On the Road – Experiments in my New World Kitchen and Garden

The Sorana Bean. From Tuscany, With Love

Last autumn I was in Italy for the first time in way too long. This was the funny time when we all thought this covid thing was waning and we were heading back to normal. Weren’t we cute?

Regular followers of Rancho Gordo know of our love and admiration for the amazing Judy Witts Francini. She is a powerhouse of knowledge about the Italian kitchen and nothing makes her happier than sharing her secrets. She has many.

Judy arranged for me to meet with some members of the cooperative that is keeping the Sorana bean production going. Unable to meet our demands with Italian production, we of course grew their seed on the West Coast and market them as Marcella, to honor the Italian producers (and my hero, Marcella Hazan).

We have space here so we just let the bean plants grow as they will. Sorano is very limited (which is why they can’t increase production) and every inch is maximized.

Judy and I met each other in Firenze in the early 1980s. She was just starting out with her tours and classes and I was a clueless but well-fed tourist. I’d end up moving to Milano in 1988 and actually became the host of a radio show, Mister Lucky Cocktail, for a local jazz station.

In the states, almost every aspect of bean production is automated. Not in Sorana! Here Maurizio goes down every row with a little garden scooter and handpicks the beans and tosses them into a bucket for threshing later.

We use a moisture meter to decide when to harvest. Rita explains to me that they just make sure they are well-dried before storing. They would rather overdry them a bit in order to avoid molding beans since most Italians soak their beans anyway.

I was a little nervous to meet Rita and Maurizio as we were growing their beans stateside, but they were fine with that. There is a terroir that can’t be replicated and we didn’t call them Sorana , so there was no confusion.

I think there was a little disbelief that someone would match their passion for beans but we’ve become fast friends and I can’t wait to visit them again.

Afterward, we went to the local restaurant, Ristorante da Carla, to enjoy the fruits of their labor. All the beans are cooked al fiasco, which is in a glass carafe with a narrow top that cooks the beans perfectly.

The highlight was the beans served over a piece of toast that had been thoroughly saturated with fabulous Tuscan olive oil, topped with a piece of lardo, which is cured pork fat (not the same as lard), which on its own isn’t so appealing, but gently melting over warm beans is a thing to be remembered always.

In case you had doubts, Bean People are the best people!

If you are considering a trip to Italy, you would be well-served by getting in touch with Judy. She can arrange to help you get to Sorana, as well as anywhere in Italia that you fancy, and really, for me having Judy sitting across a dinner table means I’ll eat well, have some laughs, and remember why Italy is one of my favorite places on the planet.

Divina Cucina on the web (with contact information)

These great photos were taken by artist Kelly Borsheim, someone as nice as she is talented.

Happy Harvest: Frijolon Gris

It has been a long time since I played in the garden. I have not been a good steward of my land and as we got busier and busier over the holiday season, I left my precious Oaxacan runner beans to fend for themselves. We experienced a very wet season, followed by several nights with freezing temperatures and the mornings have been foggy. You would have thought my forgotten bean crop would be a goner, but you’d be wrong.

Mid-February and this is my harvest.

I looked and I saw a few funky pods. When I opened them, the beans were fine. I ran into the house to get my incredibly wonderful ayate de ixtle, which is a large harvesting sheet, perfect for beans, made from the fiber of the maguey plant. This prized piece is from Hidalgo and takes hours to make. It’s especially clever because you can fold up the four corners and wear it like a backpack and not lose a single bean.

Dirt and dust can slip through but the harvest remains intact.

I picked the obvious pods but the more I picked, the more I found. They are good at hiding and once you get the rhythm of their growth patterns, you find a lot of them.

The pods looked very funky and many of them split open as I threw them unto the ayate. You can see that I was also harvesting a little borage with its pretty flowers.

You can pick up the ayate from the four sides and make a sack. I hung this and hit it with a stick and the rest of the beans came popping out of their pods. When you open the ayate de ixtle back up, you can easily pick up the spent pods and these will obviously go into the compost bin. The beans remaining are amazingly clean.

