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Updated: Oct 31, 2018 101 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Cutout Leather Point-Toe Pumps

Coffee Break

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Armani Cutout Leather PumpHeLLO, gorgeous. I love, love, love this shoe. The suede! The patent! The geometric little cutout detail! That sleek heel! At 85mm, it's on the higher side (just over 3″) but not by much. They're $750 at Saks. Giorgio Armani Cutout Leather Point-Toe Pumps Here are two more affordable styles. (L-4)

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Comments

  1. Veronica Mars

    I need gift ideas, stat. I’m completely stumped. What would you get a twenty-something cousin for her birthday but the following things are off the table: edibles, alcohol and gift cards. I don’t know her too well so it’s challenging to think of what to get her. I know she’s pretty artsy, has an etsy jewelry store, and likes cats (although her cat just died so I don’t really think I should get her any cat things out of respect). $20-$30 budget and it’s a family event so I can’t not go or not get her something.

      • Emmer

        (specifically, I might do Bossypants by Tina Fey and/or Yes Please by Amy Poehler. Both should be appealing to a wide range of 20-somethings.)

        • lawsuited

          Or Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me by Mindy Kaling. I laughed out loud so often while I was reading that book and was really sad when I ran out of chapters.

      • TO Lawyer

        I like these ideas! I would also add Mindy Kaling’s books to this.

        If she’s artsy, maybe an art-type book? A friend bought me a book about fashion and history and feminism for my birthday and it’s absolutely fantastic so I would suggest maybe the artsy equivalent of that?

        • Veronica Mars

          That’s a great idea! I’ll look and see if anything catches my eye on Amazon.

        • NYNY

          I love the book “Show Your Work” by Austin Kleon for young creative types. I would get a copy of that plus a nice notebook.

    • CHJ

      Last year, my cousin-in-law (who doesn’t know me at all) got me a pair of lovely wool gloves for Christmas. I wore them all winter and always thought about what nice taste she has when I wore them. It’s pretty generic and not personal, but it worked.

      • KittyKat

        Seriously 100% wool scarf/gloves are my go to. Especially in the winter it’s a timeless gift and very much appreciated by someone who probably wears acrylic.

        • Meg Murry

          Or a decorative scarf. Maybe something handmade/made by a local artisan? I feel like this might be appreciated by someone with an Etsy shop.

          Alternately, if you go to her Etsy store, you can go to “about the owner” and see if she has favorited anything there – maybe you can find something there in your price range.

          Or along the same lines, you can see if she has a pinterest account, and if there is anything she has pinned you could get her, or see if she has a publicly viewable Amazon wish list – https://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/search.html

          • Maddie Ross

            See, I disagree with the decorative scarf route. I just recently was gifted such a scarf and it’s not my style. I think you’re better off with something a bit more generic unless you know her style. There can be such a large variation.

          • lawsuited

            +1 I would not thank you for a decorative scarf from Etsy or a local artisan (I mean, I would thank you, but I would not enjoy the gift). If gifting scarfs I generally stick to a good quality wool, cashmere or silk scarf in a neutral colour or bolder colour that goes well with the giftee’s colouring so that they’re likely to get at least some use out of it even if their personal style is not the same as mine.

          • Anonny

            +100 neutral always as a gift unless it’s explicitly pointed out as being on one’s wish list

      • Veronica Mars

        That’s another wonderful idea, thank you! I know she’d like a nice colorful scarf and some good gloves. Now I’ll have to think where I could find them.

    • NYC tech

      Value set from Sephora (you can search by $25 or under). I always give this type of sampler set when I don’t know someone too well. Nail polish, perfume, hand cream, face masks, tinted lip balms, etc. They’re nicely packaged and so look like a gift, most people can find something they like in the set, and if not then they’re easy to re-gift.

      • Veronica Mars

        I did this last year and I think it went over okay, but I don’t think she’s a big beauty person. Which is crazy, because you’re right those sets are so fun and personally would love to get one as a gift.

