Spilling the beans

Rancho Gordo's new book presents some challenges for the home cook. Here's a peek inside my review-in-process.

Happy Friday, bean-loving cook!

Are you as excited about Steve Sando’s new Rancho Gordo title, The Bean Book, as I was when I first got wind of it? [Note: I may earn a commission if you purchase through the Bookshop link.] The minute I read about it, I pre-ordered one for Juliet, Cooks Without Borders’ design partner (she designed the big website), and an ardent and longtime bean-lover. The publisher, Ten Speed Press, was kind enough to send me a review copy for my own uses, and the minute it arrived, I pored through the recipes, hit the Rancho Gordo website (where I’m a regular) and ordered something like nine pounds of various beans.

Truth is, I’m a Rancho Gordo super-fan, and absolutely could not wait to dive in and start cooking.

Just the other day, Thierry told me, “We do not eat enough beans.” And we eat a lot of beans. So the program felt dreamy.

Jeremy Fox’s Yellow Eye Soup was not the first recipe in the book to catch my eye, but it was the first one that really excited me, as …