I was excited to see a cookbook dedicated to beans and with a title like 'The Bean Book,' this certainly felt like the perfect opportunity to add more beans to my diet. Unfortunately, this book fell into the category that many cookbooks do - the ingredients are not easily accessible. I did not realize that this cookbook comes from a company that sells heirloom beans until reading more into it. This makes most of the recipes very niche and not accessible to the "normal" person with access to average joe beans at their local grocer.

I did appreciate the basic recipes for refried beans and a simple hummus. Beyond these, however, the recipes are likely not something I would try as they are very time intensive and not realistic for a mom with two toddlers who most likely will reject my well-intentioned bean centric meal.

Overall, this is a beautiful book for the niche heirloom bean lover, but this was not for me!

Thank you to NetGalley, Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press, Ten Speed Press, and the author Steve Sando for an ARC of The Bean Book!

Lots of interesting options for recipes, a good ranges of cuisines, and lovely photos! Beans are having a moment, and this book is a stellar example of the versatility of beans and lots of great recipes to incorporate them into your diet. I also really enjoyed learning about the different varieties of beans.

Thank you Netgalley and Ten Speed Press for the ARC!

A better title would be “the heirloom bean book” or “the rancho gordo bean cookbook”. This is a cookbook made by a company (rancho gordo) that sells heirloom beans.

I’m not sure why they needed to write an actual cookbook (promotional piece?); seems like it would have been better to have these recipes on their website. I’m not sure anyone who doesn’t belong to their book club can use the cookbook. I tried to make two dishes with “normal” beans and they fell flat.

As a positive…

I had no idea so many different varieties of heirloom beans exist. The front part of the book is an index of them and gives several methods for cooking beans.

As for the recipes, while relatively short in terms of ingredients, are not particularly quick to make, even if you’ve already cooked your beans. It has the “a chef wrote this” vibe, with recipes being multiple paragraphes, sometimes 2 and 3 pages across. The two recipes I tried I couldn’t understand why the instructions were so long, so wordy, and so complicated. An editor or real world home cook or blogger needed to consult.

There is also too much oil in every recipe.

Finally a complaint about organization:

Instead of organizing the book by meal type, I would have preferred it be organized by bean used. If I want to use, say, cranberry beans, I can’t easily find a recipe to use them unless I have a kindle version with a search feature.

Special thanks to Netgalley and Clarkson Potter/Ten Speed Press for providing me with a copy of this book one exchange for an honest review.

As someone on a budget (and subsequently trying to eat more beans), I found this book to be highly informative. There were a broad amount of cuisines represented and the recipes all look amazing.

I really loved the recipes in this book! I loved how there were so many interesting options, and this really showed the versatility of beans as an ingredient in cooking!

I loved this book! When I think of cooking beans, my mind goes blank. Who would have known there are so many ways you can eat various beans in delicious recipes? The photography was great in this book as well!

I thought this book was absolutely beautiful and couldn't be better timed because I find everyone is really learning to appreciate beans right now. The photography was gorgeous and artfully curated, it felt like a lot of thought went into the presentation and organization of the different types of beans. I plan to make many of these recipes and love that I have new things to try that I can share with my vegetarian and vegan friends!

Really a great cookbook but so much more! The recipes really encompassed something for everyone. I really enjoyed the historical information as well as learning about varieties of beans I wasn’t familiar with. Beautiful photos accompanied this well written book.

I'm going to grab this book in hardcover, which is about as good a compliment as I can give for any cookbook considering my diminishing bookcase space. Lots of great variety of recipes, using beans in a ton of ways. Obviously, the book is calling for Rancho Gordo beans specifically since the author is the creator of the company, but you can certainly substitute other brands of beans as needed, as long as you keep the type called for fairly similar. Also, Rancho Gordo beans are great and not too pricey, so worth the splurge if you're so inclined. I'm excited to use up my back stock of beans and keep some cooked beans in the freezer for the times that the bean salads call to me.

A great resource if you’re looking to learn more about beans, generally, or if you’re looking for more recipes that use beans. The recipes are varied enough to be of interest to multiple diets/cuisines, and most seem easily modified if needed.