This is a shot of the plant last October. You can eat the flowers raw or cooked.

The bean is Frijolon Gris, a grey runner bean (Phaseolus coccineus) from Oaxaca that clearly has acclimated to Northern California. The hummingbirds love it and they were nice enough to leave me a lot of beans. I also suspect that many of the early beans fell into the soil and they’ll be naturalized but I’ll keep some of these for planting in the spring, just in case. I would guess you would have similar results with any of the runner beans, like Scarlet Runners, Ayocote Negro, etc. but these are particularly pretty. Lacking an authentic ayate de ixtle, I bet you would have great results with an old sheet.

The inevitable question is probably how to get the beans or the ayate de ixtle and for now, sadly, the answer has to be whipping out your passport and going on a Mexican adventure. Now that the COVID crisis is easing, I can’t think of a better way to celebrate.

The Best 10 Rules to Live by When You Are Young and Ready to Travel.

My friend Canice saw this photo of me from the early 1980s in Sestri Levante. It’s a beach town in Liguria, Italy and I spent many summers there in my early 20s. She wrote: I wanna use this photo to persuade young people to live a little, while they have the chance.

I know exactly what she means. I wouldn’t go back to my youth for anything but your twenties are a time to really let things rip. Yes, you can go to Europe at any age but you find as you get older you can’t really “crash” on a ferry boat like you can when you’re young. You suddenly need a private bath and a comfortable bed in a way you just don’t when you’re in your 20s.

Most importantly, you make friends more easily and you’re open to new experiences in a way that a cautious old fart isn’t. And you look so much better in photos than you will in your 50s.

In my 20s, I worked like crazy, lived on nothing and saved every penny for trips to Europe. Yes, it was somewhat easier then, but I had two roommates, lived like a pauper and you if you want this, you’ll figure out how. And I think you should.

Inspired by Canice, these are my 10 things every young person should do when they travel.

Talk to strangers.
Eat weird food.
Learn to sleep on buses and boats.
Meet lots of mothers who know how to cook.
Learn a song in a foreign language so you can sing along when your new friends get drunk.
Live like a pauper for a few months so that you can travel. Come home and then do it again. (Hint: This traveling will make you more interesting, and you’ll get better and better jobs the more you do it.)
Don’t assume anyone gives a sh*t how we do things in the states.
Dance with an old person.
Learn to say Hello, Goodbye, Please and Thank You in your host language. Use them all frequently.
Sleep when you get home.

I was going to add to not make yoga poses in front of the Eiffel Tower or at Machu Picchu, but you know what? If you want to, do it. It’s none of my business and if it makes you happy, be my guest. I think it’s weird and indulgent, but I like Ethel Merman in a non-ironic way. There’s room for all of us.

I’m not adding it to the list, but I would suggest you put down your smartphone. Traveling used to mean really cutting yourself off from your everyday life. You sent postcards and sometimes letters. Phone calls were insanely expensive, and you only called if something went wrong. You had no idea what anyone else was doing, and the news came from the International Herald Tribune. My gentle suggestion would be to take lots of photos and then share them when you get home. Your friends will be just as impressed. The burglars won’t know your schedule quite so well. I promise you, you will not suffer from missing Aunt Myrtle’s cat photos in real time.

I focused on Europe. Now my obsession seems to be Mexico and the Americas. Asia would be great. I want to encourage everyone to see as much of the world as they can, especially the young. Go for it.

Rancho Gordo Goes to Alta Baja with More Stars than in the Heavens!

Rancho Gordo Supper in Orange County to Highlight Heirloom Mexican Beans, Support High School Art Program

On Sunday, July 8, Rancho Gordo, renowned purveyor of heirloom beans, will hold its first-ever supper in Southern California at Alta Baja Market in Santa Ana. The special event will feature three courses prepared by some of Rancho Gordo founder Steve Sando‘s favorite SoCal restauranteurs: Delilah Snell and Richard Lu (Alta Baja Market, Electric City Butcher), Evan Kleiman (Angeli Caffe, KCRW’s Good Food) and Carlos Salgado (Taco Maria). Each course will highlight different Mexican heirloom beans offered by Rancho Gordo, recently featured in the New Yorker and beloved by chefs across the world.

All proceeds of the supper will go to the arts program at Valley High School in Santa Ana, and there will be a art exhibit to accompany the supper.

There will be two seatings for the Supper, the first at 3 p.m. and the second at 5 p.m. To attend our Supper, we require that you RSVP and pay for your ticket in advance. Please call Alta Baja Market at (714) 783-2252 to process your reservation and payment over the phone, or stop by the store (201 E. First St. Santa Ana, CA 92701) and make your reservation and payment in person. Please specify which ticket you are purchasing, and for which seating. You must RSVP and pay in advance directly with Alta Baja Market—no exceptions.

Pricing:

-Three course Rancho Gordo Supper- $50.00
-Supper + Valle de Guadelupe wine pairings- $75.00
-Supper + Valle de Guadelupe wine pairings + a copy of the new Rancho Gordo cookbook “The Rancho Gordo Vegetarian Kitchen” – $100.00

See you there!

Release the Pods: The Rancho Gordo Chili Manifesto

Imagine a damp, cold, rainy day in Milano, Italy in 1988. One young, bored expat trying to figure out his role in Italy (and the world, really) is presented with a copy of a book called A Bowl of Red and a bag of chile powder. I was compelled to make the stew and the aromas and flavors made me so homesick, I was near tears. Chiles and cumin weren’t standard fare for me in Milano. I was pretentious and fancy, as only the young can be, but this wallop of nostalgia hit me hard. These flavors sent me back home and I’ve yet to leave.

Since then, good chili has haunted me and the pursuit of the perfect pot is always a favorite activity. It’s not a difficult dish, but for it to be sublime, you need good chiles. You can’t fake this. You also never are fully in control. Time is your master. This is the pain and this is the excitement.

A serious pot of chili can be an intimidating thing, especially when you’re with Texans. Just smile, respect their traditions and then go with your instincts. I love messing with them and asking what their favorite bean is for authentic Chili con Carne. If you didn’t know, Texans firmly believe that beans don’t belong in chili. Again, smile and do your best and have fun, and keep in mind that the debate about beans in chili will never end. I say you do what you like.

Your journey should start with our chile powder: 100% new crop, New Mexican dried chiles, and it’s rich and complex. You don’t need anything else, except maybe for good instructions and we’ve solved this for you by making a free, downloadable ebooklet. Click here to download The Rancho Gordo Chili Manifesto from our Chili page. Recipes, lore and more.

Guisado de Lupe: A Delicious Tomato Surprise That Will Make You Flip

In Hidalgo, a meal with my pal Lupe is essential. She is a great cook. I would almost describe her cooking as colonial. She prefers good olive oil to manteca (lard) and while she’s fiercely patriotic and loves all aspects of her Mexican culture, there’s a European sensibility to a lot of her dishes.

When we were filming the article that featured the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project for Sunset Magazine last year, Lupe made this dish and it’s forever haunted me. She told me it was from Michoacan and called Minquiche. I’ve done some research and there are similar elements but I think Lupe’s dish has morphed into something even more delicious than the original. If you are an expert on the cuisine of Michoacan and want to set me straight, it would be my pleasure.

Lupe in the kitchen

My notes are rough.

Roasted tomatoes. Cazuela. Canela. Harina. Rajas. 15 minutes. Crema. Queso.

Coming home, I was just as confused as you might be.

