What We're Reading: Cool Beans

This week's What We're Reading post is a little different because this book is a cookbook! I've included a couple of pictures of the food I've made. My amateur food photography skills are on full display.

Title: Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World's Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes

Author: Joe Yonan

Description: Joe Yonan, food editor of the Washington Post,provides a master base recipe for cooking any sort of bean in any sort of appliance—Instant Pot, slow cooker, or stovetop—as well as creative recipes for using beans in daily life, from Harissa-Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip to Crunchy Spiced Chickpeas to Smoky Black Bean and Plantain Chili. Drawing on the culinary traditions of the Middle East, the Mediterranean, Africa, South America, Asia, and the American South, and with beautiful photography throughout, this book has recipes for everyone. With fresh flavors, vibrant spices, and clever techniques, Yonan shows how beans can make for thrilling dinners, lunches, breakfasts—and even desserts!--Penguin Random House 

Why did you choose this cookbook?

I became a vegetarian a few years ago and have been adding pulses to my diet in higher quantities ever since. However, my cooking skills are mediocre at best and I'm terrible at cooking without a recipe. I wanted to spice up my beans but I wasn't going to be able to do it on my own. So, in true librarian fashion, I bought a book to help me.

What did you like about this book?

I really liked that this is more than just a collection of recipes. It is a how-to for introducing yourself to the wider world of different kinds of beans. It answers questions you might have about beans. Like, what about lectins? Do I need to soak my beans? What is aquafaba? (It's the liquid in a can of beans.) What other kinds of beans are out there? As I read through the recipes I kept having more questions and sure enough the answer would be in the front of the book. 

I also really liked that the recipes are vegetarian and vegan friendly. I haven't noticed any meat in any recipes and egg/dairy ingredients often list vegan substitutes right next to them. 

What have you made so far?

I've made three recipes from this cookbook so far. I didn't get any pictures of the first one, sorry! It was Red Lentil Ful, except I did not have the Moroccan spice blend it called for so when it ended up being a little bland I think that was on me. I tried to substitute with stuff I had but again, my cooking-on-the-fly skills are only so-so.

The next recipe I made was Smoky Black Bean and Plantain Chili. This turned out really good! If you aren't a fan of spice food maybe skip this one though.

The third recipe was Chocolate, Red Bean, and Rose Brownies. I made it twice, once with the rosewater and once without. This recipe uses aduki beans which I'd never even heard of (had to get them from Whole Foods) and aquafaba (which I'd never used before).  Despite my fears the brownies did not taste like bean mush with chocolate, but actually tasted like very fudge-y brownies! I even licked the batter spoon. 

I thought the first batch of brownies were pretty great. However, my mother spit her bite into the trash can. Thanks, Mom.

She's not a fan of floral flavors so I had to make them a second time without the rosewater so that she could see how good they were. 

She liked them much, much better without the rosewater and helped me eat this batch. Which was good since I had to eat the whole first batch myself. So many yummy brownies to eat, oh how I suffered. 

Is there anything people should know about this cookbook?

It does require some special ingredients that I didn't have in my kitchen. Maybe other people have aduki beans, Moroccan spices, and many more things I've never cooked with lying around but I am having to hunt down some elements. I also wish there were a few more pictures. Though the pictures it does have are mouth-wateringly gorgeous. Mostly, people should know that beans can be super delicious and this cookbook shows you new ways to make that happen. 

What recipes are you looking forward to making next?

The Hot and Creamy White Bean, Spinach, and Artichoke Dip looks amazing and I can't wait to eat it. Other recipes in the queue are Indian Fruit and Chickpea Salad, Homesteader's New England Baked Beans, Cuban Style Orange Scented Black Beans, and the Cannellini Cannelloni. Bring on the beans!