One of the things I enjoy doing, along with my writing, is cooking. I learned to cook by trial and error, learning where the flavor lies and how to marinate to achieve the full essence. My initial decision to be a Vegan, in the late 80s and into the early 90s, pushed me into cooking as I had little to no choices regardless what region I visited or lived in the United States. This difficulty in options, however, turned into a blessing.
I learned how to use spices without the use of animal fat for flavor.
My love of cooking extends beyond cooking for myself. I cook for other people numerous items that never touch my lips. The smile that arrives on my consumer’s faces is gratifying. This doesn’t mean I’ve made some blunders, I definitely have, but in those blunders, I have found combinations that work; I am more than willing to experiment with food.
Why talk about food when I’m a writer? What do you think I’m doing when I’m not writing? I have to sustain that energy level somehow and what better way than to feed it; and I’m not the first or only writer that combines words and edibles. A writer I admire for her equal doses of food and words: the Mexican writer Laura Esquivel.
I am currently working on food combined with words woven into a meaty vegetable story, but I keep devouring the words before they get on the page. This problem comes with a solution: I mix the words in a homemade orange blossom dressing with romaine lettuce, goat cheese, sunflower seeds, walnuts and oranges. I let them marinate and then I decide which words I’m going to dice up and save for the homemade pizza pie that I need to toss into the air. After stretching the dough and letting the letters fall onto the pie, it is placed into the oven. 10 minutes later…
The aroma wafts onto the page for the characters to smell and then the heat titillates the letters, creating words that the characters speak while the temperature rises, layers form and with delight, the food, the words, the characters relish in their desires, so what is devoured satiates the appetite for a pleasurable reading experience while the delicious thin crust white pizza is bubbling with garlic, spices and ricotta cheese.
The wine is poured and with the clink of glasses, it is a perfect ending to a wonderful productive day of writing and cooking. Dessert is served, recipe listed below, and as I open my mouth to savor the brownie, I lift my glass and give cheers to you.
Thank you for reading.
Black Bean Brownie Recipe
Ingredients:
15 oz. canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3 Tbsp. almond meal (You can also substitute other healthy choices, like wheat germ)
1 egg
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, melted
2 ounces of semi-sweet baker’s chocolate
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3/4 cup honey
Directions:
1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease an 8×8 baking dish.
2. Put the black beans, almond meal, and egg in a food processor and blend until the mixture has no lumps.
3. Separately, melt the semi-sweet chocolate (either using a stove or a microwave) then add the melted butter and mix together. Then add the cocoa and vanilla extract. Add this mixture to the bean mixture in the food processor and blend until fully mixed.
4. Add honey and mix well in the food processor.
5. Pour the brownie mix into the greased 8×8 pan and bake for 20 minutes.
6. Let the brownies cool completely until they reach room temperature.
7. Place the brownies in the fridge; this step is vital as this brings out the flavor.
Nuts can also be added to the recipe. If you add nuts, add after you’ve blended the honey; don’t blend well unless you want the nuts finely chopped. I have added a half of cup of walnuts to the recipe and it does compliment the brownies.
Note: If you eat the brownies while they are hot, they won’t be tasty. The cold truly does bring out the essence, so if you don’t do that step, then you didn’t follow the recipe.