Butter Beans....
My aunt makes the most awesome homemade butter beans, no one else in my family but her and I enjoy them, so I never got them as often as I would have liked. I know the essentials of making them, but she(my aunt) uses the smoked ham bone and bits of smoked ham from their pig they *gulp* have slaughtered each fall. Is there any way I can mimic that flavor? Other than a little salt n pepper that is all she adds to it. I was wondering about liquid smoke, but wouldn't know the quantities to add, or when to add it, while the beans cook after they are done, etc. I looked in the butter bean section of this site and found nothing similar. Just wondering if liquid smoke would work, or if anyone has any other suggestions on gettin that mesquite smoked flavor.
~Cristina
I add it late and in tiny quantities. I'm not as afraid of it as many health-conscious people are, but I don't like to add it really early. Have you considered adding some of this Vegan Bacon stuff? It's OH MY GOODNESS stupendous in green beans, which my mom seasons with ham or bacon and which never taste right to me without a smoky flavor.
http://vegweb.com/index.php?topic=7675.0
Is that bacon stuff easily removed once cooked? I would love to try it if I can remove it. Even when I was an omni I didn't eat pork as a rule. My aunt would make the bean with just the bone if she knew I would be there, and not bits of ham. I love the flavor the ham brought to the beans, just didn't wanna actually eat any:S I was ALWAYS so picky when I did eat meat it's a wonder I ever managed. No pork, no fish, no seafood, no wild game, goat, lamb, etc. it was strictly chicken all white meat no bones no skin, the same with beef, no bones etc.... oh man just typing that out grossed me out, no bones no skin.... pardon my language but WHY IN THE HELL do people eat that stuff, especially if they have to specify. GROSS!!! From the way I talk ppl must think me a Vegan for years not months, but I can't imagine being anything else now. And let me tell ya I inadvertently ate something at a get together at a friends( who tried very hard to accommodate me) that had cheese in it but didn't realize that no dairy meant ALL cheese etc. I was plagued with the WORST bloating, tummy cramps, and nausea I have ever experienced. I have heard that that happens sometimes when a person goes without dairy then eats it. Needless to say I will be bringing my own dish to get togethers from now on!!
P.S. I forgot to add that I like my butter beans almost overcooked, slighty mushy but retaining their shape, to where the water I boil them in is soupy not watery. I find that when I add tofu to dishes I cook longer like that it tends to have a "fatty" texture that makes me gag.... am I using the wrong tofu?
I don't think so-- it just does that. But if you do the Vegan Bacon thing with it, it'll get a little tough and chewy before you add it. Sure, add it in big chunks and you can fish it out-- I really like the textural contrast of leaving it in (green beans), but play it by ear!
About the milk thing: my omni/carni (they tried that darn Atkins thing and have some crazy ideas left over about balancing meals) mom and brother are lactose intolerant, and they have forced themselves, over the years, to be minimally tolerant of things like cheese by drinking milk with digestive aids added (lactobacillus acidophilus, etc.) The thing is, about 2/3 the world's population is lactose intolerant. That's the NORMAL human biological reaction; the 1/3 that does consume milk just forces themself to retain an infantile tolerance (as virtually all babies can digest milk) as a culinary preference! So don't feel bad-- you're just acting like an adult. ;)