Texas caviar, for the patience-challenged

This is a simplification of my earlier Texas caviar recipe to eliminate cooking by using canned products. I've also attempted to streamline the instructions and improve their readability by trimming away details that should be self-evident. So with brevity in mind, let's get on with it.

RECIPE

Makes 6 servings

INGREDIENTS

For the base

Qty	Unit	Item
1	14–16 oz can	Black-eyed peas
1	14–16 oz can	Black beans
1	14–16 oz can	Yellow corn kernels (not cream style)
1	small	Red bell pepper (about 2/3 cup diced)
3	stalks	Celery (about 2/3 cup diced)
1	small	Onion (about 1/2 cup diced)

For the dressing

2	medium	Garlic cloves
1	medium	Jalapeno chile, fresh
1/4	tsp	Ground cumin
1/2	tsp	Table salt
1	tsp	Ground black pepper
1/4	cup	Apple cider vinegar
1/2	cup	Neutral-tasting vegetable oil

EQUIPMENT

• Can opener
  
• Colander
  
• Large (6 qt) and small (2 qt) mixing bowls
  
• Knife and cutting board
  
• Garlic press (optional)
  
• Gloves (recommended for handling jalapeno)
  
• Measuring cup (1- or 2-cup size)
  
• Measuring spoons
  
• Whisk
  
• Wooden spoon or spatula

INSTRUCTIONS

Steps 1–3 are for the base, and Steps 4–6 are for the dressing. You can treat these as two separate tasks and do them at different times if you'd like.

1. Empty the cans of black-eyed peas, black beans, and corn into a colander and rinse well. After rinsing, let the colander drain for a few minutes.
   
2. In the meantime, dice the bell pepper, celery, and onion into 1/4" squares and place into the large bowl.
   
3. Add the drained ingredients from the colander into the large bowl.
   
4. Mince the garlic and place it into the small bowl.
   
5. Dice the jalapeno into 1/8" squares and place it into the small bowl.
   
6. Add the remaining dressing ingredients (cumin, salt, pepper, vinegar, and oil) to the small bowl. Whisk until the vinegar and oil are blended.
   
7. Pour the dressing over the base ingredients in the large bowl, then stir to mix well.

TECHNIQUE

You know what's better than me blathering on and on about technique? Having an expert show you. I've included a few links above, but you know what's even better than text links? Videos. Check'em out.

Finally, although I already have a link to mincing garlic, ya gotta watch this video. Too bad he doesn't allow embedding, but it's really impressive how he rocks the knife (literally, starting at about 1:50). A master mincer, right there.

Read more inside...

Raw sweet corn and cashew chowder (sort of)

[Direct link to recipe]

First of all, let me just say that since I'm not a dedicated follower of the raw foods diet, I've never heard of Ani Phyo until seeing her mentioned in The Kitchn a few weeks ago. But if you had been paying attention (unlike me), you'd already know about her from all the coverage. She got my attention this time, though. Corn and cashew make an unusual pairing for ingredients—does she develop her recipes by alliteration? Anyway, the instructions can hardly be simpler: the steps basically boil (can I use that word here?) down to "toss stuff in a blender and go." Problem is, it's nowhere near the season for fresh corn. What to do?

Well, not being a raw foodist came in handy at this point to save me from having to violate my own dietary rules. The only corn I had at hand were frozen kernels, meaning that they were blanched before being packaged. In other words: not raw. Being the experimental sort, I also wanted to find out if roasting the cashews would make any difference, so I halved the recipe and made two batches.

As you can see from the comparison image below, the bowl made with plain (that is, not roasted) cashews is just a bit less intense in color than the one with roasted cashews. If I had used raw corn, then I'd imagine the color would've been even paler. Flavor-wise, the roasted cashews contributed a bit of extra depth and, well, nuttiness, to the second batch. As the recipe contained only a small amount of cashews relative to the corn, though, the differences were subtle and probably not discernible unless the two versions were compared side by side. It's probably not worth the extra effort to roast the cashews.

