beans, beautiful beans!
(yes, chocolate and coffee count as beans)
Monday, January 12, 2026
Good afternoon!
The Infinite Varieties of Baklava [NYT, gift link]
Home cooking-ish, but I was fascinated by this article on Kraft. [WSJ, gift link]
I look forward to TBI (the bean issue) of the Smitten Kitchen Digest as only a dork like me can. I love beans this much. They’re humble and filling and budget-friendly and absolutely delicious, especially when you swap them into some of your favorite flavored sauces, yes, even a great pasta sauce. Oh, and they’re high in fiber, which several listicles about 2026 food trends have assured me will be all of the rage this year. But I promise, you can eat them just because they taste good and I hope the below recipes will make that abundantly, delectably clear.
And a big thank you to Amanda, who helps steer this newsletter and other Smitten Kitchen things behind the scenes, for reminding us that both chocolate and coffee are, in fact, derived from beans and therefore warrant inclusion in any/all bean-anzas (sorry). She really, really gets us.
Cheers,
Deb
I’ve written three cookbooks and one audiobook and I’m a tiny bit biased, but I think you’d love them all. Not sure which one to check out first? Take a look at the recipe index and see which collection jumps out at you most.
white bean soup with crispy kale
A simple soup palette with a variety of crispy, salty, and creamy finishes that make soup nights more fun. Yes, I just said fun. About soup. This one is.
three-bean chili
This is my ideal three-bean chili. You can make it on the stove, in a pressure cooker, or in a slow-cooker. You can use a little or a lot of heat. Few things taste better on a snowy weekend.
cannellini aglio e olio
A 10-minute meal from doctored-up cans of beans and artichokes, treated like pasta. The result is a warm, almost creamy bean salad that you can finish with parmesan and eat with a fork straight from a bowl, or ladle over slices of toasted baguette.
chana masala
Unquestionably the best chana masala I have ever made, a hint of sour transforms the whole dish. Have it for dinner with rice, toasted naan and/or a dollop of plain yogurt and end your day warm-bellied and content.
crisp black bean tacos with feta and slaw
These tacos are a stealth archive favorite for over 16 (!) years now -- they seem so simple but they hit all the perfect weeknight dinner notes with a quick black bean filling, easy slaw, and pan-crisped taco shell we should never be deprived of.
baked chickpeas with pita chips and yogurt
These fatteh-inspired spiced baked chickpeas are served with pita chips, a finely chopped tomato-cucumber salad, lemon-tahini yogurt, and toasted pine nuts. Together this is the kind of colorful, layered, and flavorful dish I crave endlessly right now.
black bean and vegetable bake
Letter of recommendation: Make a deep skillet of your favorite taco or burrito filling, cover it with cheese and broil the lot of it until lightly charred and gooey on top, then scoop it up with tortilla chips. Repeat as needed, which will be often. [Video below!]
falafel
I once presumed making falafel would be complicated, best left to the experts. Once I learned how staggeringly simple it is -- oh and by the way, vegan, gluten-free, and so quick to assemble, you might decide you have time enough leftover to make homemade pitas worthy of your perfect falafel -- I see exactly no reason not to make it all of the time.
ziti chickpeas with sausage and kale
Pizza Beans 2.0! Hearty chickpeas, sausage, and kale are simmered in a spicy tomato sauce then finished with melted and blistered mozzarella and pecorino. We like to scoop it onto garlic bread, but it’s also fantastic, with or without the cheese, over polenta and pasta.
chocolate peanut butter cake
This is one of the most epic cakes I’ve made my husband — the the original “if it’s not chocolate, why does it even exist?” guy — to date. Chocolate, peanut butter, and then more chocolate and more peanut butter, this cake broke my server when it was first published. #worthit
coffee toffee
You know how sometimes no matter how much coffee you drink, it’s not enough? Good news, there’s a candy for that.
black bean and vegetable bake
shop my favorites
Ever wonder where I get my cutting boards, paring knives, offset spatulas and more that you see when I cook? I've created a page on Smitten Kitchen with links to some of my favorite kitchen items, the ones I'm asked about the most — yes, including the the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser. For each item, I've attempted to provide a range of shopping links so we're not just focusing on one giant retailer.
What’s the Smitten Kitchen x Staub Braiser? It’s essentially a lower profile enameled cast-iron Dutch oven that works as as well as a deep sauté pan as it does a soup pot, roasting pan, or even casserole dish that perfectly fits a pasta bake. Not a week has gone by in the decade-plus I’ve had mine when I don’t use it at least three times. Fun news: The braiser is now exclusively sold at Williams-Sonoma and available in six gorgeous new colors!
Looking for recipe inspiration for your new braiser? I created a category on the site to highlight some of my favorite dishes I make in mine.
See you next week!
