How I Like My Coffee
As you can tell from this blog, some of my happiest moments are on the road in Mexico. Driving over bumpy roads in search of beans or booze, I think...
The Rancho Gordo Blog
My Other Obsession: Mexican Movie Posters
You know about the beans. Did you know I also collect Mexican movie posters? You would if you've visited us in Napa because I hang some of them on the...
Napa Goes on Tour to Los Angeles
I return to Napa with a new-found respect for Los Angeles. What a great time I had with fellow Napans Taylor and Toponia from the Fatted Calf, thanks to our...
Greetings from the Road
I'm writing this from a hotel in downtown Los Angeles, preparing for the big bash at Cube. This is the tail end of a busy ten days that looked so...
White Bean, Bacon and Corn Soup
This was invented the other night. The inspiration was whatever was left in the fridge! I sauteed the bacon, removed it, fried the corn in the bacon fat and then...
Xoconostle on a Clay Comal
My local Mexican grocer had some xoconostle (sour prickly pears) and even though they were a little sad looking, I bought them all. We have a new shipment in from...
New Bean Room at Xoxoc
The Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project rolls on full steam ahead. What started out as a "what if we...." kind of conversation over a tequila or four has turned out to be...
Rancho Gordo Class at Formaggio Kitchen
It's time to make beans, tortillas and more at Formaggio Kitchen in Cambridge. The details are here but I will add that I haven't been so excited about a class...
Shrimp in Cornhusks
With fellow gastronomer Nico Sando by my side, last night we made shrimp in cornhusks. In a glass bowl, we marinated whole, unpeeled shrimp in garlic, olive oil, fruit vinegar...
More on Bean Bowls
I've written about bean bowls already. You find the perfect one and you always have a side of beans with your meal. I still have my favorite, made by Lourdes....
Fresh Cranberry Beans
Beans in the cranberry family are fun to eat fresh, as shelling beans. I think they all taste the same and it's not until they're dried that they really come...
The Tortilla Project Arrives!
There was a day when I was visiting one of the farmers with the Rancho Gordo-Xoxoc Project in Mexico and an idea hit me. All the bean farmers we met...