Corona beans

Eastside Road, March 18, 2010 —

AFTER YESTERDAY'S EXERCISE in intellectual curiosity and its scientific experiment in contrast, it was a pleasure today to return to a tried and true, a fine example of Elective Affinities: Corona beans.

I've written about these before, most recently last December. I'm not sure whether I've noted before the curious pork-fat flavor these beans carry, even though completely innocent of meat. Tonight Lindsey prepared them exactly as usual, tossing them in oil, raw onion and shallot, flavoring them with marjoram, salt, and pepper. Green salad, to be sure; then a bit of that marvelous Nostrana. Spring is just around the corner.

Alsace white, "Now & Zen" (sorry about that), 2007: 40% Sylvaner, 30% Pinot blanc, 15% Riesling, 15% Gewurtztraminer; 12.5% alcohol: fresh and flowery.