The Leguminosae family of plants includes some of the most important and familiar food crops known to man: beans and peas. Botantists divide the family into two genera—phaseolus, or beans, and lathyrus, or peas. When it comes to the common names of the different cultivars of each genera, the distinctions are somewhat arbitrary. By now all have crisscrossed the oceans and seas to become established crops and garden edibles regardless of their original continental or ethnic boundaries. And that's a good thing, because dried beans and peas are among the most nutritious and, when freshly cooked, not canned, delicious of foods. The pressure cooker is a dream machine for turning out pot after pot of them on the spot.
A genuine benefit of pressure cooking legumes is that there is no need for presoaking. All the recipes in this chapter, with the exception of Boston beans, have been designed and tested to avoid that time-taking step.
A note: In all my years of cooking both professionally and casually, I have been mystified by the inherent nature of dried beans. When they're done, they're done. And, when they're not done and you stop the cooking, they cannot be coaxed in any way into softness. Al dente beans remain al dente beans forever. For tender beans, it's best to err on the side of a little too much and then let them rest to room temperature so they refirm a bit and won't disintegrate at the next stage of the recipe.
Boil'd Peanuts [>]
Basic Chickpeas [>]
Omi's Chickpeas with Lime and Onion Ring Topping [>]
Basic Brown or Green Lentils [>]
Lentil Salad with Feta Cheese and Walnut Oil [>]
Basic Yellow Lentils or Split Peas [>]
Yellow Lentil or Split Pea Porridge in the Mediterranean Style [>]
Yellow Lentil Fritters [>]
Yellow Lentil or Split Pea Dal with Cilantro Mint Chutney [>]
Basic Black-Eyed Peas [>]
Black-Eyed Peas with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Shallot, Thyme, and Shredded Ham [>]
Basic Red Kidney Beans [>]
Red Beans, Green Beans, and Chickpeas in a Classic Three-Bean Salad [>]
Not-So-Classic Red Beans and Rice with Fresh Thyme and Andouille Sausage [>]
White Beans Bretonne [>]
Lima Bean Salad with Watercress, Yogurt Garlic Dressing, and Cracked Black Pepper [>]
Basic Cranberry Beans [>]
Cranberry Bean Salad with Arugula, Dried Cranberries, and Hazelnut Oil [>]
Pasta e Fagioli [>]
Pressure-Cooked Boston Beans [>]
Basic Black Beans [>]
Black Bean Chili with Chipotle Cream [>]
Black Bean Cakes with Crème Fraîche and Tomato Salsa [>]
Basic Pinto Beans [>]
Bill's New Mexico Pinto Beans [>]
Classic Refritos and Then Some [>]