I am already a proud Rancho Gordo Bean Club member. This book is made for anyone interested in including more beans in their life. It is a beautiful book with tons of different recipe varieties (sides, soups, mains, etc.) depending on how you want to incorporate more beans in your life. I noticed some of my favorites that I have cooked including Pizza Beans and Christmas Limas in Gorgonzola Sauce, but some new-to-me recipes that I will definitely be trying in the future. It feels good to support such a great business too -- Steve Sando is a class act and is genuinely just excited to have people eat more beams. This authentic love for beans comes across in every recipe, as well as the Rancho Gordo beans. I highly suggest the baked beans as a regular in your rotation and following the most basic instructions to cook beans simply.

The Bean Book has given me a newfound appreciation and excitement about beans. Each recipe stays true to the legume and emphasizes the bean’s flavour with harmonious pairings. There are many winning recipes in this cookbook that I can’t wait to try out!

This book is a gem for both bean aficionados and those looking to expand their culinary horizons. As a vegan, beans are essential to my diet, and this book offers a delightful array of recipes that are not only easy to follow but also adaptable for non-vegans. With its visually engaging presentation, straightforward instructions, and diverse range of bean varieties, it's a must-have addition to any kitchen. Whether you're a seasoned cook or just starting out, there's something in this book for everyone to enjoy. I'm already looking forward to trying out more of these delicious recipes!

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a gorgeous book that, like my favorite cookbooks, doubles as a cooking encyclopedia. In addition to recipes, it covers types of beans, vinigars and oils, spices, equipment, cooking techniques, and more and has a casual but informative style. The book is organized into sections that make sense and index is really useful if you have a particular kind of bean or recipe in mind but aren't sure what to do. Sando suggests accompaniments for many of the dishes, too.

I am biased as a Rancho Gordo bean club member, to be fair, but I've already made three of the recipes and all were excellent (and my freezer is full of soup). I tried: Roasted Garlic, Squash, and Buckeye Bean Dip; Basque-style Kale and Bean Stew; and Persian Lamb, Bean, and Herb Stew. I've pre-ordered copies of the book for myself and for a birthday gift for a friend who is starting to get into heirloom beans.

I received an ARC of this cookbook from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great cookbook. It provides all the information needed to buy, store and cook beans. The recipes are varied but still easy to make.

Beans are having a moment as the economy forces more and more people to find ways to stretch grocery budgets and this cookbook is the perfect introduction to the complicated legume. With explanations of bean types and textures, the cookbook demystifies some lesser known beans and instructs in how to cook them properly. The tips about how much room to leave in the pot, how much time to soak or not soak beans, and how to cook them make the home cook's bean era a bit less intimidating. The recipes span the globe, offering exotic recipes, but also many substitutions as needed.

The Bean Book : 100 Recipes for Cooking with All Kinds of Beans, from the Rancho Gordo Kitchen. This is definitely a recipe book for all bean lovers out there. It is bursting with all kinds of recipes, even desserts made of beans. And includes beans most people will never have heard about. There are plenty of beautiful pictures and the recipes are easy to follow. A great gift for all bean connoisseurs out there.

I am *all* about beans! They really are the magical fruit. There are a lot of great recipes in here, from many different cultures. There’s Italian, Spanish, Latin-American, Indian, even British beans on toast! The end also has a couple of bean desserts, and I’m excited to try them out.

Try this out in September!

I received a complimentary eARC through NetGalley and Ten Speed Press (thank you!), which did not affect my review in any way.

5 stars

Look, I'm vegan, so beans are an especially vital part of my life. I love cooking with them, eating them, and, it turns out, learning more about them. I discovered that last part while tearing through this fantastic, aptly titled book about, well, beans.

Non-vegans, don't be scared. Most of this book is targeted to your diet. Fellow vegans and nearby vegetarians, rejoice. You'll be able to adapt nearly all of these recipes with minimal effort. I bookmarked over a dozen of them, and most fall into that aforementioned group.

This is an incredibly visually appealing read. Most folks who engage with this book will see and hear about certain varieties of beans for the first time. The ideal scenario is obviously to access these specific beans directly, but even home cooks with less excellent access will be able to find workarounds.

From the appealing photos to the clear recipes to the adaptable content, there's a little something for everyone here. I can't wait to try out quite a few of these recipes!