Black Beans

The last time I made beans was about a year ago from a can of pre-seasoned red kidney beans.  I don't like going for the pre-seasoned variety, but at that point when I was living in the graduate dorms I would have had a tough time making beans taste better than straight from the can.  I decided tonight to revisit my roots.  I had a ridiculously unproductive day at work (probably because I accidentally took sleep medication in the morning) and I felt that I needed to do something.

In the past I've asked my mom for help and I swear I have several of her red beans and black beans recipes floating around either on paper or on email.  She's also photocopied recipes for me from her cookbook.  This time around I knew I'd be working with limited amounts of material.  I have some plantains I mean to cook this week but nothing to eat them with until I remembered the unopened bag of brown rice and a can of black beans I had in my pantry.  I looked at some recipes and took the bits and pieces of each that made sense to me based on what else I had.  Without further ado, I give you my hybrid, low kitchen stock recipe for "Cuban" black beans.

Ingredients
1 can black beans*
1 can water
1 small yellow onion, chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon (or less) cumin
dash of adobo
dash of salt
sprinkle of ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh cilantro**

*I used Goya's low sodium black beans.  On the can it said to add 3/4 cup of water, unlike some of the other recipes online.  Not sure how things would have turned out otherwise.
** My cilantro wasn't so fresh.  I simply took the sprigs that looked greenest and tossed them into the pan.

Directions and Observations
The ingredients listed above were added to a medium saucepan and left to boil.  The mixture was stirred over time to ensure none of the beans became stuck or burnt on the bottom of the pan.  Once the bean mixture began to boil, the heat was turned down to a gentle simmer.  Mixture was left simmering for 7-10 minutes.  Saucepan was then removed from the heat.

After cooking, the beans still maintained their shape and a softer, yet still firm texture.


Sources
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/best-black-beans/
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_citrusy_black_beans/
Goya Black Bean can


Like my lab notebook procedure?  It's funny how instinctive this way of writing is now.

Why I try to cook

I can't say I've always been a fan of reading cooking blogs.  In the past it has been frustrating to see delicious creations which are ever out of my reach.  Throughout college and the first year of gradschool, I didn't have much access to a kitchen.

BUT NOW I live in this awesome apartment, which sure, is a bit small in some regards but is just right for two people.  And of course, we have a kitchen.  It doubles as a dining room which is where it starts to feel small (try cooking and serving food for guests...it gets crowded).

Anyway, when we first moved in I would try to cook with whatever was around.  Usually some meat with vegetables and rice.  Soon I ran out of rice and realized that everything I cooked tasted the same (culprit was probably an old bottle of cheap olive oil that I used to cook with).  Then came traveling and research and the beginning of the semester.  My laptop was stolen, I had several explosions and accidents in lab (thankfully none inherently dangerous), and after a brief time when research was going really well, it all suddenly went to poop.  Then the semester started, and teaching, and it turns out that it doesn't get easier and first semester freshmen are super needy.

One thing I did realize was that I did feel better about myself, if only because I was keeping myself busy and occupied.  I was making progress in some area of my life even if it was little by little.  But I felt like some enjoyment and social interaction was missing.  Social stuff I'm still working on, but I decided that quality of life is definitely better with good food so I began to make more of an effort with the meals I was preparing.

Also, I was getting sick of inevitably having to eat pizza about 4 out of 7 days a week.

What I'm doing now, as opposed to the approach I was taking when I first moved in, is following actual recipes instead of trying to put something together with whatever it was that I had in my fridge or that was about to go bad (this resulted in a lot of banana bread).  And I have to say, that now Smitten Kitchen is one of my favorite sites to read.  I mainly focus on the recipes but I also read some of the post and then comments.  Instead of trying to start from the very beginning or trying to establish a kitchen before I started cooking, I'm now picking recipes that sound good ahead of time and going out to buy the ingredients necessary.  My kitchen is getting pretty stocked now! Spices, oils, vinegars, herbs, nuts, etc.  All stuff that I had left over.

Now, if I had a better way of saying that I meant to write about a recipe I tried tonight but I would rather start watching TV than finish composing a well-written blog post, I would.  But I do want to watch some TV and then look at this post looking all pretty as a second post on my new blog : >

Mission Statement

avoid insanity while in grad school

cooking, crafts, home improvement, tv shows

photos, friends, music

I'm trying to pick up hobbies and good habits as alternatives to the reality of graduate school.

One day I'll flesh this out, I swear.