Beans Around The World: Italian? Or American?

Nonno (Grandpa) was Italian and he made these beans for my dad, who rarely left his farm (Va Via Farm) in Michigan. So I thought I'd have a little fun with the idea of whether this farm scene could be re-imagined as an Italian scene. Actually, though, dad didn't really have a silo. If he did, he certainly would not have let the roof rust!

The other question of the day is whether Nonno's Bean Blend is wine or hot sauce? You'll only know by trying some, since "No-one says 'no' to Nonno"!

Photo credit goes to Sandra Salamony, who took the photograph from which Nonno's close-up is based. Thanks, Sandra!

The day on which it is traditionally eaten is commonly known as the Laba Festival. The earliest form of this dish was cooked with red beans and has since developed into many different kinds. It is mainly made up of many kinds of rice, beans, peanuts, dried fruit, lotus seeds.
In the Han Dynasty, during the Laba Festival, people did not consume Laba congee as it was used for worship the gods. In the Northern and Southern Dynasties period, the date of the Laba Festival was fixed on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month. In the Song Dynasty, Laba congee was widely consumed throughout China by not only the common people, but also government officials and aristocrats. In the Qing Dynasty, the Laba Festival was sometimes celebrated as the "Spring Festival", and Laba congee became even more popular. In the imperial court, the emperor and nobles gave Laba congee to the officials, servants, and others.

México, Fiesta and frijoles refritos! You will find this dish served at every good celebration in Latin America. The refried beans are the shining stars in many different dishes through the whole continent.

It’s said that refried beans can either be healthy or good, and there is some truth to that.

This recipe makes a tasty and fairly healthy filling for tacos and burritos, and tastes amazing with rice or refried and served with your breakfast eggs.

Change out the beef soup base for vegetable (I suggest Better Than Bouillon brand), and it easily becomes vegan.

The liquid from the pressure cooker has an intense salty-bean flavor (don’t panic!), but once the beans are added to the gravy, the flavors and the salt level are suddenly perfect (bean magic!).

Our family loves curried dishes. These curried beans are worth the effort and time.

This is a recipe that is an all time family favorite. I would always look forward to weekends, because that meant chana masala!

Here’s a recipe for traditional refried beans with the theme of Mexico with Mexican animals and a woman making tortillas to go with the refried beans.

Beans around the world contest / This recipe is one I customized from a plain baked beans recipe, because beans heart bacon! They come out rich, sweet, smokey, and yummy, the perfect combo of baked n' bacon'd beans!

Simply delicious, and healthy beans

In Mexican, cultivation of beans began over 7,000 years ago, so they have been an important staple of the cuisine (as well as currency) for a very long time. This simple, 15 minute recipe can be used in tacos, salads, burritos, or as a side on its own. You can use fresh or canned beans, and you can add more spice by including chopped chipotle peppers.

Frijoles refritos are an important part of the traditional mexican cuisine and are the base of many dishes like soups, tostadas, huaraches, etc. In the northern mexican cuisine refried beans are usually made out of pinto beans, whereas black or red kidney beans are used in other Latin American regions to prepare this dish.

This Red Beans recipe brings back lots of fond memories of my father who loved this recipe. Although, as a child growing up in the Philippines, it was such a task to separate the Malunggay (Moringa) leaves from its stems. It just took a long time! But I surely enjoy the combination of Red Beans and Langka (Jackfruit), especially with some splash of Patis (Fish sauce). I present this recipe in memory of my father. He must be smiling in heaven as I created this recipe!

I've bean to Brazil!

'It's Bean In The Family For Years' cannellini beans on Pugliese bread recipe illustration

Entry for the Beans Around the World Contest

My Aunt Dianne is famous in our family for making the most delicious Southern pinto beans. When I asked her for her recipe, I was shocked to find out that the dish was so simple; just put a few ingredients in the slow cooker and let them cook through a busy day. These comforting, savory cooked beans are the perfect main dish for a winter weeknight alongside some salty, buttery cornbread. They're also a super satisfying source of fiber, iron, and protein.

I created this illustration from Aunt Dianne's recipe in watercolor, pencil, and digital media. My mom Shelley and I created the hand lettering together with watercolor and digital media.