When I opened the pantry last weekend, I found a bag of dried black beans that I’d been meaning to cook for weeks. With all the recipe testing that goes on in our kitchen, I hadn’t gotten around to it. But that day, a trip to the grocery store was totally out of the question. Six inches of snow had already accumulated outside, and six more were on their way. It seemed like the perfect time to cozy up in the kitchen and cook black beans from scratch. Black beans are an ingredient that I use all the time. More…

As I rummaged through my pantry last spring, I found a canister of black rice that I’d forgotten about. Jack and I hadn’t been to the store in weeks. After eating our way through boxes of pasta and bags of white rice, the black rice was an exciting change. Thanks to its nutty flavor and striking purple hue, black rice, also called forbidden rice, had been one of my favorite grains when we lived in Austin. I’d get it from the bulk bins at the grocery store, eagerly anticipating adding it to salads and bowls when I got home. I…