Mississippi Black Beans with Rice

 

Dorothy and Brian 

   Twenty-five years ago, Brian and I stood in basement of our church, in the back corner of a cold and unwelcoming cafeteria, where we were allowed only our close family and a handful of friends, to witness our vows, pledging to stay with one another through thick and thin until death do us part.  We were pregnant and the church that we attended felt it important to discipline us by not letting us get married in the sanctuary.  I remember my father once saying that he wanted to punch the man who arranged such sad wedding day.  It was very nearly the scene out of the movie “Riding in Cars with Boys.”  

Tonight I looked across my table, full of the beautiful people who sprang from the love that I and my husband share, our wonderful son-in-law Michael, Ted’s lovely girl Rita, and of course our “daughter” Miriam.  My heart is full of love for my husband and my kids.  I honestly cannot image how our married life could have been better.

Amanda cooked a great meal of authentic Mississippi black beans and rice, Candace brought four or five kinds of cheese, a little hooch, and a carrot cake (we had carrot cake on our wedding day).  Ted and Rita brought over a fantastic bottle of red wine, and I cooked steaks on the grill.  Am I sad because we did not go on the long-awaited trip to Florence, Italy for out twenty-fifth?  No, I am the happiest woman in the world married to the most wonderful man in the world and blessed by the best kids in the world, and I know in my heart it’s true.  When Brian rose to actually give an anniversary speech, I was embarrassed, as I usually am when he is romantic, but I loved every minute of it, especially when he called me “God’s gift.”  The photos of us all are priceless, but we were so silly, I had to sign up to the promise to keep them off the internet.

Amanda’s Authentic Mississippi Black Beans with Rice

Take a pound of black beans; strain them into eight cups of water.  Boil for ten minutes.  Turn off the water and let the beans sit for an hour.  Saute peppers and onions until opaque.  Add garlic, but don’t let it brown.  Add one-quarter cup of white wine or white wine vinegar to onion, pepper, garlic mixture.  Add a teaspoon and a half of oregano, one teaspoon paprika, salt and pepper to taste.  Add Creole/Cajun seasoning to taste (caution:  is somewhat spicy), and add McIlhenny’s Tabasco Sauce to taste.  Add a can of tomato sauce to the onion pepper mixture.  Drain the beans; add about eight cups fresh water and all other ingredients.  Simmer until beans are soft.  Keep adding water as needed.  Serve over rice.

WARNING:  If you are unfamiliar with Tabasco, take note of the fact that some people cannot eat it.  If you are unsure of your friends, you should not serve this dish with no alternatives.  If you do not heed this note, they will feed their supper to the dog when you are not watching, and you will find out from your little Pooches later, the hard way!  Tabasco has the opposite effect on my husband; he seems positively attracted to it.  I just make sure he points his “exhaust port” away from me when he goes to bed.

Michael and Amanda

  

 

Candace

          
                                                                        Rita and Ted