Another factor that made the taste-testing somewhat inconclusive was that I thought the first batch was too oily and salty and so used less of each for the second batch. While kosher salt and extra virgin olive oil make for a great combination, the quantity used in the original recipe overwhelmed the corn flavor. Now, this isn't a knock against Ani Phyo specifically, since I find that just in general many recipes specify too much oil and salt, and I've come to expect having to reduce their quantities as a standard modification.

As for texture, I did not find it as heavy as the guys over at The Bitten Word, although I did have similar pureeing issues. Commenters both there and on The Kitchn advised soaking the cashews overnight to ensure smooth pureeing. They are right. With un-soaked cashews, chunks up to half-piece in size remained after my blender ran for 30 seconds on its highest speed; this did not happen with soaked cashews. Also, in both batches the corn did not puree completely, and bits of the hull were dispersed throughout the soup. Extending blending time by 30 more seconds (for a total time of one minute) made no appreciable difference, and I think the puree needs to be passed through a strainer to achieve smoothness. Technically, the rough texture may not be an issue because this is a chowder instead of a bisque, although I have a feeling that this soup was really meant to be liquefied with one of those King Kong blenders favored by the raw foods community instead of the weaklings the rest of us own.

RECIPE

Makes 4 servings. Adapted from Ani Phyo's original, with less oil and salt.

INGREDIENTS

Note: This recipe uses 450 g (1 lb, or 3-1/4 cups) of yellow corn kernels in total, either fresh or frozen. If using fresh kernels, this is equivalent to 4 large ears. If you're a raw foodist, please keep in mind that frozen corn is blanched, not raw.

For the chowder

Quantity	Alternate Measures	Item
68 g	2-3/8 oz  (1/2 cup)	Cashews, preferably raw, plus water for soaking (soaking is optional)
312 g	11 oz  (2-1/4 cups)	Yellow corn kernels
473 g	16-3/4 oz  (2 cups)	Water
60 ml	4 tbsp	Extra virgin olive oil
1 small	1 small	Garlic clove
5 ml	1 tsp	Kosher salt

For garnish

138 g	5 oz  (1 cup)	Yellow corn kernels
To taste	To taste	Cilantro leaves
To taste	To taste	Freshly-ground black pepper

EQUIPMENT

• Weighing scale and/or measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Small bowl, for soaking cashews
• Knife and cutting board
• Blender
• Pepper mill
• Strainer (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. If you don't own a high-powered blender, it's recommended that you place the cashews in a small bowl, cover them with water, and let them soak overnight.
2. If you're using fresh corn, take off their husks, remove the silk, then use a knife to cut the kernels off the cob. If you're using frozen corn kernels, let them thaw before putting them in the blender.
3. To prepare the cilantro for garnish, pull or slice the leaves off the stems, then chop roughly with a knife (video).
4. If you've soaked the cashews, take them out of the bowl and put them into the blender.
5. Peel the skin off the garlic clove, then place it and the remaining ingredients from under the chowder heading (corn, water, oil, and salt) into the blender.
6. Turn on the blender and puree this mixture until smooth. For an even smoother texture, you may want to pour the puree through a strainer.
7. Divide the puree into four bowls.
8. Divide each of the garnish ingredients into four portions.
9. Into each bowl, place one portion of the garnish corn and then sprinkle with cilantro leaves and ground peppers.

VARIATIONS

• Parsley, either the curly- or flat-leafed variety, can be used instead of cilantro.
• If you're not a strict raw foodist, this recipe will likely work well with grilled corn.

ARE THE CASHEWS REALLY RAW?

Aside from the frozen corn, the reason that I attached the "sort of" qualifier to my post title is because my cashews came from a regular supermarket. Why is this a problem? Well, while the general public classifies unroasted nuts as being raw, cashews from non-specialist suppliers are likely to have been heat processed before reaching market and are thus unacceptable or at least suspect to raw-foods purists.

So why are cashews heat processed? This is because freshly-harvested cashews are encased in an urushiol-containing double shell. Urushiol is the active irritant in poison ivy, so it's critical that the nuts are extracted from their shells without contamination. As this irritant is destroyed by high temperatures (PDF, p. 2), traditional extraction methods all use heat—either drum roasting, oil roasting, or steam roasting—to decontaminate the nuts as well as to separate them from their shells. For the raw foods market, special tools must be used for safe low-temperature extraction.

