Recipe Update - Green Beans With Cheese (Take 2)

So tonight was my second attempt at making the green beans with cheese, and let's just say that it is still a work in progress ;) (Click here for the first chapter in this story).


What I Did Differently
This time I decided to be fancy, and for the first time in my life I bought REAL green beans! There is this little place near us that's a cross between a farmers market and a grocery store, and they sell some WEIRD stuff there, but their produce is super cheap and really great. So, I walked in, shoveled a bunch into a bag (J asked me if I got enough, and I said, "I don't know, I don't even know how much this is going to end up looking like when it's cooked. Do they shrink?") and then put them in the fridge for the week (if that's not how you're supposed to keep green beans, somebody let me know. I'm helpless!)

Then I realized that I had no idea what to do to prepare real green beans! Do you have to snap them in two? (They're always doing that in movies, but are those peas, or just special green beans that you have to open to get the peas out of?) Do you cut them up? Do you have to cook them longer? I felt like an idiot.

But then I realized, "Well, I might be an idiot, but I'm an idiot with a friend who knows a thing or two about cooking!" So I emailed my old friend Becky, because not only is she a great friend, but she's a super fancy chef person now :) And she gave me great advice about how to make beans!

Except that she gave me great advice on how to make beans depending on how I like my beans to be cooked. Do you remember that scene in "Runaway Bride" where she realizes she doesn't know how she likes her eggs cooked? That was me with green beans. In fact, I didn't even understand what the terms she used meant! But that's why the kitchen is a school in and of itself.

Becky said that if I like my beans al dente, I should just toss them right into the pan with the olive oil and garlic in it until they looked green and yummy (and I'd like to say right now that while I had a vague idea of what al dente meant, since I had only ever had one kind of firmness of green bean, I didn't have anything to compare them against! Maybe the way I had them was as firm as they get, or as mushy as they get! I've never felt like such an ignoramus about anything, particularly as simple as a tiny vegetable!) So I went with that cooking method though, because it was as good a place to start as any, and I used more lemon juice this time like I said I would (I put it in right at the beginning of the cooking process too, instead of right before it was done) and we grated some fresh parmesan instead of using the kind in a shaker :)


The Results
Well, it turns out that I don't like my beans al dente! :) I had no idea green beans could be so crunchy. SO, next time I do it (and I'm going to keep doing it until I perfect it!) I'm going to do like Becky said I should if I want them softer and blanch them (another new word for me! I'll take the time to explain it when I actually do it, next time. Or maybe all of you are smarter than I am and know what that means, in which case, aren't you super cool!)

It also ended up having LESS of a lemon tang this time, even though I'm pretty sure I used a lot more lemon juice. So next time, I'm going to put it in at the end of the cooking process again and see if that makes a difference.

And finally (and surprisingly!) I don't think the fresh parmesan was as good! (I know, I'm super shocked, myself). We grated it up to a powder, but the powder ended up melting and clumping together, so you had to scoop up some cheese and then stab the beans, and it was just annoying. Maybe it's because the cheap kind in a can has more preservatives or something else bad for you in it, but it didn't clump as much and so it spread over the beans more evenly. Whatever it was, I'll save the fancy cheese for something else and go back to the cheaper kind next time :)


Reviews
I give it a 3/5 stars (which is down .5 stars from last time) but hey, it's a work in progress! Next time I hope to get the right consistency of bean with more lemon flavor and cheese that doesn't end up in the bottom of the mixing bowl.

J gave the beans a 2/5 stars this time (down from a whole star from last time!) and said, "eh, they weren't that good". (But I'm sure he also meant that he sure does love my dedication and willingness to experiment in the kitchen, and can't wait until I make them again!) When asked what I should do differently next time, he said less lemon juice and olive oil (hmmm, we might end up with a difference of opinions when I head to the kitchen next time . . . oh well, she who POURS the liquids decides how much goes in!)



All in all, though, green beans have very little flavor, and as far as I'm concerned, you can't have too much cheese, salt, or olive oil, so even if it wasn't very good, it was still pretty edible ;) I'll keep you posted on my endeavors!