Recipe for Cherokee Bean Bread

(Please refer to the article Savoring Solace for background information on this recipe.)

Is it okay to add more spices? Of course, my grandmother did and I do all the time! Traditionally this bread is very mild, but grandma loved to spice things up. As long as the red beans are fresh, not canned, your bread will have enough drama to enhance any seasoning you include.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups red beans

1 3/4 cup chopped onion

2 fresh crushed garlic cloves

1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

4 cups corn meal

1/2 cup flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION

1. In water, boil red beans until tender. Add salt. Transfer cooked beans and 1 1/2 cups of the bean liquid soup to the cornmeal in a large bowl.

2. Bring your water to a slow boil.

3. Add remaining ingredients and mix with your hands. Form golf ball sized balls and drop them into the slow boiling water for 30 minutes. Drain balls on paper towel and serve.

MAKE AHEAD

The red beans can be cooked 1 day ahead and refrigerated.

NOTE

Bean bread is versatile dish that be served as a side or an appetizer. The bread can be made with brown, pinto, or red beans.

A native of Macon, Georgia (USA), chronic wanderlust has led Joy Donnell to travel the world, endulging in fascinating cuisine and scenery. She currently writes and lives in Atlanta with two very spoiled dogs named Leo and Yuki.