unusual ingredients. My local Whole Foods has several varieties of heirloom beans (from different producers), and I've seen some others at Italian or Mexican specialty stores; I assume that most readers will be able to find some of the beans mentioned in this book. In my experience, it is worth seeking out good quality beans. Plain black beans from the supermarket (even organic ones) can be a little dull and flat, and better beans can make a big difference in a recipe. (Even the fanciest beans are still one of the cheapest sources of protein that you can find.) Most of the recipes in this book also appear straightforward; almost all of them just involve chopping a few vegetables and simmering some beans.
(The one problem I have with the directions in this book is that bean cooking requires a little practice, and each variety cooks a little differently. Some beans are finished in a couple hours, while others need a lot more time. The book tells you this, but it doesn't tell you that it's a good idea to taste beans when you think they're done to make sure that they're really cooked through.)
Interestingly, this cookbook was published by Chronicle Books, and suffers from some of the same problems as other titles from this publisher. (For example, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus Seasonal Recipes or Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients.) The book is very pretty: it is nicely laid out and has beautifully printed photographs. Unfortunately, it's a slightly impractical cookbook. The typeface is a little small (and I'm a 35 year old with good eyesight!), the pages are made of coated paper (so you can't easily write down notes in pencil), and the book is paperback (so it won't stand up to heavy use.)
I'm excited about this book, and am looking forward to trying a few of the recipes. I will update this review after I've had a chance to test the recipes in this book. (You can't fairly review a cookbook until you know if the recipes work.) I'd recommend it to anyone who likes beans and is looking for more ways to add them to their diet.
[Update on 11/3/2008. I've now had this book for a few weeks, and have had the chance to make a few recipes. I made the Mayacoba Bean, Fennel, and Raddichio salad, the Boston Baked Beans, and the Good Mother Stallard Chicken Pot Pie. I'm glad to say that the recipes work. Everything I made was fairly easy and came out as advertised.
By the way, there is no reason that you have to use the exact types of beans specified in this book. If you can't find a Good Mother Stallard bean, for example, just use another bean with a similar texture. I actually made the baked beans recipe with Pebble Beans (which aren't even mentioned in the book), instead of Navy beans. For some recipes, it's better to pick a bean with a similar consistency or size, but don't be afraid to experiment.
Additionally, Amazon sells some of the beans mentioned in this book: Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Runner Canellini Beans, 12-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6), Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Red Calypso Beans, 12-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6), and Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Es Eye Of The Goat, 12-Ounce Pouch (Pack of 6).]
Heirloom Beans is a pretty, well produced cookbook about beans. It contains basic information about dozens of varieties of beans (though it omits a few popular varieties of heirlooms like pebble beans), and has many recipes that show off the properties of each variety. Most (I would guess three quarters) of the recipes in this book are Mexican, Southwestern, or South American. The remainder are Italian, French, and Spanish.
Most of the recipes appear to be clearly written and straightforward, and don't use too many unusual ingredients. My local Whole Foods has several varieties of heirloom beans (from different producers), and I've seen some others at Italian or Mexican specialty stores; I assume that most readers will be able to find some of the beans mentioned in this book. In my experience, it is worth seeking out good quality beans. Plain black beans from the supermarket (even organic ones) can be a little dull and flat, and better beans can make a big difference in a recipe. (Even the fanciest beans are still one of the cheapest sources of protein that you can find.) Most of the recipes in this book also appear straightforward; almost all of them just involve chopping a few vegetables and simmering some beans.
(The one problem I have with the directions in this book is that bean cooking requires a little practice, and each variety cooks a little differently. Some beans are finished in a couple hours, while others need a lot more time. The book tells you this, but it doesn't tell you that it's a good idea to taste beans when you think they're done to make sure that they're really cooked through.)
Interestingly, this cookbook was published by Chronicle Books, and suffers from some of the same problems as other titles from this publisher. (For example, The San Francisco Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market Cookbook: A Comprehensive Guide to Impeccable Produce Plus Seasonal Recipes or Simply Organic: A Cookbook for Sustainable, Seasonal, and Local Ingredients.) The book is very pretty: it is nicely laid out and has beautifully printed photographs. Unfortunately, it's a slightly impractical cookbook. The typeface is a little small (and I'm a 35 year old with good eyesight!), the pages are made of coated paper (so you can't easily write down notes in pencil), and the book is paperback (so it won't stand up to heavy use.)
I'm excited about this book, and am looking forward to trying a few of the recipes. I will update this review after I've had a chance to test the recipes in this book. (You can't fairly review a cookbook until you know if the recipes work.) I'd recommend it to anyone who likes beans and is looking for more ways to add them to their diet.
[Update on 11/3/2008. I've now had this book for a few weeks, and have had the chance to make a few recipes. I made the Mayacoba Bean, Fennel, and Raddichio salad, the Boston Baked Beans, and the Good Mother Stallard Chicken Pot Pie. I'm glad to say that the recipes work. Everything I made was fairly easy and came out as advertised.
By the way, there is no reason that you have to use the exact types of beans specified in this book. If you can't find a Good Mother Stallard bean, for example, just use another bean with a similar texture. I actually made the baked beans recipe with Pebble Beans (which aren't even mentioned in the book), instead of Navy beans. For some recipes, it's better to pick a bean with a similar consistency or size, but don't be afraid to experiment.
Additionally, Amazon sells some of the beans mentioned in this book: Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Runner Canellini Beans, 12-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6), Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Red Calypso Beans, 12-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6), and Gourmet Valley Heirloom Beans Es Eye Of The Goat, 12-Ounce Pouch (Pack of 6).]
19 of 20 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Heirloom Beans by Steven Sando, the founder of Rancho Gordo, a food company, and food writer Vanessa Barrington, is on a mission to make beans--especially heirloom beans--cool in America. This is not an easy task, the authors point out, in spite of the fact that beans have been a heralded staple internationally. For some reason, Americans embrace the less nutritive and complex tasting corn but eschew beans.
Sadly, Americans shy away from beans as beans are synonymous with the embarrassing digestive fiascos (perhaps Blazing Saddles did more than any cultural event to demonize beans). But Steve Sando has a solution: Eat lots of beans all the time and your digestive system will adapt. Sando is not pushing beans because they are rich in nutrients and fiber. He is not pushing beans because since eating them daily his good cholesterol has gone up and his bad cholesterol has gone down. He is pushing beans because they are an amazing side dish or main entrée. I knew this from watching Mario Batali on the television make mouth-watering Italian-style fava beans, but in Heirloom Beans, you learn how to prepare appetizers, snacks, soups, stews, chilies, salads, side dishes, main dishes, and casseroles with heirloom beans.
This book does not champion all beans. Non-heirloom beans such as kidneys, great northerns, and limas, Sando writes, are cheap but "boring." In contrast, heirloom beans are tastier, more complex, and, due to their artisan growers, fresher. The book includes a list, accompanied by beautiful photos, of over 30 heirloom beans.
Sando is not dogmatic about how to prepare beans and includes many successful methods for preparing a pot of beans including the LA Times writer Russ Parsons' way of simmering a cup of beans (with six cups of water) in a French oven and then putting the French oven inside the oven at 350 degrees for one to two hours. Nor is Sando dogmatic about rinsing beans saying that there is no definitive proof that rinsing them improves their digestibility. He does say that hard beans like runner Cannellini beans need to be soaked in order for them to cook properly. But most heirlooms don't require rinsing.
To fully utilize this book, you should invest in a Staub or Le Creuset 5 ½ quart French oven. Not only will you be able to cook beans more effectively; you can use the French ovens to cook all-in-one meals, which will save you time.
Intelligently written with a healthy respect for heirloom beans, full of professional attractive photographs and easy-to-follow recipes, Heirloom Beans gives this much-shunned food the high esteem and attention it deserves.
Sadly, Americans shy away from beans as beans are synonymous with the embarrassing digestive fiascos (perhaps Blazing Saddles did more than any cultural event to demonize beans). But Steve Sando has a solution: Eat lots of beans all the time and your digestive system will adapt. Sando is not pushing beans because they are rich in nutrients and fiber. He is not pushing beans because since eating them daily his good cholesterol has gone up and his bad cholesterol has gone down. He is pushing beans because they are an amazing side dish or main entrée. I knew this from watching Mario Batali on the television make mouth-watering Italian-style fava beans, but in Heirloom Beans, you learn how to prepare appetizers, snacks, soups, stews, chilies, salads, side dishes, main dishes, and casseroles with heirloom beans.
This book does not champion all beans. Non-heirloom beans such as kidneys, great northerns, and limas, Sando writes, are cheap but "boring." In contrast, heirloom beans are tastier, more complex, and, due to their artisan growers, fresher. The book includes a list, accompanied by beautiful photos, of over 30 heirloom beans.
Sando is not dogmatic about how to prepare beans and includes many successful methods for preparing a pot of beans including the LA Times writer Russ Parsons' way of simmering a cup of beans (with six cups of water) in a French oven and then putting the French oven inside the oven at 350 degrees for one to two hours. Nor is Sando dogmatic about rinsing beans saying that there is no definitive proof that rinsing them improves their digestibility. He does say that hard beans like runner Cannellini beans need to be soaked in order for them to cook properly. But most heirlooms don't require rinsing.
To fully utilize this book, you should invest in a Staub or Le Creuset 5 ½ quart French oven. Not only will you be able to cook beans more effectively; you can use the French ovens to cook all-in-one meals, which will save you time.
Intelligently written with a healthy respect for heirloom beans, full of professional attractive photographs and easy-to-follow recipes, Heirloom Beans gives this much-shunned food the high esteem and attention it deserves.
17 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I really like this book. In addition to good background information on bean varieties and cooking methods, the recipes present a varied, down-to-earth and flexible collection with vibrant flavors, appealing photography, clear instructions and well-written headnotes. Beans turn out to be a very good candidate for a single-subject book, especially with this one's fresh and practical look at a nutritious, adaptable and easily-available ingredient that can often be an afterthought or side-player. The introduction mentions over 30 heirloom varieties with diverse colors, textures and sizes that can be transformed into appetizers, snacks, soups, stews, chilies, salads, side and main dishes. While the book focuses on Latin American and Mediterranean geographies, the individual recipes are well chosen to incorporate a variety of ingredients and styles. Sando's passionate interest in the subject is both infectious and informed by a lot of knowledge and experience, and his easygoing, engaging voice and useful tips add to the book's considerable appeal. Recommended.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Excellent flavors.
Such great recipes. We have tried several & found them delicious and healthful. My favorite is the basic way to cook the beans & the wonderful stories behind the beans. Read more
Published 4 days ago by Jean Howard
Wonderful Beans
Everything I have made has been excellent. I ordered beans from him too and the beans are wonderful. Absolutely no comparison to what I am able to buy locally. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Kate
Heirloom Beans
I have repeated the recipe for Drunken Beans p 111 and will continue. Surprisingly simple list of ingredients produces a pot of beans with flavor well worth repeating and with... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Sharon
An excellant primer on cooking with beans
Just got this book recently. It is a very good book for those who a learning to cook with dried beans, but has great recipes that the experienced cook will enjoy as well. Read more
Published 7 months ago by Kathy Smith
Heritage...
These recipes are great, the pictures are gorgeous, and the idea of eating lower on the food chain is beneficial for our environment and for those who wish to prevent or reverse... Read more
Published 7 months ago by Martha Marie
Amazing Beans...
Love this book and its author...fabulous recipes...because of him I make a beautiful slow cooker pot of seasoned creamy beans almost every Monday. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Patty Magyar
Great ideas and great book
This is one of my favorite cookbooks, but mostly because I love heirloom beans, and California/Napa style cuisine to begin with. Read more
Published 10 months ago by veronica s
heirloom beans
I should have done more research about the book. Does not have any recipes that use everyday bean. All the recipes call for beans I have never heard of, and can't find at the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by char
Heirloom Beans Book
Beautiful book with good information about unsual beans to grow. Some or maybe many of the recipes I would not try but there are still quite a few that sound very good.
Published on April 15, 2010 by Helen's mom
The Major Domo of Bean Books
The variety of beans in this book of recipes will make your head spin and your stomach growl. There are a multitude of exotic and simple recipes to keep the palate expecting more. Read more
Published on March 6, 2010 by Chris Cecil
Inside This Book
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Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs):
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runner cannellini, fineh chopped, marrow beans, other heavy pot, warmed shallow bowls, fresh masa, oil sizzles, heavy skillet over medium heat, cup safflower, warmed bowls, cranberry beans, soup pot over medium heat, reserving the broth, puréed beans Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Substitution Note, New World, Good Mother Stallard, Rio Zape, Mexico City, Santa Maria, San Francisco Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
runner cannellini, fineh chopped, marrow beans, other heavy pot, warmed shallow bowls, fresh masa, oil sizzles, heavy skillet over medium heat, cup safflower, warmed bowls, cranberry beans, soup pot over medium heat, reserving the broth, puréed beans Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Substitution Note, New World, Good Mother Stallard, Rio Zape, Mexico City, Santa Maria, San Francisco Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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