Categories: September2011, beans, soups, sw potatoes

Ingredients

• Water
• 1 cup dried pinto beans
• 3 cups diced sweet potatoes
• 1 -2 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 red, or green, bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 Tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp chili powder (or to taste)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 tsp Mexican oregano
• 1/2 tsp smoked Spanish paprika
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 copy MFK Fisher’s How to Cook a Wolf

Directions

1. Additions or substitutions: 1 canned chipotle pepper, 1 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped tomatoes, strong coffee, tomatoes, winter squash, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce.

2. Follow your favorite method of cooking dried beans. I soak them overnight in fresh cold well water. In the morning, place beans in a stock pot and, using fresh water to cover, bring beans and bay leaf to boil, then reduce to simmer for 1 to 1-1/2 hours until tender.

3. While the beans are simmering, read Chapter IV “How to Boil Water” from How to Cook a Wolf. Fisher writes with elegance, raucous humor and common sense. Written during wartime shortages of food and money, her book is seasoned with recipes, advice and philosophy for keeping the wolf at bay.

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