Closed Loop Cooking Weekly Newsletter 5.7.21

May 7th, 2021Hi friends,A love letter to black beans from scratch:Oh tender legumes, seasoned from the outside inDancing in your own umami bean juicesWhy would we ever eat tinned again?Well, because, most of the time I do not have the foresight to pre-soak a cup of dried beans overnight. However, this small ritual is becoming more routine as I’m discovering the best, low effort meals I can make whilst recovering. Black beans from scratch have always been on the back burner (heh), a once-in-a-while, when I’m feeling experimental in the kitchen kind of dish but they’ve taken on new meaning in 2021. We all flirted with dried beans at the beginning of the pano–a resilient, survivalist instinct that quickly faded once shelves were restocked. So there’s a pretty good chance you’ve got a bag of dried goods tucked up in a pantry corner. Well, time to pull ‘em out. (Of course, the more fresh a dried bean, the better, but we’re usin’ it up over here.) I wanna make beans-from-scratch a mainstay in your kitchen so you too can know the real love that comes from a warming, savory spoonful. Left simmering on the stove for an hour to fill up your cook space with aromatics and a thoughtful reminder to eat well during the week from past you.Hawnuh Lee’s not-so-secret black beans from scratch recipe:

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dried black beans (soaked overnight with a handful of kosher salt)

• 3 cups water

• ¼ tsp baking soda (helps tenderize)

• ½ red onion, minced

• ¼ bell pepper, minced

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 tbsp cumin

• ½ tbsp red pepper flakes

• ½ - 1 tsp kosher salt, to taste

• Black pepper to taste

• Lime to taste

To-do’s:

1. In a large bowl add black beans, a handful of kosher salt and double the amount of water (approx 2.5 cups) to cover. Shake to settle salt. Let soak overnight or about 8 hrs, up to 2 days.

2. Once soaked, strain off water. Add beans, 3 cups water, and baking soda to a large pot. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, skim off the excess foam with a large spoon or ladle. Try to save any beans from being tossed out. Once skimmed, stir mixture and reduce heat to low.

3. Add red onion, pepper, bay leaf, cumin, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to the pot. Stir to combine. Place a lid on your pot and let simmer for 50-60 minutes, until tender. Make sure to stir ingredients every 15 minutes or so, adjust salt and pepper as needed.

4. Once tender, add as much lime juice as your heart desires. Enjoy!

These simple but delicious moments keep me connected to the kitchen. While DIY beans might not seem particularly special at first it’s been a real moment of self love and nourishment. Small tasks that add up to a real meal feels like actually taking care of myself in a new way. An act of kitchen kindness and all it takes is a bit of pre-soaking the night before.What’s your favorite low-effort / high-love 1-pot dish? (Is it beans??)Stay hungry,Hawnuh Lee | Founder, Closed Loop Cooking

Hyperlocal Harvest // @hawnuhlee

To-do’s and how-to'sReminder to read through this resource doc our friends at Made Trade put together for anyone looking to support India in the latest, severe wave of Covid. Support local artisans and donate if you can for much needed supplies across the country.

This week’s required reading Elated to share Maia’s latest interview with our friend Shellie-Ann Kerns up in WA at Bunkhouse Acres. Shellie-Ann continues to push the boundaries #farmingwhileblack. Making much needed space for themself and their workers to create a just farm system AND they’re making hyperlocal produce accessible for the communities that need it most. I could sing Shellie-Ann’s praises for days but y’all gotta go read up on it yourself!Heavy swoon over The Mushroom as Muse. Latest piece from Helen Rosner taking us through the incredible fungal portraits by Phyllis Ma. I want to live inside this series. Who’s joining?What’s food without taste? Fascinated and appreciative of this free cookbook from Life Kitchen on learning to cook after losing your sense of taste. If you or anyone you know is struggling in the kitchen after covid-related symptoms (or just interested in food sensory science), this is the place to start.

Here’s what’s for dinnerMickey has blown all of my spring eating expectations out of the water. Nothing else is on the menu (aside from aforementioned beans, obv) save this vivid vignarola with farro and tofu pancetta. Full of bright, beautiful, seasonal produce, this Italian inspired dish is a celebration of all things green, bringing your bowl back to life post a sleepy winter spread. Herbs, leeks, lettuce leaf, peas, you name it, vignarola is perfectly accented with a savory plant-based pancetta that will make dinner feel like its own dang holiday. Please send pics if you make this!

We’re cooking withLast minute digital gift cards from Made Trade your mom will definitely love. Honestly what is time?And / or if your mom or mom figure is looking to show off those flowers I highly encourage these pastel pretty art deco vases. Hello, dog moms count too. I’ll be getting one from my fur children, most likely.Ooh and maybe for mom maybe for me (it’s for me) I’ve been looking for just the right kitchen linens lately that actually function and look lovely. Think this waffle style cotton set are it.

AttendPerfect for a virtual mother day’s bond session - mother-daughter duo Lyn and Tung Nguyen teach the art of Vietnamese spring rolls this Saturday, inspired by their latest cookbook, Mangos and Peppercorns. Interweaving their family history into each recipe I’m not crying you’re crying into my rice paper.     

Listening inSensation is a hot topic–latest listen from Gastropod on why we love the chile pepper. Masochism? Most likely.    

Can't stop staring Already to pre-order Bryant Terry’s latest stunning cookbook, Black Food. A journey through the African diaspora and into our kitchens. Oct 2021 can’t come soon enough.Gawwwd I love stop motion. This beautiful felted vision from Siqi Song x It’s Nice That x Mailchimp about a baker getting that bread is too dang cute.Expiration dates are a damn lie. Let this frank as heck farmer give you the scoop.

Make changePersonally working to unlearn patterns and rethink how I approach certain habits. Encourage us all to challenge ourselves as we work on shifting mindsets around anti-racism, low impact living, and so much more in 2021. Love this short prompt from The Decision Umbrella.Appreciating the grace of this dance and the much needed attention around May 5th, a day dedicated to bringing awareness to missing and murdered Indigenous women. Taking a moment for self education here.

Love this newsletter? We do too. Share the love with a friend y’all <3

CLC might make a small commission from links in this newsletter. So we can keep crafting rad content for free!

>> New here? <<

Have an idea we should feature in the newsletter? Want to work with us? Drop a line at [email protected]. We can’t wait to see what y’all cook up next! #closedloopcooking