What do you really have to show after 52 weeks

and strawberry shortcake cobbler

Brunch at Fishcamp

I started writing on July 4, 2023. Originally I wanted to begin on the one year anniversary of my one year resignation from public education, and then it was on my birthday. Both of those dates came and went like a passing storm. As the month of July approached I thought, if you don’t write on Independence Day, when DO you start? And so it began…each week with the exception of Christmas and my birthday this year I wrote my weekly Substack newsletter. The Substack media team reminded me each week how committed I am…longer than 94% of writers. That was nice. As I reflect on my first year of writing weekly newsletters three themes come to mind.

The first, this was as much an exercise of just start the damn thing as it was planned. My nature is to research, research, research. I enjoy the process, I enjoy discovery, reading, educating myself. I know this about myself. If you are similar, take this as your invitation to do the thing! You have enough, you have done enough, it is better to share what you currently know, even if it is not perfect, then to never share at all. Those of us in need are not looking for perfection, we are looking for a guide to usher us along the path to where we need to go. I am grateful I started because some of you have told me my words, my ideas, advice, recipes from cookbook authors I have tried, or things I created have helped you. What a wonderful feeling it is knowing when one has helped another human.

Secondly, I have enjoyed writing as much as I also want to assist people on their curiosity with beans, diverse and not so diverse whole foods, mostly plants. The process of writing happens throughout the week. I wake up with an idea and I keep noticing where it shows itself. I may see something or read about it and I am off to the races.

My notes...

I have a pad by my bed and often I awake and need to furiously write before the idea leaves my head. Other weeks, I open a Google doc and never write anything on my scratchpad. It comes when it comes and I allow it to flow through me. Before I started I wondered how I would come up with topics in which to write. I wish I could say I had 20 topics lined up. I did not. It was mostly of the moment. This may be why I feel busy all of the time. 

Thirdly, I realized I have a winning formula for myself and I hope I inspired you, too. I am a creature of habit with a few surprises added in with the seasons. (Based on availability from the farmers in Rhode Island). It is necessary for my health and well being to prep food each week. I hope I drilled into the reader the importance of having a foundation so “take out” is not a knee-jerk decision. Instead we prefer a bowl of those gorgeous prepared beans, roasted veggies with seeds or a crunch of crispy quinoa on top. It takes less time to reheat the prepped food than it does to order food and wait for it to be delivered. It goes without saying pizza is very dear to my heart. Sometimes we fall off our plan and eat takeout. Do it! Don’t shame yourself. What works for me is to be intentional (mostly) each week about what I am eating. I also get excited to plan for a “not my regular food break” in our weekly meals every now and then. For example, I prep and plan for 3-4 dinners and a couple of lunch items–mix and match. Weekends are open because I am freer with my time. Sometimes when I am planning I know I am going to give myself one free night to order take out. I do all of this so that when I go to NYC with my father and my sister in the middle of the week to see a show–Hell’s Kitchen which I highly recommend–I can eat richer foods because I have set the foundation week after week of noninflammatory foods.

48 hours of unadulterated fun! I highly recommend. from top left, caramelized onion torta at Ci Siamo, Grand Central Station Oyster Bar, Halibut at La Grande Boucherie, Frites served with the Wagyu burger and steaks at La Grande Boucherie, my father enjoying the profiteroles served table side by Ozzy our waiter, and Alicia Key's Hell's Kitchen.

Finally, while I enjoy writing, cooking, taking photos/videos and creating this newsletter, it takes a lot of time, prep and energy for a party of one to keep churning this out week after week. I am grateful I have had the time, however this fall I am excited to be taking on projects that pay the bills. I am smiling writing this because I feel very fortunate that I love what I do. You can look for Start With Beans in your inbox twice a month as I move into my second year of publishing on Substack. Thank you for your continued support as this newsletter and I evolve. 

Recommended Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake cobbler

Just about to go into the oven!

Strawberry season is upon us, we are in it, elbows deep. I have already made this twice. Once for fathers day and again this weekend for bookclub. We had a brunch at Fishcamp and it seemed right to bring this. While this is not a recipe for those who are inflamed, if you are at a place where you can eat foods like I mentioned above every now and then to enjoy a seasonal item you must.

