Good morning. How do you feel about dried beans? I’m a dedicated fan. Because as much as I adore and rely on the ease of good-quality canned beans, nothing beats dried beans that you cook up yourself.
I’ve learned a few things about bean cooking over the years, and I’ve written extensively about it here. But the one thing I want to highlight is that for the best flavor and texture, not only should you salt your beans while cooking them, you should salt the bean soaking water, too. This seasons the beans thoroughly and encourages even cooking.
Give it a try, and let me know what you think. Now is the time of year when having a big pot of beans simmering on the stove feels infinitely comforting — and opens so many options for dinner.
For over 100 years, Senate Bean Soup has been ladled into bowls in the U.S. Senate dining room, feeding hungry lawmakers of every stripe. And, just in time for Election Day, we have a new take from Sarah DiGregorio.
We previously published Sarah’s five-star slow-cooker version of the dish, and her latest iteration doesn’t stray far. She uses the same mix of ingredients — dried beans, ham hocks, onions, butter, smoked paprika and cider vinegar — but simmers it all on the stove instead of in the slow cooker. It’s just one very satisfying road that a pot of dried beans can take.
View this recipe: Senate Bean Soup
Recipes for your week
Beans — either dried or canned — are the basis of so many excellent and inexpensive meals. Here are five beany dinners for this first week of November.
Reading and eating
How about a ghost story for this weekend of wild witchery? Elizabeth Bowen’s short story “The Demon Lover” is set in World War II London during the Blitz. Kathleen Drover has returned from the country to pick up some things from her boarded-up family home, and she finds a letter from a mysterious and supposedly dead correspondent. Sinister descriptions of a long-ago love affair ensue.
The first time I read it, my stomach was in knots from the suspense. The second time, it growled from the absence of food (except for Kathleen’s lonely tea). Read it while eating something hearty and sustaining, like Genevieve Ko’s pumpkin-ginger oat scones.
What are you reading? Let me know at hellomelissa@nytimes.com. I’m always looking for my next great read.
That’s all for now. I’ll see you tomorrow.
Melissa Clark has been writing about food for The New York Times since 1997 and is the author of 46 cookbooks. Her latest is “The Big Book of Dinner,” coming this month. You can reach her at hellomelissa@nytimes.com.
Editors: Mia Leimkuhler and Li Goldstein. Host photo by Melanie Dunea. For help with your New York Times Cooking subscription, please email cookingcare@nytimes.com. Was this email forwarded to you? You can sign up for our New York Times Cooking newsletter here.