    • Anona

      Fun things from the Anthropologie housewares/kitchen section, interesting makeup – maybe Korean brands like TonyMoly, a pretty scarf, spices from Penzey’s, things from King Arthur, a pretty cookbook like Plenty or The Forest Feast

      • New Anon

        Second this. I once combined two of these suggestions and gave some fancy china measuring spoons from Anthropologie along with a favorite cookbook. Extra points if you can tailor the cookbook somehow (I went with a Moosewood book for a vegetarian recipient who I knew didn’t yet own any Moosewoods).

  3. Chicago Visitor

    Hello hive! I am hoping for some help from the Chicago ladies here. I will be headed to your city for 10 days to attend two conferences, and in that time I will have 4 days completely free. I haven’t spent much time in Chicago, and am looking forward to the chance to explore without too many work obligations.

    I would love some recommendations for non-touristy places to check out (other than bars – I am newly sober and am trying to avoid those) – particularly I would love some spots to get coffee/tea (if they have wireless and are cozy to spend a few hours, that would be a bonus as I am a writer and would love to get some writing time in) and yoga or spin studios to visit.

    My hotel is in the Loop, but I am open to exploring anywhere I can get to using public transportation.

    Thank you in advance!

    • Shayla

      Coffee: La Colombe! Several locations so you could stop in after exploring a neighborhood. (wifi to work)
      Sweets: Sweet mandy b’s cupcakes (no clue regarding wifi, but so very yummy)
      Sandwiches: Jerry’s Sandwiches (delicious and I believe you could write here)

      Visit Millenium Park and the Maggie Daley kid’s park for good people watching :-)

      Welcome and good luck!

      • chicinchicago

        Re: coffee shops – I second the recommendation for Dollop (best latte in the city). Multiple locations, but if you need space, the best one would be in Streeterville on Ohio St.

        Re: tea – Argo Tea is a local chain, but the best location by far is the greenhouse-like atmosphere on Wabash and Chestnut.

        A great lunch place is the cafe in the Modern Contemporary Art museum, which I believe is still free to visit on Tuesdays. Great giftshop to browse through there as well.

    • espresso bean

      As you can probably tell by my username, I am a big cafe/coffee fan! A few recs:

      203 at the Virgin Hotel (you can also get wine and pastries)
      Intelligentsia
      Dollop
      Julius Meinl
      Floriole (this is one of my favorites! It’s in Lincoln Park, so take a cab or the brown line to Armitage and walk. Best croissants in the city. It’s actually next door to Sweet Mandy B’s, Shayla’s rec above)
      Elaine’s Coffee Call is in a really cute hotel in Lincoln Park with a lake view — go up to the J. Parker bar for the rooftop views!
      Little Goat Bread has interesting breads and goat’s milk lattes.

      For lunches in the Loop/River North/Gold Coast (a few may require a quick cab ride):
      Beatrix
      XOCO
      Toni Patisserie

      For pastries:
      Hendrickx Belgian Bread Crafter

      Have fun!

    • Anonymous

      Great little coffee place with wifi and sandwiches is Hero Coffee – they have two locations but one is South Loop so should be walkable from your hotel.

      Bring all levels of coats, we’ve had temps from 39-79 within the past week pretty much.

      Non touristy museum (as long as you’re not an easily grossed out person…) the International Museum of Surgical Science is SO GOOD.

      If the weather is nice, get up to Cindy’s at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel – it’s a bar/restaurant with good food and the best view of the park.

    • Chicagoan

      When?

      I second the above recommendations and will also add of places to go/see: Art Institute, MCA, Field Museum, Planetarium, Aquarium, Sears Tower (signature room at the Hancock is also beautiful),

      At night why not listen to some live music (take your pick- we specialize in jazz and blues but of course have the symphony, the opera, touring bands (HOB), dueling pianos, and then country music) or a comedy/improv show, or there is a great theater district here as well as a wonderful ballet. There will be alcohol at some of these, but it won’t be the main focus as though you were at a bar. (Congrats on being sober!) Oh, Zoo Lights!