What are the risks that raw (or semi-raw) cashews are dangerous to eat, then? For that, I have no answer. I've had no problems from eating semi-raw supermarket cashews, but as shown by the current peanut problems or last year's Chinese milk scandal (you're being way too optimistic if you think something similar can't happen in the US), contamination of our food—whether from bacteria and viruses, artificial impurities, or a plant or animal's own natural toxins—is an always-present possibility.

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Creamy split pea and petite pea soup

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone. Even if you're not going to make anything specifically Irish, a green soup still seems appropriate, no? This is based on a recipe originally found in the December 2006 issue of Bon Appetit, which spikes an ordinary split pea soup with green peas to boost its color and dill to brighten its flavor. The result was delicious, but its consistency was a lot thinner than what I had expected from a split pea soup. So I set to work, and after some tinkering, this is my take on it.

RECIPE

Makes 4 servings. Modified from Bon Appetit, December 2006.

INGREDIENTS

I tested this recipe with both the basic and preferred/optional ingredients. The basic ingredients will work, but the preferred ones will give you much more flavor.

Quantity	Alternate Measures	Item
140 g	5 oz (1 cup)	Frozen petite peas (also sold as baby sweet peas)
200 g	7 oz (1 cup)	Green split peas
115 g	4 oz (about 1½ cup)	Leeks (from one large or two small leeks, white and light green parts only)
1 ea.	1 ea.	Bay leaf
30 g	1 oz (5 tbsp chopped)	Fresh dill leaves (from about 8–10 stalks), or 1 package baby dill
30 ml	2 tbsp	Vegetable oil, or extra virgin olive oil (preferred)
950 g	2 lb 1½ oz (4 cups)	Water, or vegetable stock (preferred)
8 g	1 piece, about 4"–6" long	Dried kombu (optional)
5 ml	1 tsp	Table salt (if using water; use less with stock)

EQUIPMENT

• Weighing scale and/or measuring cups
• Measuring spoons
• Various bowls for mise en place
• Knife and cutting board
• 4-quart cookpot
• Spatula, for sauteeing
• Blender, or immersion blender
• Ladle

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Measure out the frozen peas and set aside to thaw.
2. Pick over the dried split peas and check for pebbles or other debris, then rinse and drain the peas.
3. Cut off the dark green parts of the leek and wash thoroughly to remove any dirt. Once the leek is clean, slice it crosswise into ¼" rings.
4. Separate the midrib of the bay leaf by either folding it lengthwise or running the tip of a knife along both of its sides. Discard the midrib.
5. Pull the dill leaves off the stems and chop the leaves. Save a few fronds for garnish.
6. Heat oil in the cookpot over medium-high heat until it shimmers, then dd the leeks and bay leaf to the pot and saute until the leeks wilt, about 3 minutes.
7. Add the split peas and stir to coat, then add the water/stock and kombu.
8. Bring the liquid to a boil, then turn the heat down to between low and medium-low. Cover the pot with a lid and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the split peas are soft.
9. Turn off the heat. Add the thawed petite peas and chopped dill to the pot.
10. Puree the soup until smooth. An immersion blender is most convenient, but if you don't have one, carefully fill the pitcher of a blender only halfway full (or less), then blend in batches.
11. Add salt to taste.
12. Ladle the pureed soup into bowls and garnish with dill fronds.

NOTES

• Depending on the supermarket, fresh dill may be located either with the produce or with the herbs. Baby dill is usually sold as a packaged herb.
• I did not test this out, but you should be able to use mature green peas if you can't find petite peas.
• The bay leaf and kombu stay in the soup and get pureed.

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Raw almond butter

Update: Please also see my other almond butter posts:

• Homemade almond butter (using roasted almonds)
• Can you freeze almond butter?

Ack. This is going to look like I just can't let go, but the fine folks from Hangry Pants (love that name, BTW) asked about processing raw almonds instead of roasted ones, so I figured it'd be much better to find out for sure if there are really any differences than to spout off some half-cocked nonsense.

Guess what. They're different.

In short, without adding extra oil to the ground almonds, it takes about twice as long for a food processor to turn raw almonds into a creamy paste/butter as it does for roasted almonds. In my specific case, the right consistency was reached at 13 minutes.

