This post ain't worth a hill of beans

Years ago--well, two decades ago--I was preparing for an European vacation that included a few days in Italy.

The web was in its infancy; there was nothing much in the web for Alta Vista, the search engine of those days, to tell me anything meaningful.  So, I read and re-read the Fodor's travel guidebook for Italy.

I was fascinated with the travel-book talking up Pasta e fagioli.  Pasta and beans?

Beans in Italy?

I checked with an office colleague, Joe, whose mother was from Italy.  From his stories about his mother, I knew that Joe would have the answer.

Joe confirmed the idea of pasta and beans, and said there are many variations according to one's tastes.  And he pointed out to me that it is a part of Dean Martin's song too!

Every single day is a learning experience!

So, of course, when in Italy, I had pasta e fagioli, in a town near Florence.

Up until then, I hadn't associated Europe with beans.  I had always been under the impression that beans were, well, warm country foods.  All kinds of beans in India.  The beans that my Nigerian friend made.  Beans that I had in Venezuela.  And now beans in Italy, too.  Who woulda thunk that!

A few years ago, here in Oregon, for a potluck gathering I made my version of வேர்க்கடலை சுண்டல் (verkadalai chundal) from the old country life.

I was away from the table when I heard a couple of people asking each other whether they tasted the bean dish.  Their comments conveyed that they were confused about the dish that looked like beans but tasted like peanuts.

Finally, one asked aloud who made the bean dish.

I explained.  They were peanuts, I told them.

"Peanuts"?

I explained to the gathering that peanuts are nothing but legumes, and that you can boil them just like you boil any beans.

"Boil them?"

Like I said, every single day is a learning experience!