On the Preparation of Lupini Beans

A while ago, I bought some lupini beans out of curiosity. I had never eaten them before, but figured that they wouldn't be so different from other large, pale beans- I'd cook them in tomato sauce or the like. But after boiling them, I found myself corrected- they were bitter as Hell and very firm, too. No matter how long I boiled them, they wouldn't get soft or lose that bitter taste.

So, I turned to the internet. I was surprised to learn that this ancient bean beloved by the Romans centuries back has an issue with alkaloids- bitter, toxic compounds that make the bean inedible without proper preparation. Considering that I now had a kilogram of boiled, uneatable beans, I was very eager to know what I had to do to make them taste good. The general theme of the many guides that I saw was to gradually draw the alkaloids out by repeatedly soaking the boiled beans in water over the course of about a week.

So, I did. I changed the water 5 or 6 times a day, rinsing the beans thoroughly in between, keeping refrigerated at night. On the sixth day, the beans seemed just about ready, but I boiled them one more time to make sure. I then soaked them in salted water (about 2-3 TBSP for the kilo of beans) and topped them with a broken-up dried red chili, a spoonful of oregano flakes, and a jar of black olives. I refrigerated the whole lot overnight and, in the morning, found my efforts finally rewarded.

At first, they didn't seem like much. But they really are addictive- popping them into your mouth out of their tough skins is oddly satisfying (though I like them skins and all), and they have a subtle flavour unlike any other bean that goes very well with the olive brine and pepper. They also have a fantastic firm texture despite the days of boiling and soaking. 

Lupini beans are high in protein and fibre, to boot. It makes them a pretty ideal snack, and though they can often be purchased ready in jars, I find that the home-prepared ones are slightly better since they don't need an acidity regulator. Try them yourself- there isn't much active work involved, just rinsing and draining, and the reward is delicious and nutritious.

How to Prepare Lupini Beans

1. Soak overnight.
2. Boil until tender but firm, about 45 minutes.
3. Drain and cover with water.
4. Change water 4-5 times a day for 5-6 days, or until all bitterness is gone. In between water changes, rinse beans for about 30 seconds at a time in a colander.
5. Give one last quick boil of about 15 minutes. Drain and cover with water that's salted to taste, and any other desired flavourings:

• A jar of olives added to the brine
• A couple of spoons of red chili flakes, dried oregano, or other herbs and seasonings

Honey Custard French Toast with Chocolate Honey Sauce and Pecans

I normally don't use so many eggs in my French toast, but I wondered if I could get a better result if I was more extravagant. Indeed- this is the richest, custardiest, pillowiest french toast I've ever had. It's soft but not soggy, not too eggy, and does my nice brioche loaf justice. The cinnamon compliments the mild sweetness of the honey, and it practically doesn't need any toppings.

Of course, it's better if you do. I made a simple sauce of chocolate and honey, puddinglike and bittersweet, creamy and perfectly balanced with the gentle flavour of the toasts. A topping of crunchy nutty pecans seals the deal- definitely a worthy weekend breakfast. 

Honey Custard French Toast
From Mr. Breakfast

10-12 Slices of brioche or challah
1 3/4 C. Whole milk
1/2 C. Honey
1 1/2 Tsp. Cinnamon
1 Tsp. Cornstarch
Pinch of salt
1 TBSP Rum
1 Tsp. Vanilla extract
6 Eggs, beaten
About 2 TBSP Butter
Oil, to fry

Whisk together the salt, cornstarch and cinnamon. Set aside.

Mix the eggs, milk, honey, vanilla and rum. Whisk in the cinnamon mixture. Pour the mix into a shallow pan to a depth of about 2 cm.

Soak the bread slices for about 30 seconds per side. Heat a skillet pan with oil on medium and fry until golden brown, about a minute on each side. 

Pat the excess oil off the finished pieces with a paper towel. Overlap the slices with a small sliver of the butter on top of each. Keep in a warm oven until ready to serve.


Chocolate Honey Sauce

1 C. Whole milk
2 Tsp. Cornstarch
1 Tsp. Vanilla sugar
1/4 C. Honey
40 g. Semisweet chocolate

About 1/2 C. Toasted pecan pieces, to serve

Heat 3/4 of the milk until steaming. Mix the cornstarch, honey, remaining milk and sugar in a small bowl. Pour into the hot milk and whisk thoroughly, cooking on medium-low until thickened. Stir in pieces of the chocolate until all are dissolved. Serve warm with the french toast. Serve pecans on the side.

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies I

Although I usually prefer a completely different genre of cookies (namely butter biscuits, nut-based shortbreads and gingerbread- anything that resembles the Central European Christmas standbys) I still do like the occasional batch of American, chewy, sugary, almost fudgey cookies flavoured predominantly by vanilla, brown sugar and whatever mix-ins are added. Of all the varieties that entails, one of my all-time favourites is the white chocolate-macadamia cookie. I've always been a lover of white chocolate (whose rep is constantly being shredded by sugar-vegetable fat impostors used in glazes and cheaper baked goods) and it pairs well with the subtle, buttery flavour of macadamias, too. Embedded in a soft and tender dough casing and served with a glass of milk, it's not only delicious- it has a matching colour palette. I think it's fate.

However, to find a good version of that cookie is pretty elusive. Ultra-sweet by nature, it walks a fine line on the best of days- there's no dark or semisweet chocolate to balance out the inherently sugary dough. But you also can't just reduce the sugar- it's an integral part of the chewy texture that makes the perfect chip-type cookie, in my opinion (I'm not about the cakey kinds- though a cookie-like cake is fine). I remember eating some really good ones as a kid, but now it seems far harder to match the criteria of the perfect cookie, perhaps because I've become nitpicky and obsessive about the details. I want it sweet, but not too sweet! Made with butter! With lots of real white chocolate and a generous amount of nuts!

I chose this recipe due to the absence of shortening- I never have it around, and didn't want to be stuck with leftovers after using only a small amount for one recipe. While the texture was pretty spot-on with what I wanted, and the cookies themselves were delicious, it still wasn't the ideal white-choc macadamia cookie of my dreams. Had I only imagined such a thing in the sugar-gluttony of my childhood? Could a perfect balance of sweetness, texture, flavour and richness really have ever existed except for in my dreams?

I've come up with a few plans of action to modify my next batch- And I'm determined to succeed. The perfect cookie will evade me no longer! Until then, these ones will go down just fine. Mmmmm.

• Less sugar, or perhaps more butter; so far as chewy texture will remain
• A mixture of AP flour and vanilla pudding powder in place of the flour mix
• A little more salt
• Actual white chocolate chunks instead of chips, since they aren't stabilized for high temperatures and will melt better

White Chocolate Chip Macadamia Nut Cookies I
Adapted from The Chunky Chef

1 1/2 C. AP Flour
1/2 C. Pastry flour
1/4 Tsp. Salt
1/2 Tsp. Baking soda
3/4 C. Butter, cubed (170 g.)
3/4 C. Sugar
3/4 C. Dark brown sugar
1 Egg plus 1 yolk
2 Tsp. Vanilla extract
1 C. White chocolate chips
1 C. Toasted macadamia nuts, roughly chopped (toast 7 minutes at 180℃)

Cream butter and sugars using the paddle attachment of a stand mixer. Add vanilla, egg and yolk.

Sift together flours, salt, and baking soda. Incorporate 1/3 at a time into the wet ingredients with the motor on low.

Add nuts and chips. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 170℃. Form balls with an ice cream scoop or tablespoon and bake 8-10 minutes on parchment-lined sheets, until golden. Let set on sheets.