Why is this? It's possible that the roasting heat weakens the almonds' cell walls so that oil is released faster, but I'm only speculating and don't really know the answer. That being the case, I won't bore you with another 286,973-word dissertation and just let the pictures do most of the talking here. The total elapsed processing time, in 30-second intervals, is superimposed on the food processor's spindle:

A couple of other notes and observations:

• You can see my original almond butter recipe, using roasted almonds, here.
• The almonds did not turn into random shades of brown during processing. As the 00:30 and 01:00 photos show, most of the lighting for this setup came from the side (bottom left in the images) instead of the top. The specific shade in each photo only indicates how thickly the almond particles coated the sides of the workbowl (thus blocking the light) and does not reflect color changes in the ground almonds themselves.
• Overall, though, roasted almonds do make for a darker finished product than raw almonds, which should be expected. This is a color sampling from my two batches:
  
• Unlike making almond butter with roasted almonds, I had to scrape down the sides of the workbowl this time. To preserve the grinding and clumping characteristics, this was only done after each photo was taken.
• A side benefit of the extended processing time is that it really isn't crucial to stop the machine at some exact specified moment. Although I said the right consistency was reached at 13 minutes, the changes in texture from about 11 minutes onward were really pretty minor.
• I have no idea if the specific equipment matters or not, but I used a full-sized KitchenAid food processor to make both this and the roasted almond butter.
• I split this batch and froze part of it. The result after thawing? Skin, stir, and a side-by-side tasting: no difference. So, homemade almond butter can be frozen with no problems.
• Update 2009-09-11: Based on a question in the comments below—homemade almond butter should be refrigerated, and you should keep it there for no more than four months. This is to prevent (or delay) the oil from going rancid. If you need longer storage, freeze it.

A NOTE FOR RAW FOODISTS

The almonds started at room temperature and became warm as a result of the long processing time. I did not take any measurements, but the temperature increase may be a concern for strict raw foodists. I don't know what effects starting with frozen almonds would have.

Update 2009-09-06: By law, since September 2007 all almonds grown and sold in the United States must be pasteurized, either through fumigation or heat treatment (PDF). This means that domestically-grown almonds are no longer acceptable for people on a strict raw-foods diet, even though marketers can still label these almonds as "raw" for sale to consumers. This law does not apply to foreign-grown almonds imported into the US, however, so if you're on a raw regimen, it would be advisable to assume that regular supermarket almonds are not raw (no matter what the label says) and buy truly raw almonds only from a specialist supplier.

Read more inside...

Homemade almond butter

Update: Please also see my other almond butter posts:

• Raw almond butter
• Can you freeze almond butter?

[Direct link to recipe]

Man, that clementine cake post just won't leave me alone. One of the questions I had while making it was how long I could grind the almonds in a food processor before they turned into almond butter. Well, I went and found out.

Let's get straight to it, shall we? This is a photo sequence of the almonds being processed, taken at intervals of 30 seconds each, and stopping after 6 minutes. You can click on each thumbnail for a larger image:

0:00

0:30
The almonds are nicely ground at this point. Knowing what I know now, this (or earlier, even) is where I would stop if I were making almond meal.

1:00
I don't think the granule size here is really any smaller than at 0:30, and clumping has started as the almonds' cells begin to rupture and release oil.

1:30
Between 1 and 3 minutes, the clumps continue to get bigger as more oil is released.

2:00

2:30

3:00
The clumps start to come together.

3:30
Between 3:15 and 3:30, the clumps are swept into one mass. At this point, the consistency is still thick, dry, and gritty. It is not spreadable yet.

4:00
Soon afterward the ball of almond butter is broken up. With more processing, more oil is released and the texture gets creamier.

4:30

5:00
I didn't notice it at the time, but from these photos it appears that the almond butter got significantly smoother between 4:30 and 5:00.

5:30

6:00
A good visual consistency is reached between 5:30 and 6:00, which is later verified by taste. Further processing may thin out the almond butter a bit as more air is mixed into it and perhaps still more oil get released, but airiness or fluidity aren't qualities we usually look for in nut butters.

If you'd like, you can also see these photos together as an animated sequence (671 KB GIF file).

