Cool Beans: The Ultimate Guide to Cooking with the World’s Most Versatile Plant-Based Protein, with 125 Recipes

Washington Post food editor Yonan (Eat Your Vegetables) knows legumes and proves it in this enlightening vegetarian collection. He provides thorough information on sourcing (with an enthusiastic shout-out to heirloom bean purveyor Rancho Gordo), cooking (the eternal soaking question: “certainly not a requirement... but can help reduce some of the so-called anti-nutrients”), and eating beans of all varieties, whether canned, fresh, dried, or frozen. The recipes tend to be simple: a chapter on drinks and sweets includes a margarita with aquafaba (canned bean liquid) foam and a white bean and coconut milk smoothie. The most intriguing selections draw on traditions around the globe: Mexican sopes topped with pools of black bean puree; a Georgian bread stuffed with kidney beans; and lima-filled ravioli made with store-bought wonton wrappers. Yonan also pulls from the expertise of others, frequently crediting chefs (Priya Ammu for delicate dosas) and writers (J. Kenji López-Alt for Cuban black beans). Beans aren’t always the star, as with a whole roasted head of cauliflower plopped atop hummus and garnished with roasted chickpeas, and pan-fried black lentils scattered on a salad of red gem lettuce. The result is a solid compendium of recipes for legumes of all kinds. (Feb.)