It had been a New Year’s resolution to eat beans—nutritious, with plenty of fiber and protein, and affordable—at least twice a week. While best practices involve soaking dry beans overnight before cooking, we knew we were less likely to plan ahead.

Hence, a variety of ready to eat, canned bean choices: black beans, cannellini beans, great northern beans, pinto beans, red beans. Garbanzo beans (chickpeas) are also an option, but we eat plenty of them each week in hummus.

Here are ways we’ll be using the beans, along with a hint: Drain the beans in a colander and then rinse them well under cold water to remove as much of the sodium as possible. The un-healthful side of canned beans is the amount of sodium in the can.

Check out our glossary of the different types of beans.
 
Beans For Breakfast

Beans For Dinner

 
Beans For Snacking

As a side, serve beans with sausage or bacon. Photo courtesy MackenzieLtd.com.

 
Have more ideas? Add them here!

Ramen: voted the greatest Japanese
invention of the 20th century. Photo ©
Olga Nayashkova | Fotolia.

It may be old news, but we just came across an old Japanese survey that names instant ramen as “the greatest invention of the 20th century.”

We would have passed it by, but for the the fact that Nation’s Restaurant News recently published an article about how ramen was trending among chefs in U.S. restaurants—albet the original ramen, not the instant noodles (see “The History Of Ramen,” below).

In 2000, Fuji Research Institute, a financial research firm in Tokyo, asked 2,000 adults in the region to rate the greatest Japanese inventions of the 20th century.

They were given three categories: manufactured goods, culture and technology.

Japan is known for its technological innovation. So most people were surprised that ramen, instant noodles, was voted the best invention of the 20th century.

Created in 1958, instant ramen went into commercial production in 1971. Worldwide, almost 50 billion cups are now consumed each year.

 
While the Fuji Institute’s survey may not have been the most scientific, it does show one thing: Even in a country famous for its technology, food rules.
 

*The first camera, called the camera obscura, dates back to the ancient Chinese and Greeks. It projected an image on to a surface but did not create a permanent image. The first photographed camera image was made around 1816 in France by Nicéphore Niépce. In 1837 his partner, Louis Daguerre, created the first practical photographic process, the daguerreotype, using silver-plated copper plates. Commercially introduced in 1839, the date considered as the birth year of practical photography. It was replaced by easier processes in 1860, including paper-based negatives and much shorter exposure times. The use of photographic film was pioneered by George Eastman, who started manufacturing paper film in 1885 before switching to celluloid in 1889. His first camera, the Kodak, was first offered for sale in 1888.

THE HISTORY OF RAMEN

Ramen are Japanese wheat noodles. While they are known to Americans largely as salty, inexpensive packaged noodle soup mixes, in Japan there are as many varieties of noodle and recipes as there are prefectures, ramen dishes are fine cuisine and innovation is the name of the game, where recipes are closely-guarded secrets.

The concept of a dish of noodles in meat broth—chicken or pork—originated in China. It differs from native Japanese noodle soup dishes, in that until ramen appeared, Japanese broth was based on either made from vegetables or seafood.

The type of noodles and toppings used in ramen also came from China. It is believed that “ramen” is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese word “lamian,” meaning “hand-pulled noodles” (as opposed to noodles that are sliced with a knife).

While some ramen dishes began to appear in Japan in the late 1600s, they didn’t become widespread until the Meiji Era (1868 through 1912), when Japan moved from being an isolated feudal society to a modern nation.

The growth of ramen dishes continued after World War II, but was still a special occasion that required going out.
 
Soup recipes and methods of preparation are closely-guarded secrets in many restaurants. Beyond regional variations, innovative Japanese chefs continue to push the boundaries of ramen cuisine. Curry ramen, invented in the Hokkaido region, became a national favorite, as has ramen based on the Chinese dish of shrimp in chili sauce. Non-Japanese ingredients such as black pepper and butter have found their way into recipes.

Here’s a recipe for homemade pork ramen soup.

Check out this article, which details the different type of ramen by region.
 
THE INVENTION OF INSTANT RAMEN

In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando, founder and chairman of Nissin Foods. Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll, instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water. Exported, these ramen soup packages soon became a pop culture sensation across the globe.

Look for the bright orange-red boxes in your
grocer’s freezer case. Photo courtesy
Tandoor Chef.

The family-run company produces authentic, restaurant quality, all natural frozen Indian cuisine. All the traditional favorites are available, as well as modern creations like naan pizza and vegetarian masala burgers.

The choices include meat plus vegetarian and certified vegan options, along with a line that is gluten free.

If you haven’t been exposed to Indian food (or good Indian food), here’s a chance to get to know it, in a most convenient way.

Depending on what your retailer carries, you can feast on:

We didn’t get to try the pizzas, but everything we did try was impeccably spiced for American palates. We’ll certainly keep a supply in our freezer, for when we crave crunchy samosas or palak paneer, one of our favorite spinach dishes.

Learn more at TandoorChef.com.

While not all Tandoor Chef products are cooked tandoori-style, here’s an overview of this famous Indian cooking technique.

A tandoor is a cylindrical clay or metal oven (it can be as simple as a large pot) used in cooking and baking—not only in India but elsewhere in central, southern and western Asia. It is typically dug into the ground or built into an enclosure to keep anyone from coming into contact with the extremely hot surface.

The tandoor ia used to cook meats or vegetables (and sometimes breads) over an intense charcoal fire, which is built inside the oven. The meats or vegetables are marinated and lowered into the oven on long metal skewers. Cooking in a smoky and extremely hot environment (often 500°F), they take on a special flavor.

Tandoori-style foods are first marinated in yogurt, a medium with natural acidity (required in a marinade) and a thickness that helps to adhere the herbs and spices to the food.

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If you’ve ever had tandoori chicken and wondered why it is bright red or yellow, the answer is spice. The red color is provided by ground annatto seeds; the yellow comes from saffron (pricey!) or turmeric.