RECIPE

Makes a little over one cup almond butter (estimated 9–10 fl. oz., or 270–300 ml).

INGREDIENTS

Quantity	Alternate Measures	Item
286 g	10 oz (2 cups)	Raw almonds with skins

EQUIPMENT

• Weighing scale or a dry-ingredient measuring cup
• Rimmed baking sheet (for roasting almonds)
• Food processor, fitted with steel blade
• Rubber spatula
• Canning funnel
• Glass or plastic jar, 10 fl. oz. (300 ml) or larger in capacity

INSTRUCTIONS

Steps 1–4 are optional and only applicable if you want to roast the almonds. If you want to make raw almond butter or use store-bought roasted almonds, you can start at Step 5. Update 2009-03-10: Well, maybe roasting almonds is a bad idea. Yikes.

1. Make sure the oven rack is at the center position. Turn on the oven and set the temperature to 375 °F.
2. Spread the almonds out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet.
3. Once the oven has reached its temperature, place the baking sheet into the oven and toast until fragrant, about 12 to 15 minutes.
   NOTE: This timing is only a guide. Every oven is different, and baking sheets come in different thicknesses. The best way to tell if the almonds are done is by aroma. USE YOUR NOSE. If you adhere strictly to the time and get burnt almonds, I'm not responsible.
4. Remove baking sheet from oven and let the almonds cool.
5. Once the almonds are at room temperature, place them into the workbowl of the food processor and process for 6 minutes or until the consistency is smooth. Stop the machine a few times to scrape down the sides of the bowl if needed. Update 2009-03-12: Raw almonds will need between 12 to 15 minutes of processing time.
6. With a rubber spatula, scrape the almond butter from the workbowl into a jar. A canning funnel fitted over the jar will minimize messy drips and spills.
7. Update 2009-09-11: This had completely escaped me, but a question in my raw almond butter post was a reminder: homemade almond butter should be refrigerated, and you should keep it there for no more than four months. This is to prevent (or delay) the oil from going rancid. If you need longer storage, freeze it.

EXTENDING THE RECIPE

Look, I know the way I break down recipes into infinitesimal detail makes them look scary, but all that verbiage can be reduced to one essential procedure: Put almonds in a food processor and run it until the consistency is right. With this knowledge as a foundation, it's a small conceptual step to extend this recipe to other nuts or even seeds, such as sesame seeds for tahini—there is certainly no shortage of recipes on the Internet. Although the specific processing times for each nut or seed may be different, the general idea is the same. You can also add salt or honey to fit your own tastes if you'd like.

YIELDS

I used a one-pint jar for this post's header photo, and as you can see, this batch filled it to just a bit over the halfway mark. So, two cups of raw almonds makes a bit over one cup of almond butter. As a rough estimate, I'd guess around 9 or 10 fluid ounces (270 or 300 ml).

Another unresolved issue from the clementine cake post was whether roasting the almonds will result in their weight loss. I was disciplined this time and did not snack on any of the in-process almonds. For this batch, 286 grams of raw almonds yielded 280 grams after roasting, so it's apparent that some loss of moisture or perhaps also volatile oils (hence the "done" aroma) does take place in the oven. I don't know if the almond's skin and flesh evaporate in similar fashion, though, so we will need further confirmation with blanched almonds.

Update 2009-08-18: Just found some photos of roasted nuts under an electron microscope (scroll about halfway down the page). You can see that their cell contents have shrunken after roasting, so a weight reduction should be expected.

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Texas caviar

Update: For a simplified version of this recipe, using canned products, go here.

A belated Happy New Year to everyone. Around these parts, black-eyed peas are traditionally eaten on New Year's Day for good luck. Given how the last half of 2008 went, I think 2009 will need all the help it can get. While one can simply prepare black-eyed peas (which are also called cowpeas, but are actually beans) with just a few flavorings, I like to mix it with other ingredients into a bean salsa called Texas Caviar. As far as I know, there is no such thing as a canonical Texas Caviar, and a search on the Internet shows that recipes are certainly all over the map. My version is based on the recipe from p. 280 of American Home Cooking by Bill and Cheryl Jamison, but in reality I'm still tweaking it. The recipe below, then, is not what I had just made for this past New Year's, but what I'm planning for the next time around. (It's pretty close, though—the base ingredients are in good shape, I just need to get the after-cooking yields straightened out, as you'll see.)

