Red Beans and Rice Run In the Family

It’s been a while since I’ve posted about my joyful cooking. My angel mother passed away two months ago, and every time I sat down to share my latest cooking adventure or culinary enjoyment I cried. And cried. And cried. Every time. Tears in my joyful meal. My Momma was a soulful cook. For most of my young childhood, she was a hardworking stay-at-home mom. Then, when our family suffered financial setbacks and hardships, my mother took herself and her high school diploma to beauty school to get her beauty license. For the rest of my formative years, Momma was very hardworking outside the home with three young children. Momma was resourceful, and she was capable of making something truly exquisite out of very little. This emotional discussion brings me to the economical, yet delicious, meal of red beans and rice, which was a staple in my childhood home, and its legacy will forever run in the family.

In south Louisiana, especially New Orleans, red beans and rice is a Monday meal. When I was a little girl, I asked my Grandma Loyce why we eat red beans and rice every Monday. She explained that Monday is typically “wash day” or “laundry day” and the pot of beans soaks and simmers all day while household chores are being done. I remember her saying, “whatever meat we eat on Sunday is going in the beans on Monday.” She went on to tell me that I could cook red beans on whatever day I wished. So I do, and I decided that cooking them very well may add to my legacy as a mother and a cook.

Every cook who enjoys red beans and rice creations has his or her own way to prepare the meal. Most packages have suggested preparation instructions and there are certainly plenty of delicious recipes to be found online. I keep my bean prep pretty traditional. I wash, then soak my beans for at least a few hours, then discard the liquid. There are reasons for this step. Next, I cover the soaked beans with new water before I bring to a boil and then simmer, stir and watch for a period of time, which varies depending on the amount being cooked, etc. The main thing is Don’t Burn The Beans. In a separate pot, I saute onion, celery and bell pepper, which some New Orleanians call the “trinity,” (I sure hope no one takes that in a blasphemous way because if cooked well that trio does add divination to whatever is being cooked) in olive oil and then add whatever meat I’m using. At some point, after the beans cooked for about an hour, I add the meat and trinity to the red bean pot. A bay leaf usually lands in the pot about this time. Salt and pepper, etc, etc. Finally, cook low and slow until creamy and ready. See, there is a lot of wiggle room in that preparation. Obviously, this post is not about a particular red beans and rice recipe. It’s about nostalgia and food. About memories and moments plated and served to last a lifetime and beyond.

Camellia brand red beans are my favorite. There are delicious recipes to be found at http://www.camelliabrand.com My angel Momma was a big fan of the slow-cooker, especially after she went back to working outside of the home. Camellia also has a great Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice recipe. As far as deciding which protein to use, plenty recipes call for smoked sausage. My husband likes to cook a big pot of beans the day after we have a ham for dinner so the ham bone and remnants can be used as seasoning for the beans. However, red beans and rice can easily be made into a vegan dish sans meat, and ingredients, such as brown rice, used to make into a healthier option.

A little insight about red beans and rice, it probably comes as no surprise that variations of the dish are popular world wide. Louis Armstrong, the legendary trumpet player from New Orleans, would sign his letters, “Red Beans and Ricely Yours,” and titled his family red beans and rice recipe “Pops Favorite Dish”. http://www.camelliabrand.com

I think of my Momma, cook supreme, when I make a pot of red beans, just as I know she thought of her momma. I get to talk to my boys about the different ways to prepare the dish, as they sing “Beans, beans, good for your heart. The more you eat, the more you… (You know the rest). Food can be a legacy, a gift we leave to our loved ones. That feeling of nostalgia is a gift to be treasured, a return home to a sentimental, if not spiritual, belonging. Set a pot of beans to soak. Go make a culinary legacy. Monday or whenever. “Red Beans and Ricely Yours,” Rose