THE BEST BLACK BEANS & EK'S MEXICO CITY GUIDE

Happy Thursday, friends! If you think this week’s W4D is filled with extra vibrant flavors and colors, that’s because Elizabeth went to Mexico City and is sharing her amazing trip with us, including the 411 on the best places to eat/drink in CDMX. Plus, Anthony’s turning pantry staples into a winter warmer with the help of his trusty pressure cooker.

BLACK BEANS WITH SWEET POTATOES & HOMINY

AU: What’s the saying? Necessity is the mother of invention? No wait. It’s gotta be your bull. (h/t Tommy Boy).

I first made this recipe a few weeks ago while Los Angeles was being pummeled by a series of torrential downpours. Now that I’ve lived on both coasts (and in Texas), I can tell you that rain hits different here. It’s not that we’re just a bunch of babies who aren’t used to it. I mean, it is that, but it’s also really scary to be out and about during a rain storm here. LA drivers are terrible and distracted on their best days, so to add slippery roads and poor visibility to the equation, you’re really taking your life in your own hands.

It was getting dark outside, it was pouring down rain, I didn’t want to go to the supermarket, and we were hungry. So I did that thing where I open the cabinet doors and just stare into the oblivion that is my unorganized kitchen (I do the same thing with my closet and still “don’t have anything to wear”).

I had a gorgeous bag of Rancho Gordo Black Beans staring back at me. Eureka! Proposing this dinner idea to my husband as if he had an actual say in what I cooked for dinner, he responded with “Just beans?!” Reader. If you can imagine THE EYE ROLL I served him...

EK: OK, that made me laugh out loud! Did you say, “No, Rancho Gordo Black Beans!”? (If you don’t know, Rancho Gordo Beans are the Russian caviar of the legume world!)

AU: I think I’ve confessed in past newsletters that I used to hate beans. I mean, I never hated them, but they just weren’t something I would ever choose to eat. And eating them solo (“Just beans?!”) was absolutely out of the question. So I can see where my beloved husband was coming from…

But then I learned how to make them.

The key to REALLY GOOD BEANS® (and basically everything else in the universe) is to have plenty of fat and salt. It can be a fruity olive oil, smoky bacon fat, or even beef tallow… but you need a lot of it. Like at least a quarter cup. And while there’s lots of debate as to WHEN to salt your beans, you need to salt them with at least a tablespoon of kosher salt per pound of beans. (I salt them from the beginning, btw). Beans are like potatoes. They can take a ton of salt and fat because they’re essentially food sponges.

EK: Fat and salt. That is the secret to great cooking, and especially beans. Many years ago, I was obsessed with Italian white beans and white bean purees with lots of rosemary and garlic that I would eat out at the great Italian restaurants in New York. I went to cooking school in Tuscany to learn the secret, and you just saved everyone a trip to Italy with that one! The secret was EVOO and lots of salt! Plus, not overcooking the beans.

AU: So in order to satisfy my “Just beans?!” husband, Josh, I continued to tour (scavenge?) my kitchen, looking for something that would go well in a black bean soup… I had sweet potatoes and a can of hominy. Random, okay, but stick with me here, because it works!

AU: First, I needed to get the beans cooking… Since they were dried (and unsoaked), I definitely needed to use my trusty electric pressure cooker. I was going to add a healthy amount of olive oil to the pot, but then remembered that I had bacon fat in the fridge (not in the requisite Folger’s coffee can under the sink, like my grandmother).

So in went three heaping tablespoons of bacon fat, along with an onion split in half, and some smashed garlic cloves. I went for the less-is-more approach, and even refused to chop the aromatics. You can sear them, like I did, or omit. If you don’t have bacon fat laying around, chop 3 pieces of (thick-cut) bacon and add them to the (room temp) dry pot. As the pot preheats, the bacon will begin to render its fat and crisp up. Once it’s cooked to your liking, scoop out the bacon pieces with a slotted spoon (reserve for garnish or another use). If there’s still not enough fat in the pot, supplement with olive oil.

AU: After those got lightly golden brown, I added the tomato paste, chipotle chilies (already chopped in a jar!), some cumin, and chili powder, and cooked that until the tomato paste lost its bright red color.

AU: Then it was time to add the (just) beans. Dry! I added two quarts of water along with a big ol’ spoonful of chicken bouillon paste, but you can use chicken stock, vegetable stock, or go with straight water (good stock will add a nice flavor and body to the bean broth).

Then, I remembered making some amazing chickpeas with a ton of lemon zest in them. I remembered thinking, “I’m never going to make beans without some citrus (aka acidity) ever again. So instead of zesting a lemon, I just chopped it in half and threw it in the pot. I had some epazote left over from my tortilla soup recipe two weeks ago, so I added a sprig of that. I used cilantro when I made it again, and it was just as good. It was time to season it with salt and pepper, then seal the machine (making sure the vent was switched to “seal”).

