Beans

When roasted at 475 degrees, coffee beans are sometimes described as rich and full-bodied. But for the full-bodied person who is not so rich, unroasted coffee beans - green as the day they were picked - may hold the key to cheap and effective weight loss, new research suggests. In a study presented Tuesday at the American Chemical Society's spring national meeting in San Diego, 16 overweight young adults took, by turns, a low dose of green coffee bean extract, a high dose of the supplement, and a placebo.

Total time: 1 hour, 10 minutes Servings: Serves 2 as a main dish, 4 as part of a multi-dish meal Note: Relatively firm-yet-tender tofu, such as Trader Joe's, pan-fries beautifully with minimal splatter. This is not overly saucy. There should be some visible sauce but the tofu isn't swimming in it. Serve the tofu with rice. The fermented black bean stock is from Fuchsia Dunlop's "Revolutionary Chinese Cookbook. " Fermented black bean stock 4 cups water 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed In a small saucepan, bring the water and black beans to a boil over high heat.

Sea bean salad Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Note: Adapted from Joan's on Third. Sea beans may be available at select Asian markets as well as online at earthy.com and marxfoods.com ; you can also contact your local produce manager to see if the market might order them for you. If you cannot locate sea beans, an equal amount of snow peas or pea shoots can be substituted. 1/2 pound sea beans 3/4 pound yellow wax beans 1/2 pound shelled edamame beans (about 2 cups)

Total time: 1 hour, 40 minutes Servings: Serves 4 as part of a multi-dish meal 2 pounds meaty pork spareribs, cut crosswise through the bone into strips about 1½ inches wide 3 large cloves garlic, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger 2 large green onions, finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar 1 tablespoon dark (thick) soy sauce 3 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 1 1/2 cups water 2 tablespoons canola oil 1 tablespoon fermented black beans, unrinsed and chopped 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro, optional 1. Starting from one end, remove the tough white membrane from the underside of each rib strip: Slide the tip of a knife underneath the membrane that lies between 2 rib bones, lift it up and cut it. Then, use a paper towel to grab the membrane and pull it away from the ribs.

Dear SOS: My sister and I were in Santa Barbara recently. When we stopped at the Chase Restaurant & Lounge, they served a bean appetizer for happy hour. My sister loved it and ate two helpings. They said it was an old family recipe. S. ACKERMAN Capistrano Beach Dear S. Ackerman: Sonia Rosinka, owner of the Chase Restaurant & Lounge, says these beans are a Romany (gypsy) dish from the former Yugoslavia, traditionally served during Lent as well as during a three-day fast in December that honors Saint Nicholas.

Some good buys for your health and your pocketbook: Buy fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Buy frozen otherwise. Frozen is cheaper and may even be better for you than fresh. That's because produce is usually frozen at its ripest, which is usually when it maxes out in nutrient content too. Some nutrients do break down or leach out in the freezing process, but most make it through.

Four students are standing over a hot stove in the creamery of the Institute of Domestic Technology on a late-October Sunday at the Zane Grey Estate in Altadena. Each one is manning a hand-cranked Whirley-Pop popcorn popper filled not with popcorn but green coffee beans from Costa Rica. The raw coffee beans turn golden, then brown, then start to expand and crackle. A moment or two later, as the beans sizzle: "You hear that? That's second crack!" says instructor Ian Riley, explaining the point at which the coffee's woody cell walls fracture and its sugars continue to caramelize.

This recipe from registered dietitian Lisa Gibson provides protein, fiber, iron and vitamin C, and can be easily added to the couple's culinary repertoire: Note: this recipe has not been tested. Swiss chard with cannellini beans (Serves four) 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 to 2 medium onions, sliced thin 4 cloves garlic, crushed 1/2 cup vegetable broth 8 cups chopped Swiss chard leaves (remove and discard the long center stem before chopping)

Dear SOS: Last week I had the epicurean adventure of a lifetime at the Yard House at L.A. Live. The ribs and creamed corn were excellent, but the barbecued beans were heavenly. Could you please provide the recipe for these fabulous beans? Betsy Stoeven Angelino Heights Dear Betsy: These beans are a great side dish to have on hand as the weather cools. The recipe is relatively simple but rich with flavor, with the beans neither too sweet nor too spicy. Enjoy! Yard House BBQ beans Total time: 40 minutes Servings: 6 to 8 as a side dish Note: Adapted from the Yard House.

Total time: About 1 hour, 25 minutes Servings: 6 to 8 as an appetizer or side dish 1/4 pound pancetta, in 1 slice about 1/2 -inch thick 3 tablespoons olive oil 1 1/4 cups chopped onions, about 1 medium 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 1/2 pounds Romano beans, stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, cut in half 1 tablespoon minced fresh...

