ice

Put it all in a blender, it tastes a bit like chambord!!!!!!!

Kitchenaid food processor

• 3 cups pintos, or red/kidney beans, or some of both
• 1 1/2 quarts water
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, or a nut oil like walnut would be even better I betcha
• 1 large onion, minced fine
• 1 package (8 ounces?) of morel mushrooms
• 8 ounces of sliced porcini, portabello or other mushrooms
• 1/4 cup sweet IPA beer, like Double Take. Or a Belgium ale would work.
• 3 cups water
• 1 cup tomato sauce
• 1 tablespoon vegetable boullion
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1 tablespoon ketchup

1. Rinse the bean and then put them in the 1 1/2 quarts of water. Soak the beans for 18 – 24 hours.
2. Set the oven to 280.
3. In a big pot, saute the onion, paprika, black pepper and morels in the oil and a tablespoon of the tomato sauce for about 15 minutes or until the onions start to turn brown. Stir once in a while.
4. Deglaze the pot with the beer, scraping up the fond.
5. Drain the beans and add them.
6. Add the 3 cups water, and add everything else. Bring to a boil. Keep at a medium boil for 10 minutes.
7. Put the pot in the oven covered for a few hours. Done.

• 1 cup oatmeal
• 4 slices bacon, chopped
• 3 large carrots, diced
• 1 large onion, diced
• 6 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup vermouth
• 3 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 cup flour
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Better Than Bullion chicken bullion
• 1 medium potato, diced.
• pepper

1. In a big stock pot on medium high, toast the oats.
2. Set all the water to boil in a different pot.
3. Add the bacon, carrots and onion and fry until the bottom of the pan starts to brown.
4. Add 1 tablespoon of butter and garlic and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
5. Deglaze with the vermouth.
6. Push all the ingredients to one side of the pot. Add the remaining butter and flour and make a light rioux.
7. While quickly stirring the rioux, add some water and then the egg yolk. Add the rest of the boiling water while stirring the rioux until all the water has been added.
8. Add the bullion and potato and simmer for about an hour.

Anyone who lives in San Diego County knows that Mexican taco shop refrieds taste different, and arguably, better, than canned refried beans. The humble taco shop beans typically also stand apart from chain restaurant refrieds not better, but different from them. Chain restaurants usually make their beans in a more Southern/Tex-mex style, with more whole beans and more black pepper. Ham or pulled pork often end up in the sauce, pushing the dish into a different category altogether.

The true San Diego/west coast border refried is a nutty, hearty slop. It is easy to approximate, and while I haven’t perfected the recipe, the following is good enough for government work.

Makes about 6 cups of refried beans I think. You can easily halve the recipe.

6 cups dried pinto beans
10 cloves whole garlic, crushed or rough chopped
1 tablespoon salt
6 quarts water
4 tablespoons lard (aka manteca) (substitute which actually tastes better: 6 tablespoons olive oil)
2 tablespoons beef bullion (I use the brand Better Than Bullion)
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon paprika (or other mild red pepper, this is just handy for most people)
1 teaspoon cumin, powdered

1. Rinse the beans, then put them in 3 quarts water along with the garlic and salt.
2. Soak the beans for 18 – 24 hours.
3. While the lard is heating, strain the beans and garlic from the water, discarding the water.
4. In a big pot, put the beans, garlic, lard, bullion, spices, and 3 quarts water.
5. Bring to a roiling boil, then turn the heat down to a low boil.
6. Boil, stirring every half hour or so, until the beans are soft and don’t crunch or break apart all when eating. You may need to add water while waiting for the beans to fully cook.
7. If necessary, continue to boil until there is only a little bit of water still covering the beans. Then, pour all the water/sauce and most of the beans into a blender. Blend on high until the mixture has a smooth consistency. Should take 10 seconds or less. Pour the mixture back into the pot. You’re done.

When the beans are done they will be wetter and more runny than you might imagine. This is good because for two reasons: refried beans tend to firm up quickly, and the beans shouldn’t really be a stiff paste anyway. That isn’t appetizing.

Augustin Pyramus de Candolle

When:  1778-1841

Why: Instrumental in defining methods of plant classification

Augustin Pyramus de Candolle  was a French taxonomist whose principles of plant classification are still in use today. He is the one who coined the word “taxonomy” in 1813 for the study of plant classification. His belief was that plant structure, or morphology, should be the basis of plant classification.

Thomas Savery was an English military engineer and inventor who in 1698, patented the first crude steam engine, based on Denis Papin’s Digester or pressure cooker of 1679. He had been working on the problem of pumping water out of coal mines when he designed the steam engine.