Queen of the Beans

Vegetarian Friendly Gigante Beans with Garlic Salsa Verde

Mine is a house built on beans. We rely on them for protein, and as a crutch for feeding large groups of people affordably. A dried bean is a sponge for flavor, a canvas for your next creation. It takes direction beautifully. A canned or jarred bean is a quick protein add, a way to effortlessly add substance to a dish that needs to take up more space on the menu. Both have a place in your pantry (and your bomb shelter).

This past week I was in New York hosting an event for SIMPLi and Haven’s Kitchen. We were looking ahead and inspiring our guests to consider vegetarian options for Thanksgiving. Our main dishes were wild rice and quinoa topped with roasted maitake mushrooms, and Gigante beans with melted leeks and burnt lemon. For a vegetarian appetizer, I made chickpea fries, built like molded polenta, then cut into spears and fried at the last minute. (I will share that recipe for paid subscribers later this week).

Now! What to consume this week, from toddler Moroccan slip on shoes to ecstatic Shaker drawings.

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WEAR

Of all the things I’ll miss about having young, dexterously-challenged children, putting on their shoes is not one of them. The awkward crouching down, their hand  grabbing anything in reach — the glasses off your face, your ponytail — and the chase of the wiggling foot. Then, just when you’ve composed yourself, they yank them off and reduce you to a puddle of defeat.

In the face of this daily Sisyphean task, I opt for slip-ons whenever possible. The Sabah leather slippers look chic even after they’ve had their debut on the playground. They are so easy to get on and off, my two and half year old couldn’t deny that he was able to do it without my help. You’ll never catch me wrestling with a wiggling, defiant foot in public again. For free shipping on your online order, use code SabahforPresident.

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SEE

The Folk Art Museum in NYC has a show of Shaker Gift Drawings from 1837 to the mid-1850s. I am fascinated by ecstatic artworks, from the nun and composer Hildegard of Bingen to the Swedish Spiritualist painter, Hilma af Klimt. In a restrictive world, these women found radical artistic freedom through the inexplicable, communicative flow state with God. In the Shaker example, the result is intricate, decorative, and distinctly at odds from the aesthetic associated with their ultra-unadorned, wooden furniture. The works on paper are shown alongside Shaker design objects, presenting a world of restrained craft and contradiction. (If you’re into this kind of thing, I recommend the work of author and academic Jennifer Higgie. Her new book, The Other Side:A Story of Women in Art and the Spirit World is right on topic).

Polly Jane Reed (1818–1881), A Type of Mother Hannah’s Pocket Handkerchief, New Lebanon, New York, 1851

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FACE

As someone who is always eating and drinking, grown-up lady lipstick is too much for me to maintain. More color ends up on my face than on my lips by the end of the night, undermining my attempt at “put together” entirely. Instead, I go for an intense color in diluted form, a thick, shiny gloss in cherry red or better yet, concord grape purple. Sounds like it would harken back to Hot Topic, but the effect is actually quite subtle. The purple compliments green eyes (on color wheel, purple is opposite green). To achieve this sexy, ‘flirting with hypothermia look,’ try the Squeaky Clean Liquid Lip Balm from Westman Atelier in Garconne.

Westman Atelier Lipgloss in a subtle purple tone

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COOK

for now, I want you all to get to know the Queen of the beans, the GIGANTE, named appropriately for her notable girth. They hold up well and soften to a silky texture if soaked in salty, baking soda spiked water 24 hours ahead of use.

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Gigante Beans + Melted Leeks, Burnt Lemon + Salsa Verde