Easy Weeknight Comfort: Red Beans and Rice for Cook the Books August/September Pick: "Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe"

I am coming in right at the wire with my torso hanging over it for our August/September Cook the Books pick, Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber. I'd tell you what a insane couple of months it has been at work, and that is true but really, my procrastination is a glorious and monumental thing and it stands fine on its own without excuses. ;-) I actually finished the book last week, made my dish earlier in the week, and I still couldn't get my post up until now. And I'm the host of this round of our virtual foodie book club! Oh well...

I picked this book because I had received a copy in a book box a couple of years ago and I couldn't seem to get it off my TBR pile without some effort, but I am glad I did. It's a charming book and a perfect read when you want something sweet and familiar. 

From the Publisher:

Nestled in the mountain shadows of Alabama lies the little town of Wicklow. It is here that Anna Kate has returned to bury her beloved Granny Zee, owner of the Blackbird Café. 

It was supposed to be a quick trip to close the café and settle her grandmother’s estate, but despite her best intentions to avoid forming ties or even getting to know her father’s side of the family, Anna Kate finds herself inexplicably drawn to the quirky Southern town her mother ran away from so many years ago, and the mysterious blackbird pie everybody can’t stop talking about. 

As the truth about her past slowly becomes clear, Anna Kate will need to decide if this lone blackbird will finally be able to take her broken wings and fly.

Call it a trope, but books where the main character moves back to a small town full of quirky residents and either finds or reinvents themselves, often through food, are my sweet spot. Toss in a bit of magical realism and you have pulled me in. Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe drew me in from the start and I was quickly caught up with Anna Kate, the mysterious blackbirds, The Blackbird Cafe and the town of Wicklow, Alabama and its endearing citizens. Although there is nothing really new here, it gave me great comfort while reading during the aforementioned work struggles--sometimes you just need something to soothe. In fact, I gave my pretty copy of the book to a friend  who was looking for comfort reading and read it on my Kindle--she needed it more than I did! My only true complaint is that I wanted recipes for some of the delicious-sounding food mentioned--more on that below. Otherwise, I found it an endearing and easy read that made me smile and tear up a few times. I would read more from this author and would love more time in Wicklow with some of the supporting characters. 

So the food--obviously you have the pie, not just the famed Blackbird Pie (blackberry pie with a secret ingredient), but apple, blueberry, peach, cherry, rhubarb, and "endless combinations," an overabundance of zucchini and zucchini bread (and other breads) from the "bread brigade" and a plethora of zucchini dishes (muffins, frittatas, fries), biscuits, a special recipe for blackberry sweet tea, herbs and vegetables, crispy hash browns, pancakes, ham in red-eye gravy, eggs, sweet potato hash, blackberry cobbler, various herbal teas and infusions, tea sandwiches, sweet tea, honey, johnnycakes with brown-butter apples, fries, cucumbers, squash, green beans, tomatoes, corn, bacon, chicken-fried steak, pizza, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, collard greens and grits, roast chicken, hot chocolate, potato salad, chocolate fudge cake, gin, white wine, steamed carrots, succotash, casseroles, popcorn, and probably a bunch of things that I didn't catch.

For my bookish dish I was going to go with something made from zucchini, the blackberry tea, or the johnnycakes with brown-butter apples, but ultimately it was the plate of red beans and rice that Natalie is trying to get Doc to eat and she reminds him that it's his favorite. Red beans and rice is the perfect easy comfort food which matches the mood of the book for me and it filled a craving. Mine are a weeknight version, not traditional and nothing fancy with beans from a can and a microwave brown rice rice mix from the pantry (mine was brown and red rice with chia seeds and kale) and takes little more than tossing the beans into a pot with onions, broth and spices and letting them cook down for 45 minutes or so--until they are soft and saucy. But, comfort it does deliver.

Easy Weeknight Comfort Red Beans and Rice

By Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes 2 Servings)

1 tbsp butter or olive oil

1 sweet onion sliced, or equivalent frozen sautéed glazed onions

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp Creole seasoning of choice (I use this one)

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder, or to taste

1 (15 oz) can low-sodium kidney beans, drained

1/2 cup broth of choice (I used non-chicken broth)

salt and black pepper to taste

2 cups cooked rice of choice. (I used this one)

Heat butter or oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook until softened and lightly browned (about 10 minutes) or use frozen glazed onions to reduce this time. Add garlic and spices and cook another 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Add the beans and broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 35-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beans are softened and broth becomes dark and saucy. Taste and add salt and black pepper as needed or desired. (Note: some Creole spice mixes are already salted so taste before adding any.)

Place cooked rice on serving plate(s) and spoon beans on top. Enjoy!

Notes/Results: Easy, tasty and comforting, this makes a great dinner on a night where you aren't in a hurry, but don't want to fuss. Beans and rice are a fantastic pantry dinner--especially for those of us who don't eat a lot of meet and there are endless variations of beans and rice to make. I will happily make this again.

The deadline for this round is today (9/30/21), and I will be rounding up the entries for Cook the Books on the website in a day or two. If you missed this round and you like books and food and foodie books, join us for our October/November pick hosted by Claudia of Honey from Rock, Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown.