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pmerriam's review against another edition
4.0
We just got this last week, and after a quick scan I turned to Old Fashioned Down Home All Day Baked Beans.
Too impatient for the overnight soak, I used the pressure cooker shortcut instead. After rinsing the beans and cooling them down, I prepared the pot and ingredients, and cooked them for about 9 hours (more or less my workday).
The result was the best batch of baked beans I've ever made (I've lost count, but it's been roughly a half-century quest). The next batch is boiling as I write. I'm trying the Carribean variant. If you appreciate good beans, I recommend this book. Vegetarian and vegan friendly.
Too impatient for the overnight soak, I used the pressure cooker shortcut instead. After rinsing the beans and cooling them down, I prepared the pot and ingredients, and cooked them for about 9 hours (more or less my workday).
The result was the best batch of baked beans I've ever made (I've lost count, but it's been roughly a half-century quest). The next batch is boiling as I write. I'm trying the Carribean variant. If you appreciate good beans, I recommend this book. Vegetarian and vegan friendly.
bookwormmichelle's review against another edition
5.0
Well, we might not MAKE many of these, since I'm the only one in my family who likes beans. But Dragonwagon's cookbooks are as fun to read as is saying her name. :-) This was a delight from start to finish. I might try to sneak a FEW recipes in. The only flaw--NO NUTRITIONAL INFO. Sigh. But just plain fun to read-the recipes are a bonus.
nikchick's review
4.0
This book is a 4.5 from me. More than a listing of recipes, Crescent Dragonwagon's writing style is conversational, personal, educational and informative. I've seen the strangest commentary from people who seem bewildered that a cookbook with the theme of beans included recipes for fresh string beans, that a vegetarian cookbook author's book about *beans* did not include more meat ("yet another vegetarian cookbook," he complains even though several of the *bean recipes* do include instructions for including meat), or that the recipes are "bland" despite including chile peppers, vinegars, handfuls of fresh herbs, and a number of condiments and sauces (harissa, chipotles in adobo sauce, mustard pickle) as ingredients.
This book was exactly what I was looking for in a bean-themed cookbook.
This book was exactly what I was looking for in a bean-themed cookbook.
srturner's review against another edition
4.0
Growing up in the Deep South beans appeared on my family's dinner table nearly every night. Honestly. Black-eyed peas, lima beans, butter beans, field peas, crowder peas, green beans,, lady peas. However, they dropped off my menus as an adult. Then I heard the author interviewed on the radio. She spoke so lovingly about beans! Listening to her brought back childhood memories of all the beans I grew up eating. I had to have the cookbook. Fortunately, her passion for beans shines throughout the recipes. I read it cover to cover. Not just a cookbook, it is a compendium of lore, trivia, science, literary quotes, song lyrics -- all about the beloved bean. The author's writing is light and conversational. Each recipe has an introduction -- perhaps some regional or cultural background or a little personal history. After reading the intros, I was ready to try the recipe without actually looking at the ingredients. So far, I've prepared four recipes. All of them successful and delicious. The instructions are precise, descriptive and easy to follow.
grldchz's review against another edition
3.0
Observation from reading all of two books about beans: they assume one is vegan (Cool Beans) or vegetarian (this book offers mostly vegan and vegetarian fare). I'm morbidly curious about the tofu mayonnaise recipe.
I've marked some recipes I'd like to try....need to find someone willing to loan me an ice cream maker in exchange for some red bean ice cream. Book is a good reference work about bean types and features bean recipes from around the world, for any meal course. No pictures of a single bean, BOO!
I enjoyed the short section about beans in literature (Thoreau devoted an entire chapter of Walden to beans!).
I've marked some recipes I'd like to try....need to find someone willing to loan me an ice cream maker in exchange for some red bean ice cream. Book is a good reference work about bean types and features bean recipes from around the world, for any meal course. No pictures of a single bean, BOO!
I enjoyed the short section about beans in literature (Thoreau devoted an entire chapter of Walden to beans!).
livlongnprospa's review against another edition
3.0
I almost gotta have pictures in my cookbooks...this one doesn't, other than that it's ok.
bookwormmichelle's review against another edition
5.0
Well, we might not MAKE many of these, since I'm the only one in my family who likes beans. But Dragonwagon's cookbooks are as fun to read as is saying her name. :-) This was a delight from start to finish. I might try to sneak a FEW recipes in. The only flaw--NO NUTRITIONAL INFO. Sigh. But just plain fun to read-the recipes are a bonus.
jameseckman's review against another edition
4.0
Covers all of the bean cooking methods, including some to reduce the 'magical' substance of beans. I've made some of the recipes from other sources, these versions look good and there are many interesting recipes. Reading the recipe notes and variations I feel the author has cooked these many times so anything you cook out of this book should be decent. Some recipes have meat, but meatless options are offered in many cases. Some interesting bread and grain pairings include as well as the bean recipes. Much better than [b:Heirloom Beans: Recipes from Rancho Gordo|3141266|Heirloom Beans Recipes from Rancho Gordo|Steve Sando|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1347393300s/3141266.jpg|3172713] on this topic, though no pretty pictures. Also no nutritional information with the recipes and old school measurements.
I did make the chile mole recipe, 30+ ingredients, and it was tasty. The raisins did thicken up the soup part and the combinations of spices work well. I modified the recipe by cutting back on the beans, my pressure cooker will only handle about 2 cups worth, which is still 5-6 very generous meals. Luckily the leftovers are tasty. You probably need a Mexican or very extensive produce market to get all the chile types though.
My Standard Cookbook Rant
I did make the chile mole recipe, 30+ ingredients, and it was tasty. The raisins did thicken up the soup part and the combinations of spices work well. I modified the recipe by cutting back on the beans, my pressure cooker will only handle about 2 cups worth, which is still 5-6 very generous meals. Luckily the leftovers are tasty. You probably need a Mexican or very extensive produce market to get all the chile types though.
My Standard Cookbook Rant