Salad In A Newspaper

I'm betting you're thinking that I found this recipe somewhere inside of a newspaper. You would be so very wrong. I ate this salad out of a newspaper. Literally.

Let me explain.

 

Midnight Snacks: 150 Easy and Enticing Alternatives to Standing by the Freezer Eating Ice Cream from the Carton by Michael J. Rosen and Sharon Reiss is a delightful cookbook. It is crowded with good food that's easy to prepare. Just flipping through the book caught my interest as the titles are thought-provoking and only made me want to learn more. Any idea what type of food these would produce?

• Double-Down Doughnuts 
• Visions of Chevre Plumbs 
• Shaggy Dogs 
• All Dal-ed Up
• Flambe The Night Away

I have no idea what any of these recipes are for. And that's why I love this book. The titles seduce you into reading the rest of the description, which only made me want to run to the kitchen and sample every recipe. 

I tried "Cures What Ails You Soup" on page 12 and was pleasantly surprised. The soup was ready in less than 15 minutes, and eaten withn the next 15. It tasted good, and --with ginger and the juice of one lime lime-- was good for me, too.  

"Daily Salad In A Newspaper" on page 160 definitely caught my eye. There's a short explaination about how this type of salad is a traditional street vendor food in India, a quick sentence on the history of cucumber cultivation, then the authors suggest that this might be the perfect food to eat "on the balcony after making love" or "something entirely novel to serve when it's your turn to host the book club." 

So what on earth is the author talking about? Salad a "novel" food? In this case, you betcha. 

I picked up a newspaper at my local grocery store. You remember newspapers, right? Read the parts you'd like and set aside. 

Chop the veggies. I substituted sliced pork tenderloin for chickpeas so as to save the tenderloin from going green and moldy in my fridge. 

Get your spices in order: garam masala, Worcestershire sauce, cilantro. Note the ice cube of cilantro. This was frozen fresh last year - couldn't tell the difference in the salad. 

Add salt and pepper and mix together. 

Return to the newspaper and fold into the size of a legal pad. 

Add waxed paper.

Roll into a triangle. 

Fold the tip over to prevent juices from leaking and add salad. 

Don't forget the secret ingredient:  Rice Krispies. 

Your salad, my friend, is officially -and literally- in a newspaper. It's entertaining, portable, and delicious.

This is one salad I'm adding into my repetoire, especially for summer. I often get tired of an Italian caprese-style salad, so this is an excellent alternative. This fed me for dinner one night, and lunch at work the next day. Be sure to keep some Rice Krispies nearby as you're eating to sprinkle throughout and keep the salad crunchy. 

DAILY SALAD IN A NEWSPAPER

(adapted from Midnight Snacks) 

Makes about 2 servings

1 tomato, diced

1/2 cucumber, seeded and diced

2 small red skin potatoes, cooked and sliced

1/2 cup protein (I used pork tenderloin; you might choose beans)

2 teaspoons diced green chili (the canned kind)

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

1/2 teaspoon garam masala

1 dash Worcestershire sauce

1/2 cup (or more) Rice Krispies or similar

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together. It'd be nice if you have the time to let the flavors sit and marinate. I didn't have the time, and it was still yummy. Fold up you newspaper and waxed paper as described above. If you'd like, mix the Rice Krispies into the salad - I didn't because I like that crunchiness. Place the salad into the newspaper and eat it up!

P.S. More Rice Krispies on the way soon!

Bea's Beans

If I was to create a cookbook that represents my mom, one of the standouts would surely be Bea's Beans. These beans are legendary.


If there's a potluck, it's assumed that Bea will bring beans. And if Bea decides to bring something else? People have been known to pout.


"Oh, I was really looking forward to Aunt Bea's beans."


"What? No beans from Bea? Darn."


So here they are. 


Step One
Pull out your trusty recipe card. The one you've had for forty years or more. Fondly remember the times you've made this recipe, and the adjustments made. Each time they're a little bit different. If you have to, squint to read the distinctive writing while lamenting the decline of cursive writing.

Recipe Card Front

Recipe Card Back

Step Two
Measure and sort the beans. 

Drag a good amount from the pile.

Quickly scan to see if there are any small stones. Also admire the beautiful rings.

Pull the clean beans into a waiting dish.

Step Three 
Soak the beans and rinse well. 

Rinse until water is clear.

Step Four
Boil the beans until soft. Just before adding the baking soda, mom leans over and quietly reveals a story about a family friend who claims that baking soda "Take the farts out." Later I learned that indeed, baking soda does help lower flatulence associated with beans. 

Beans before boiling.

Beans after boiling.

Step Five
Mix the beans with other ingredients. Taste to be sure they're tasty. Feel free to taste repeatedly. The beans are certainly edible at this point, but they're not baked. So hold yourself back from consuming too many beans at this stage because seriously, they're even better fresh from the oven.

Beans mixed and ready for baking.

Step Six
Bake. The beans come out of the oven bubbly. If you've gotten the recipe right, the baking pan will be blackened in some areas. And each time you make these, your family will fall in love all over again.

BEA'S BEANS 


2 pounds dry beans (4 cups)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup catsup
1 1/2 sticks butter
3 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup vinegar




Sort and wash beans in cold water. Cover with cold water, and soak overnight. Drain.
Place in large sauce pan. Cover with warm water and boil gently about one hour. After coming to first boil, add 1 teaspoon soda. Skim foam to remove any specks. Then boil gently until soft (not mushy.) Remove from heat. Drain off liquid and reserve. Put beans in dish used for oven baking. Stir and add reserved liquid to cover beans. Bake at 350 for an hour and a half. Reduce heat to 325. Bake 1/2 hour. 


Variations: Microwave bacon strips 4-6 until crisp. Crumble and mix into beans. Return to oven at 325. Mom has also used homemade catsup in place of the store bought. Feel free to vary the amounts to suit the tastes of your family.


Suggestions: This recipe makes a lot of beans - easily enough to share at a potluck or family gathering. I imagine you could halve the recipe. And I can guarantee that, if you put them in the fridge overnight, they'll taste just as good tomorrow.