Growing Bolder Community

A few weeks ago, I wrote about experimenting with a recipe that replaced shortening in brownies with an equivalent amount of black beans. I first noticed the recipe on Heidi Swanson’s wonderful Web site 101 Cookbooks. Heidi wished she had created the recipe but instead credited Ania Catalano’s new cookbook, Baking with Agave Nectar, as the source. Applesauce or vanilla yogurt had been my go-to...

I don’t remember where I first came across the idea of replacing shortening in brownies with puréed black beans. Applesauce or vanilla yogurt had been my go-to replacements in the past. But the idea of using black beans in place of shortening intrigued me, and I couldn’t wait to see what the outcome would be. Searching through my cupboard, I found a chocolate truffle mix....

Zippy Green Beans with Pecans Ingredients: Serve cold as a salad or warm as an accompaniment to a roast or steak ¼ cup Pecan Halves 1 lb Fresh Green Beans 1 tsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil 1 tsp Vinegar Salt and pepper to taste 1/3 cup Flat-Leaf Parsley, chopped 1 oz Dry Cured Ham such as Prosciutto, Jambon de...

Chickpeas, otherwise known as garbanzo beans, enjoy a huge popularity in kitchens all over the world. In most Middle Eastern countries, chickpeas are included in a variety of different foods, from hummus to falafel, and in some places in India, chickpeas are consumed on a daily basis. Two varieties of chickpeas dominate: desi and kabuli. The darker desi is eaten more frequently in India, Mexico,...

Do you consider yourself average? If so, you may not be consuming enough fiber on a daily basis. Dietitians recommend that adults consume 25 to 38 grams of fiber daily, but most Americans consume about half that amount. If you are missing the mark, you are also missing the impressive health benefits of fiber: a lower risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases, diabetes and colon cancer. Fiber...

I don't know if I should even be discussing this matter. It might prompt an onslaught of investigations by the FBI, the Department of Homeland Security, the CDC and any number of other government organizations. In the interest of national insecurity, I feel compelled to open up about this delicate subject. If anything ever happens to me, this might help explain why. Recently, I contacted a...

I thank my ex-brother-in-law for this one: A trucker came into a truck stop cafe and placed his order. He said, "I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and pair of running boards. The brand new blonde waitress, not wanting to appear stupid, went to the kitchen and said to the cook, "This guy out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards....