If you’ve been by my house for dinner over the last month or so, you know that this is one of my favorite new cookbooks. If you’re a guy, you have probably eaten several of these recipes and told me they are awesome but have no clue about the cookbook because guys don’t ask where my recipes come from. If you’re female, you’ve heard me rave about this book.
Bean by Bean by Crescent Dragonwagon is a great cookbook. You’ll find recipes for every kind of bean you can think of. Have a pound of red lentils in your pantry that you’re trying to figure out what to do with? Crescent Dragonwagon has the answer. (Syrian Style Red Lentil Stew- a new family favorite, particularly with the kids.) There is such a broad variety of dishes from the usual to the unusual and everything in between. If you are trying to incorporate more beans in your diet, trying to cut out some meat, or trying to cook a little more healthy for kids, this book is the answer. You can make your kids Deconstructed Nachos, which they will adore, and you’ll feel great because you know they are so much healthier than their usual quick Tex-Mex cuisine.
Every recipe is clearly described and easy to follow. I’ve not had any problems with knowing what to do. Now, usually, a cookbook without pictures will quickly end up on the bottom of my list. However, let’s face it, beans are not usually very pretty once cooked. So, the lack of pictures makes sense to me. Would you really have mouth watering reactions to a picture of refried beans? Probably not. But once you taste them on the burritos, nachos, tacos, etc. you’ll be in love.
It doesn’t matter if you are new to cooking or an old pro (I think I fall somewhere in the middle) you’ll love this cookbook. So buy it. Don’t borrow a friend’s to write down the recipes you like- you want them all. Buy it.
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