I pressure cooked the beans for 45 minutes on High and let the pressure release naturally. I like my beans super creamy, and this usually ensures they are. If you don’t have time to let the pressure release naturally, quick release them and test one to see if it’s the correct firmness for your taste.

Once the machine had released pressure, I opened the lid to a steamy cloud of deeeelicious black beans! I fished out the onion and lemon halves, along with the herbs and garlic cloves. What was left was a brothy pot of black beans that were so flavorful and rich… and they were just beans!

BONUS RECIPE: Scoop some of the savory, smoky black beans into a small oven-safe dish. Mash them, using some of the bean broth, as needed, to thin the beans to a scoopable consistency. Sprinkle with shredded cheese of your choice. Put under the broiler until the beans are warmed and the cheese is golden and bubbly. Top with a dollop of sour cream, cilantro, and diced red onion.
Serve with sturdy tortilla chips.
**You’ve just made the famous Santa Fe BBD (Black Bean Dip)!**

(Santa Fe is a beloved NYC restaurant on the UWS)

AU: While the just beans were incredible, I stuck to my original game plan, and added a huge, peeled sweet potato that I had roughly diced into 1/4”-1/2” pieces. I turned the pressure cooker to the Sauté setting on low. On my machine, it was not a vigorous simmer. You want the sweet potatoes to cook, but you don’t want the bubbles to burst open the beans. Once I could easily pierce a sweet potato with the tip of my knife, I added the can of drained and rinsed hominy. I love the chewy texture and the corn flavor it adds. I added some chopped cilantro just before serving.

AU: Another great thing to serve alongside this are some warm tortillas (flour or corn), tortilla chips, or even cheese quesadillas. When I ladled the servings into bowls and topped them with diced avocado, cheese, scallions, and lime I thought to myself, “these aren’t just beans!!”

Black Bean, Sweet Potato & Hominy Soup

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VIVA MEXICO CITY!

EK: This year started out for me with a flurry of travel. I went to Atlanta for the annual Gift Show—something I haven't done since before 2020. The gift show begins the buying year for retail stores and housewares are a big part of the gift show especially for the independent gourmet retail stores. It was great to see so many people back in business and the show was hopping!

And a couple of days later, I was back to the airport to go to Mexico City, a.k.a. CDMX!

EK: I have wanted to visit Mexico City for ages and it just didn’t happen until this year. All the stars aligned and it really was a magical trip. Mexico City is steeped in history, art, tradition, and culture. Today a big part of that culture is the food and the cocktails—and I had so many great experiences that I can’t remember a trip where I ate and drank so well.

The days were filled with dishes and drinks, each better than the one before it! You’ve heard of the good, better, best lineup? Well, the food on this trip was “best-er,” as in better than best! And the sites measured up to the food and drink as well.

AU: I have always wanted to go to CDMX! It seems like the perfect city for art lovers who like to eat and drink.

EK: The highlight of the trip were the amazing meals, but the sights were a close second. Because the city is so large—as in gargantuan—we organized our week by neighborhoods.

I could write for days about everything that I saw, ate, and drank. To give you a taste, I’ll cover the first 2 days and a few highlights from the whole week:

The first day, we concentrated on the historic center and saw everything from the rare changing of the Flag at the Zocalo to the Diego Rivera murals at the Ministry of Education.

The murals are painted outdoors on the walls of the three floors of the building. The murals took Diego 25 years and 400 assistants to finish. We had the murals to ourselves and were accompanied by an expert guide who gave us the commentary on each painting. This is an off-the-beaten path VIP art experience and well worth it.

AU: And if Diego Rivera’s work looks familiar to you, the Rockefellers commissioned him in 1932 to paint murals in the lobby of their new office building… Rockefeller Center!

Diego River and his murals, all with purpose and a commentary. The official procession of the changing of the flag does not occur very often and our guide was so excited to see it himself and to share it with us. The “banana” sculpture is the nickname our guide said the locals gave it.. It is actually an abstract depiction of a horse’s head by Manuel Tools and called “the horse.” It is and seen by all who drive along the Paseo de la Reforma.

EK: Following on the heels of the Diego Rivera murals, the second day was all about Frida Kahlo. Her childhood house, the Casa Azul [Blue House] was every bit as spectacular as the photos, and more. But perhaps the best part of the day was exploring her neighborhood of Coyoacan. This is a walking neighborhood that is quaint and colorful and worth a trip, even if you aren’t a Kahlo fan. The artisan market is small and has some good quality Mexican handicrafts from all over the country. There are still cricket “snack” vendors on the street, as well as haute chocolate shops, and I had the best churro of my life there. I can’t take credit for finding that churro or the many other bites we had in Coyoacan. Our food tour was expertly guided by Mexico City native Rosa Castro, and if you are traveling there, I highly recommend her.