INGREDIENTS

Beans and Corn

6 oz.	Black beans (dried, about 3/4 cup), plus
	3 cups water and 1 tsp table salt
8 oz.	Black-eyed peas, fresh or frozen, plus
	4 cups water and 1 tsp table salt
3/4 cup	Yellow corn kernels

Aromatic Vegetables

1 small	Red bell pepper (about 2/3 cup diced)
3 stalks	Celery (about 2/3 cup diced)
1 small	Onion (about 1/2 cup diced)
1 medium	Jalapeno chile, fresh or pickled

Dressing and Seasoning

1/4 tsp	Ground cumin, or
	1/4 heaping tsp whole cumin seeds (preferred)
2 medium	Garlic cloves
1 tsp	Coarsely ground black pepper, or more to taste
1/2 tsp	Table salt, or more to taste
1/4 cup	Apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup	Neutral-tasting vegetable oil

INSTRUCTIONS

COOK THE BEANS AND CORN

For beans, there are evidently some pretty strongly-held opinions on soaking methods (long soak, quick soak, or no soak) and when to add salt during cooking. From all I've read, none of it really matters, as soaking vs. not-soaking merely changes the cooking time, and, contrary to much handed-down advice, adding salt early doesn't toughen the beans. But if you disagree with this and have another way that you have (and can be) relied upon, then hey, do whatever works for you; I'm not going to argue.

Black beans

• Spread the beans out on a flat surface and pick out any pebbles, loose skins, and broken bits and discard.
  
• Place the beans in a cooking pot and fill with water. Pick out any floaters and discard.
  
• If you are able to plan ahead, soak the beans overnight (8 to 12 hours) before cooking. If not, it's no problem to cook the beans right away, it'll just take more time.
  
• If you've let the beans soak, drain the soaking water.
  
• Fill the pot with 3 cups water and place on a stove.
  
• Bring the water to boil over High heat, then reduce heat to between Low and Med-Low so that the water is simmering. Skim off the foam, add 1 tsp salt, then place a lid on the pot and let simmer until the texture is to your liking. Check on the beans starting at about 30 minutes. Soaked beans that are fresh will cook the quickest, while old and/or unsoaked beans will take longer.

Black-eyed peas

• Place the beans in a cooking pot (approx. 3 qt. capacity) and fill with water. Pick out the floaters, loose skins, and broken bits and discard. Drain water and rinse/drain a few more times until the water is clear.
  
• Now fill the pot with 4 cups of water and place on a stove.
  
• Bring the water to boil over High heat, then reduce heat to between Low and Med-Low so that the water is simmering. Skim off the foam, add 1 tsp salt, then place a lid on the pot and let simmer for until bean texture is to your liking. As with the black beans, start checking at about 30 minutes.

Corn

• You can use kernels cut off a cob or frozen kernels. Here in the middle of winter, I just zapped some corn straight from the freezer into the microwave on high power for about 2 minutes.
  
• Place the cooked corn into a mixing bowl (6 qts is a good size) to combine with other ingredients later.

PREPARE THE VEGETABLES

Red bell pepper

• Remove and discard the stem, core, and seeds. Then trim away the white portions of the ribs.
  
• Cut the pepper into 1/4" square pieces (technically, a small dice).
  
• Place the pepper dices into the mixing bowl with the corn.

Celery

• Either wash the stalks under running water or swish them in a bowl of water to make sure that all the dirt and grit have been removed.
  
• Remove the leaves if there are any. Cut off approx. the bottom 1" of each stalk. Either discard these trimmings or save them for making stock another time.
  
• Cut each stalk into 1/4" squares.
  
• Place the celery dices into the mixing bowl with the corn and bell pepper.

Onion

• Cut off the very top and bottom portions of the onion. Remove the papery skin. Discard trimmings or save for stock.
  
• Chop the onion into 1/4" squares.
  
• Place the onion dices into the mixing bowl with the corn, bell pepper, and celery.

Jalapeno

• I recommend handling hot chiles (such as jalapenos) with gloves. Disposable or surgical gloves are nice for this purpose. Otherwise, at least be very careful not to touch sensitive parts of your body, such as your eyes or any cut skin, if you've handled hot chiles with bare hands.
  
• Remove and discard the stem. You may keep or discard the core and seeds depending on your desired level or heat. Chiles with removed core and seeds will be less hot.
  
• Cut the jalapeno into 1/8" squares. For you fancy-schmancy types, this is a brunoise.
  
• Place the jalapeno pieces into the mixing bowl with the previous ingredients. Stir to mix.

PREPARE THE DRESSING

Ideally, you'd like to have a good oil/acid emulsion, and the best emulsions are achieved by running a blender with vinegar in its pitcher while slowly drizzling oil into it. However, this is potentially a messy operation (I'll get to that in a bit). The next-best method as far as emulsion quality goes is to keep whisking the vinegar by hand while drizzling oil into it. But you need three arms to whisk, drizzle, and hold the bowl! Well, you can put a wet towel on the counter and set the bowl on that to keep it stationary. But if you're just not up to that, simply putting the oil, vinegar, and seasonings together and whisking them all at once works, too; the emulsion won't hold, but the taste really doesn't suffer much.

I should also mention here that classic oil:acid ratio is 3:1 for vinaigrettes, but I think this recipe has enough sweet ingredients in it (corn, bell pepper, and celery) that a stronger acidic bite in the dressing serves to balance out the flavors better.

• If using ground cumin, place it into a mixing vessel—either a small mixing bowl or a blender's pitcher. Otherwise, put the whole seeds into a small skillet and place it on the stove. Toast the seeds over medium heat until fragrant. Stir the seeds or shake the pan to prevent burning. After toasting, grind the seeds with a mortar and pestle, spice grinder, or coffee mill, then place the ground seeds into the mixing vessel.
  
• Peel and mince the garlic cloves, then place into the mixing vessel.
  
• Add the vinegar to a mixing vessel, either a small mixing bowl or a blender's pitcher.
  
• Add the salt and pepper to the mixing vessel. You can adjust for taste later.
  
• Add the vinegar to the mixing vessel and combine with the oil as mentioned above, either by running the blender or whisking manually.

Now, about the blender mess. I don't know how common this is, but evidently the "small" hole in my blender's lid is still big enough to allow vinegar and oil to spew out of it when the blender is running. Result? Oil and vinegar droplets all over the countertop and upper cabinets. I'm thinking that maybe next time I should put a funnel over the lid to cover up most of this opening. That'll probably help with the drizzling, too. Or use a stick blender in a cup. I just have to remember to make sure the blades are fully immersed before turning it on, otherwise I'll have another mess. Or, maybe I could practice first. With water. Outdoors.

COMBINE BEANS AND DRESSING

• Pour the cooked black beans and black-eyed peas into a colander and drain completely.
  
• Empty the colander into the mixing bowl that already contains the corn, celery, bell pepper, onion, and jalapeno.
  
• Pour the oil/vinegar mixture over the cooked beans and stir with a spatula or wooden spoon to mix. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
  
• You can serve this immediately, but it's better to let it rest in a refrigerator for at least a few hours for the flavors to combine.

YIELDS

Measurements taken while making this year's batch:

• 8 oz. raw black-eyed peas measure approx. 2 cups (!?)
  
• 8 oz. raw black-eyed peas weigh 9.6 oz. and measure approx. 1-2/3 cups by volume after cooking. This makes no sense. Either the before or after cooking volumetric measure is wrong, or some of these beans mysteriously disappeared during cooking.
  
• 8 oz. dried black beans weigh 1 lb. and measure 2 cups after soaking but before cooking.
  
• 8 oz. dried black beans weigh 1 lb. 2 oz. and measure approx. 3 cups by volume after cooking. This is somewhat in conflict with my earlier measurements, which showed that 8 oz. dried black beans yield between 2-2/3 and 2-3/4 cups after cooking. Also, we can see that there is additional water absorption during cooking, but I'm surprised that the volume increased by 50%. I'll have to see where this data anomaly comes from.

Adding all the ingredients together and considering the uncertainties, this recipe should make between 6 to 6.5 cups of finished Texas Caviar.

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