So, I sauteed onions and garlic in olive oil. When soft, I added some canned roma tomatoes and their sauce and a stick of our canela. You should only use canela, not commodity cinnamon. It’s a different bark and the canela has a warm, woodsy flavor while the cinnamon is harsh and astringent. I let this cook and reduce a bit. Then I added some previously roasted, peeled and chopped Poblano chiles. After seasoning with salt, I added some fresh mozzarella cheese and a big happy dollop of creme fraiche. I removed the canela stick and being cheap, I gave it a quick rinse and will use it for something else in the future.

I believe Lupe fried the flour in the oil to make a roux but I don’t think this is needed at all so I skipped this step. Long, slow cooking in a wide pot, like a cazuela (or even a Windsor pot) encourages evaporation and tastes better than a flour-thickened sauce.

This was incredible. Great with tortillas or rice and even though it doesn’t sound like a main course, a bowl on its own was just perfect.

Road Trip: Convento de los Los Santos Reyes

For me, there’s little better than a road trip in Mexico. My friend Gabriel estimated that over nine years we’ve traveled approximately 50,00 kilometers (about 32,000 miles) together. I’m glad he likes to drive! I’m also thankful we all like the same music and have the same hunger for Mexican food. On the way to the Huasteca of Hidalgo, we stopped at Convento de los Los Santos Reyes in a pueblo called Metztitlan in the sierra. This is exactly the kind of thing I love to do, especially when the site is deserted and we are free to run and around and explore.

Northern California has many fine attributes but we suffer from very boring skies. As a native, I am always mesmerized the clouds and blue heavens that we don’t enjoy. Hidalgo is big beautiful and dramatic. The silence was almost as beautiful as the grounds. I loved it.

Post Vacation Breakfast: Things Could Be Worse

My favorite sentence is, I just got back from Mexico.

I would like to write it more often!

The down side is coming home to an empty refrigerator. This morning, after pots of French Roast coffee (the Mexicans do many things well but good coffee is mostly hidden), I made brown rice, garbanzo beans and a salsa from the new chiles I bought on my trip. They’re oak-roasted heirloom chipotles from the Huasteca of Hidalgo. They are incredible and we were going try and import them but the FDA requirements are so tough that we had to pass. It’s a pity, but such is life.

The salsa was made by toasting three chiles, 2 slabs of onion and 2 garlic cloves (in their skins) on a hot comal. The chiles were then soaked in hot water for about 15 minutes and then I blended this all (without the skins) with 4 canned plum tomatoes and some Oregano Indio.

Here’s a portrait of the chiles, just to make you weep a little.

It’s Fun to Be Some Guy in Swim Trunks on the Beach

There have been too many times I’ve felt I was “too busy” to take a vacation and ended up so much better for the time off. I’m sure I know best, and relaxing and taking a break from the daily routine is not so important, or so I tell myself.

Here’s a little secret: I don’t know everything. I don’t even know what’s best for me sometimes.

I’ve just come back from a beyond wonderful week last week in Kauai with pals. I loved it so much I’m in discomfort thinking about it. Coffee, beach, eat, beach, eat, rinse, repeat. My biggest worries were how strong my sunscreen needed to be. From 30 to 25 to 12. This is a real victory.

I mostly remember those moments in complete silence lying on my back on the wet sand and sun beating down…I wasn’t The Bean Czar, I wasn’t the funny gay guy, I wasn’t Papa…I was just some guy in swim trunks. I like him. He’s not very interesting. He doesn’t have much to say, but he’s really happy and he has as an incredible meal with friends waiting for him once he leaves the beach. I hope I meet him again soon.

I also hope at some point this summer you’re lucky enough to forget who you think you are and just 100% relax, even if it’s just for a day.

One of the highlights of the trip was local shrimp. Taylor, who is far too clever a cook, made a sauce with our Felicidad hot sauce, fish sauce and lime. No one was paying much attention to proportions but it seemed to be 2 parts Felicidad to one each fish sauce and lime juice. The shrimp can be pan-fried, grilled or poached with aromatics.

One More Photo Album of the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project

Random Photos from over the last several years with the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project.

I am one lucky fellow!