There is an excellent restaurant in Coyoacan named Corazon De Maguey serving Mezcal and traditional Oaxacan food, including the best Mexican Atole—a warm corn drink made from masa, cinnamon and vanilla and garnished with pine nuts.

A colorful Hand-painted bench in the charming neighborhood of Coyoacan

Scenes from the Casa Azul—the top painting is the painting that the gift shop chose for all their souvenir items so it must have had more significance than I saw in it:) My favorite food painting is on the lower left and I loved the yellow and blue kitchen seen on the lower right.

EK: Experiencing the Tequila and Mezcal artistry in Mexico City was exhilarating. Every place we went had top-notch cocktails that were worthy of note. Interesting, none of the cocktails were overly sweet. In fact, it seemed as if liqueurs were used to add flavor and sweetness instead of using simple syrup to add sweetness which is something that I try to do in my cocktails, as well. If you only have time for one out-of-this world cocktail presentation, go to the San Angel Inn for a taste of an old-world Mexican power lunch—or dinner—and experience the table-side Margarita and/or Martini service.

AU: You texted me some snaps while you were there, and I was so jealous! Every drink looks like a work of art!

Cheers to Mexico! L to R, Four of my favorite cocktails included something that I am calling the Mexican Martini and will be trying to duplicate—it included both tequila and mezcal and was delicious. ...the Champagne cocktail was a French 77 with St. Germaine and Mezcal and it packed a delicious punch! The elegant Margarita and Martini table service from the San Angel Inn is not to be missed. And, the frothy hibiscus, lime and mezcal drink at La Capital was rimmed with Sal de Gusano or “agave worm salt.”

EK: I wish that Panderia Rosetta was in my hometown—it would actually make me get up extra early, so I could snag a table. We actually got up and left the house at 7:30 just so we could sit on their lovely patio. They are famous for their Guava Roll but everything was swoon-worthy!

I was tempted to buy the Rosetta cookbook. It is filled with the iconic bread and pastries, and the recipes from the sister restaurant that was the inspiration for the bakery.

EK: We ate at the markets where I tasted the best Nopales—Cactus Paddles—of my life and a simple griddled chorizo-and-cheese taco on a corn tortilla that blew my mind because of the way the chorizo was seasoned. We also ate at iconic Mexico City institutions, and one of the fancy fine dining restaurants that are popular right now. As I said, the food was ‘better than best’ and I highly recommend eating at all levels from the low to the high.

One note is that if you want to eat at the markets or try the street food, it is recommended to hire a local guide. There are several great options. Eat Like a Local and Sabores Mexico are food tour companies, and in Coyoacan and Roma Norte, we loved our vivacious guide Rosa Castro. If you would like to get in touch with her, you can email her at summer311095@gmail.com.

All the restaurants that we went to were seafood heavy, so that was a lot of what my friends and I ordered. But there were some meaty stand-outs like the Chile en Nogada from La Capital pictured below.

L to R, Cajeta Stuffed Churro. This local street churro in Coyoacan blew El Moro away. It was shorter and chubbier, crunchy and tasted like pure dough, cinnamon and sugar not oil like so many. It was good enough to make me want to learn how to make them. The shrimp roll from Havre 77. This was loaded with dill and served on toasted brioche; the ripe avocado made all the difference. Corn Atole and a simple Mexican flatbread for dipping—this traditional drink was extremely well prepared. The Chile en Nogada from La Capital was as tasty as it was beautiful. The poblano strips encase a pork and beef mixture that includes dried fruit and nuts and the sauce is a walnut cream sauce. the red pomegranate seeds give the dish a nice bright color and a tart balance. The signature dish at Contramar is a butterflied whole fish roasted with one side slathered with parsley and garlic and the other with chile rojo—or red chile paste. The Pescado a la Talla is served with small corn tortillas for making tacos out of this high-end presentation.

EK: Finally, Mexico City would be nothing without the people. The people were warm and hospitable, welcoming and mostly happy to have me take their photograph. Here are a few of my favorite shots along the way.

Clockwise L to R: The daily markets sell peeled and polished onions “because they look pretty,” said Rosa. This woman looks like she has been peeling onions for years without any tears! Dogs are just as important to the residents of CDMX as they are here and many of them wear “clothes.” Making crunchy tortillas for tostados on the street. One of the local regulars at Contramar for Friday afternoon lunch, which is a thing! Especially for the Mexican men. It was like a men’s club, and they were all so happy to see each other that it was charming, not off-putting.