Typical Food Not Bombs Dishes

These are things you can make with any assortment of donated produce and dry goods. If you get no donations of dry beans or grains you might consider purchasing them if possible for balanced and more nutritious meals.

* BEANS will swell to about twice their size. In general, put one part beans to two and one half parts water.
* Basically, just cook the little suckers till they are tender but not mushy.
* Soaking overnight will decrease the cooking time. Pour off the soaking water, as it contains nitrogen from the beans. Cook the beans in fresh water.
* If available, throw in some kombu (a type of seaweed) while cooking, as it helps break down the enzymes that make beans difficult to digest and fuck with people's stomachs and make people fart

Here's a general guide for cooking legumes:

...and grains:

* RICE: Here is a trick for getting the water-to-rice ratio correct (it's our little secret...sshhhh): Put in the amount of rice you want to cook, then add water so that when you stick your thumb in the pot it touches the rice and the water level reaches the first joint on your thumb. Save yourself the trouble of doing the math and just trust me - it works!

You could also do a ratio of 1.75 to 1 for brown rice. Bring to a boil as fast as possible, then throw in rice and turn the flame down really low and let simmer for approximately one hour. Resist temptations to lift the lid as you will let the steam out (this build-up of steam is essential to good rice). At the end of the hour shut off the heat and let the grain just hang out for a while, still without lifting the lid. A little while later, when you are convinced the rice can't be done, open the lid a take a little nibble. If it isn't done enough for you, put the lid back on and turn on the flame really low for 10 or 15 minutes. Do not stir the rice until it is DONE, or else you will burn the bottom or create mush. When the grain is cooked stir it with a long tined (toothed) fork to fluff it up a bit and avoid the sticky goop most people call rice.

Rice can be cooked in myriad ways, depending on what culture we're talking about. No one is better than the rest.

* LENTILS: Same as rice except the water-to-grain ratio is 2.5to-1, and cooking time is 45 minutes less. You can cook lentils and brown rice in the same pot, which saves space, tastes great and is just a damn good idea overall.

* SPLIT PEAS: Don't need to be pre-soaked, and will cook pretty quickly. Split pea soup is tasty...add onions, spices, and love.

* BULGHAR: An overlooked grain that is quite handy as a time energy saver. Add 2.5 to 3 parts salted water to one part bulghar. Allow it to sit for one hour. That's right folks! - you do not have to cook bulghar; you don't even have to use hot water! If you do cook bulghar, use the ratio from the chart on the previous page.

* STIR-FRY: Chop a lot of veggies, put them in a wok, frying pan, or the giant pot, and fry them. Heat up the oil first of course. Onions, leeks, and garlic are eager to be the first to be cooked (careful not to burn the garlic). Cook the veggies in order of density - carrots and spuds first, leafy greens last, etc. Cooked rice and even most legumes are yummy mixed in the stir-fry as well.

* SOUP: Anything goes - veggies, beans, lentils, rice, etc. It is best to cook rice or beans separately and add to the soup later. Throw the works in a huge pot with a bunch of water and cook on medium to high heat. If you are heating on a high flame, pay attention and stir a lot so you don't burn the whole mess. This would suck with a capital S. Use your charm and imagination when spicing the soup to make it delicious.

* GREEN SALAD: Mix salad greens of all available types and throw in some select raw veggies (carrots, bell peppers, etc.). With hard veggies (such as carrots) you should cut them really thin or grate them (if you have the patience). Giant carrot slices aren't so rad in an otherwise "soft" salad. Make a dressing of one part vinegar to two parts oil and spices (some ideas for this are to follow: read on).

* FRUIT: Fruits that are whole (apples, etc.) should remain so. You might want to wash them a little to remove any chemicals sprayed on. A lot of fruits we receive are unattractive with yucky spots on them They, therefore, get the privilege of becoming fruit salad. If the fruits are of the not-so-tasty variety, you could add a little lemon juice and a sweetener (keeping the vegans in mind, of course).

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