If you have read this blog you know one of my favorite cookbook authors is Alison Roman, along with Jeanine Donofrio from Love and Lemons as well as Abra Berens. There is another dessert I make from Alison that is a cornmeal cake and you add whatever berries that are in season. The shortcake in this recipe has cornmeal in it as well as the usual flour. I think that flavor and texture profile bring the shortbreads to the next level. Along with the fact that you make this in a cast iron pan and not individual short breads that you have to cut and make for each person. Can’t picture it, stayed tuned you will thank me for sharing this beauty.

Quonset View Farms, Portsmouth, RI

Michael and I went to Quonset View farms and picked strawberries. We ate half of them with our friends because they are delightfully, perfectly ripened. It was fun to use in season beautiful strawberries for my family last weekend and again for my ladies at book club. The berries will be cooked and because of that you can use just past their prime fresh strawberries that you may have on your counter. Or the ones from the market as the recipe has us add some sugar. I bet it will still be delicious.

Ingredients

Filling

• 2 quarts~5 cups of strawberries (hulled and cut in half)

• 1/2 cup (I used 1/3 cup because the berries are ripe and sweet already) granulated sugar

• 2 Tbsp corn starch to help thicken the berry juice

• 1 Tbsp fresh lime or lemon juice

• 2 Tbsp heavy cream (I only needed 1 T, to brush on the shortcakes)

• 2 Tbsp brown sugar to sprinkle on top of shortcakes (I didn’t need all of the sugar here either)

Shortcakes

• 1 ¼ cups, plus more for the work surface

• ½ cup coarse yellow cornmeal

• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar (I only had dark brown and it was delicious)

• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

• 1 tablespoon baking powder

• ¾ teaspoon kosher salt

• ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces, at room temperature

• ½ cup heavy cream

• (Use the leftover heavy cream to make whip cream to serve over the berries. I only added vanilla as the berries were sweet. But if your berries are not in season you may want to add a bit of maple syrup, honey or confectioners sugar to your heavy cream before you whip it.)

Note: The recipe calls for a 9” cast iron skillet. I had the usual 10 1/4” and it was fine. But if you have the 9” I bet it looks cozier than mine did. It all still tastes magnificent.

Directions from Alison Roman’s website; check it out.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. 

Make the shortcakes: In a large bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until no large chunks remain. Add the cream and mix with your hands just until blended. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead the dough just until it’s no longer super sticky, about 2 minutes.

Using your hands, form the dough into a circle about 1 inch thick. Using a 2-inch cookie cutter (or an approximation thereof—I use water glasses, mason jars, whatever), punch out as many shortcakes as you can. Re-pat the scraps to 1 inch thick and repeat until all the dough is used. Set the shortcakes aside while you prepare the filling (transfer to the refrigerator if they feel too soft). 

Make the filling: In a medium bowl, toss the strawberries with the granulated sugar, cornstarch, and lemon juice. Transfer the berries to a 9-inch cast-iron skillet, pie dish, or cake pan (a 9 x 13-inch baking dish will also work in a pinch) and top with the shortcakes. 

Brush the tops of the shortcakes with the cream and sprinkle with the brown sugar. Bake until the shortcakes are golden brown and the juices of the strawberries have thickened and bubbled up around the edges of the skillet, 25 to 30 minutes.

Serving it up with whipped cream. Yum.

This was a hit with my family and friends. I hope you enjoy it, too. And remember, start with beans.

Contact

If you have any questions on integrating beans consistently for gut health now and into the near future, please email me at Denisemancieri1@gmail.com. Feel free to comment below if there are topics you would like to see.

Please share this newsletter with others if you find it may assist them in adding beans to their diet. Or click the heart, below left, so I know you were here. Thank you! 

Note: I am not a doctor. I am a teacher and an educator with an earned doctorate in educational leadership. I enjoy research and I can distill large amounts of information into easily understood and digestible pieces allowing people to understand what is happening to their body and possible steps to reverse it with food as medicine. I have healed my own GI issues through choices with food. I followed Karen Hurd’s bean protocol diet, I meditated and still do and I healed. I feel compelled to be in service and educate others as the more people eating beans, alongside a healthy diet and sharing their stories the more people will live a healthier existence. Joy, peace and freedom abound. Please see your doctor and discuss nutritional options before you change any course of action with your health.