Total time: 30 minutes Servings: 2 as a one-dish meal; 4 as part of a larger meal 2 pounds Manila clams (40 to 48 clams) 2 scant tablespoons fermented black beans Chubby 1-inch section of ginger, peeled and finely julienned 1 tablespoon minced garlic 1/4 teaspoon dried red chile flakes 1 large green onion 1/2 cup water 2 tablespoons Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry 3 tablespoons canola oil,...

Wrinkly Chinese fermented black beans look as though they have just emerged from an archaeological site. Indeed, the salty, pungent little bits are an ancient Chinese staple. Made of black or yellow soybeans, they were once the only soy-based seasoning used all over China but nowadays are mostly employed in southern Chinese cooking. Called dou chi in Mandarin and dul see in Cantonese, you may know them as the punchy dark flecks in the sparerib nuggets at dim sum. But fermented black beans are remarkably versatile.

Kona on the Big Island is known for its coffee. But almost as impressive is its landscape, which rises from the ocean to more than 6,000 feet high in just a few short miles. The best way to get your arms around both of these attributes at the same time is by taking the Kona Coffee & Craters tour offered by Hawaii Forests and Trails. Start by piling into the back of an open-sided Pinzgauer all-wheel-drive touring vehicle and bouncing through what seems like every one of the island's climate zones from rain forest to alpine peak in the short 45-minute drive up the side of the mountain Hualalai volcano.

Sea bean salad Total time: 15 minutes Servings: 2 Note: Adapted from Joan's on Third. Sea beans may be available at select Asian markets as well as online at earthy.com and marxfoods.com ; you can also contact your local produce manager to see if the market might order them for you. If you cannot locate sea beans, an equal amount of snow peas or pea shoots can be substituted. 1/2 pound sea beans 3/4 pound yellow wax beans 1/2 pound shelled edamame beans (about 2 cups)

COMEDY Corporate alt-rock titans KROQ make their annual leap into comedy with Kevin & Bean's April Foolishness. Hosted by the station's morning show merry pranksters, the show features a U.K.-leaning bent with comics Tim Minchin and Eddie Izzard as well as appearances by Bob Saget, Jay Mohr and, somewhat inexplicably, Larry King. Ticket proceeds benefit the Wounded Warrior Project. Gibson Amphitheatre, 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City. 8:15 p.m. Sat. $29.75-$103.75. http://www.livenation.com .

When roasted at 475 degrees, coffee beans are sometimes described as rich and full-bodied. But for the full-bodied person who is not so rich, unroasted coffee beans - green as the day they were picked - may hold the key to cheap and effective weight loss, new research suggests. In a study presented Tuesday at the American Chemical Society's spring national meeting in San Diego, 16 overweight young adults took, by turns, a low dose of green coffee bean extract, a high dose of the supplement, and a placebo.

The recipe from El Pollo Loco for pinto beans ("Culinary SOS," April 13) must be incorrect. There is no way that five serrano chiles could be used with the amount of beans required. Further, the amount of sodium given as contained per portion must come from some other ingredient, even allowing for canned drained beans. The result was totally inedible because it was so hot , without any tasty flavor! Please send correction, or date of Times SOS carrying correction.

Directed by Jennifer Warren and scripted by Bill Phillips, the film works up a woodsy Romeo and Juliet-style atmosphere. Earlene Pomerleau (Martha Plimpton) lives with her family next door to the rowdy Beans, a clan of shaggy varmints and ne'er-do-wells including patriarch Reuben (Rutger Hauer, pictured) and his mate, Roberta (Kelly Lynch, pictured), and Beal (Patrick McGaw), who likes to chop wood with his shirt off (KCET Friday at 11 p.m.).

Donut, Eclair, Froyo, Gingerbread, Honeycomb, Ice Cream Sandwich and next -- Jelly Bean? According to a report, Benson Lin, an Asus executive overseeing mobile device, has let it slip that the next version of Google's Android operating system will be called Android Jelly Bean. "Asus is very close to Google, so once they have Android 5.0 I think there will be a high possibility that we will be the first wave to offer the Jelly Bean update," Lin told the website TechRadar in a Friday report.

Presidents Day 2012 is a day to officially remember our first president , George Washington - cherry tree lore and all. But while we're at it, let's take a look at the lore of a few other American leaders. There's plenty to be found. President Reagan will always be remembered for reaching   an arms-reduction treaty with the Soviet Union and for helping to make it possible for Mikhail Gorbachev to begin restructuring Soviet society. But his unintentionally funny lines are also memorable.