OUR RECIPES OF THE MONTH

EUREKA-I HAVE IT!!!

It took many moons and much patience but at last our dear friends Lorraine and Gary from the marvelous restaurant "Sweet Lorraine's" have found the time in their busy schedule to write down their recipe for Caribbean Black Bean Soup which, as most of you know, is my favorite. They gave me the recipe as they make it at the restaurant which makes 15 gallons, calls for 25 Ibs. of black beans and can serve 320 customers a great cup of soup! My most challenging problem was simply reducing the recipe to family size. But after doing the math and testing the recipe at home, it's the next best thing to being there. Many, many thanks to Lorraine and Gary! I urge you to discover their restaurants on Greenfield Road just north of 12 mile in Southfield and in the Kerrytown Neighborhood in Ann Arbor. For information call (248) 559-5985.

RECIPE OF THE MONTH

CARIBBEAN BLACK BEAN SOUP

    1 pound black turtle beans             1 T. chopped fresh garlic
    1 cinnamon stick                       1 1/2 t. chopped Jalapeno peppers
    51 oz. mushroom or vegetable water     1 1/2 t. ground cumin
    (3 pints plus 3 oz. water and 3 T.     Scant t. pepper
    mushroom or vegetable base or if       1/4 t. thyme
    you don't have the base use            1/8 t. cloves
    chicken or beef broth)                 1 (16 oz.) can diced tomatoes
    1 scant c. diced onion (14 oz.)        2 oz. dark rum

Cook beans and cinnamon stick, in water to cover, until tender (about 3 hours). Drain all liquid. Add remaining ingredients except tomatoes and rum and cook until flavors combine (about 30 minutes - 1 hour over low heat). Add tomatoes and rum and lightly puree in blender or food processor. Return to heat for 5 - 10 minutes and serve hot. Garnish: Make a cloverleaf pattern on the surface using yogurt in a squirt bottle and place a thin slice of lime in center.