      Restaurants – hard to choose – but: Big Star, Au Cheval, Girl and Goat (or Little Goat), Dusek’s, Topolobampo, Grace, Bristol, The Dawson, The Gage, EL ideas, Alinea (if you can get a reservation, don’t know when your trip is), not to mention take your pick of steakhouses and pizza!

      Chicago has familiar studios: Soul Cycle, Barre Code, Dailey Method, Core Power (if you are coming soon, I think you missed the fantastic outdoor yoga in Millennium park and in Lincoln Park), Orangetheory, etc. A fun thing might be to do a morning class in a neighborhood (Bucktown, Lincoln Park, Logan Square, DePaul/Armitage, Southport Corridor), and then explore the neighborhood for some brunch or cafe spots for a few more hours in the day).

      Welcome! Hope you have a great time!

    • ChiLaw

      Yay! Chicago is great and I hope you have a ton of fun exploring!

      Here’s my pitch: you can spend a lot of a day wandering Andersonville (my former neighborhood). To get there you would take the Red Line up from the Loop to Argyle or so and walk over to Clark to explore. There’s a gym called Cheetah on Clark that might have classes up your alley, and there’s a yoga studio on Bryn Mawr and Broadway that’s nice. Hopleaf is a Belgian restaurant/bar with great food, mussels and frites (but I would sit in the restaurant section in the back, not the bar). I like Acre for cheap oysters, or Ombra for small plates to share with friends. If you want a (not-cheap) treat, take yourself for sushi at Tanoshii and sit at the bar and eat whatever Sushi Mike gives you. There’s a hotdog place run by former employees of Hot Dougs (it’s called Hot G Dog) if fancy-pants hotdogs strike your fancy. Walking up and down Clark there are tons of cute independent shops — toys, books, antiques, shoes, clothes, home goods. The Swedish Bakery isn’t a place you really hang out, but it is worth stopping in for the surprisingly cheap baked goods. The Chicago Grind (on Broadway at Berwyn) has my favorite iced coffee in the city, and free wifi, so lots of people on their laptops. Lovely, Too, on Bryn Mawr at Broadway also has wifi and great hot coffee and all kinds of baked treats. Generally, walking up Clark from say Argyle to Hollywood, is a super fun way to spend half the day. And if the weather is nice, you can walk east a few blocks and you’ll be at the lake! There’s a nice park there for running or for sitting on a bench and contemplating.

    • Chiago Visistor

      Thank you everyone! This is exactly what I needed! I arrive next Wednesday and am there through the 13th. I will be sure to report back on my adventures!

  4. Scandia

    I saw pictures of somebody wearing a “add a bead” gold necklaces. It might be really 1980, but I would like one. I looked at ebay and only found some very expensive. What would you do?

    Thanks!

  5. Gwynnie Bee

    As anyone tried the service? I’m looking to expand my wardrobe with smart pieces. Namely, I feel like I don’t “dress like an adult” well at work, and want to up my game a bit. But I keep seeing this service advertised and want to try it out. (And yes, I’m checking Talbots :)

    • Anon8

      Haven’t tried it myself, but Wardrobe Oxygen has done some reviews and featured outfits.

    • Catters

      I tried it for a while and wasn’t super impressed. I felt like most of the pieces were pretty low qualify – a lot of shiny polyester – and it wasn’t easy to tell from the website what was what. Also, they might have worked out the kinks by now but when I did it a year or so ago, it would sometimes take them a lot longer to ship out an item than, say, Netflix used to back in the day.

      Also, and I wouldn’t have thought of this, it led to a weird number of awkward moments at work where people would comment on how much I must be shopping to have all sorts of new things. Maybe your coworkers have better boundaries than mine though.

      That said, they have a lot of deals like “first month free” so I think trying it would make a lot of sense.

      • AttiredAttorney

        I used it for one month for a free trial. Lots of polyester, lots of “going out” clothes, not a lot of work appropriate. I didn’t like that you couldn’t prioritize when items would come. Overall, it wasn’t worth buying for me.

    • Anon

      I signed up but cancelled because they don’t send a shipment out until you have 25 or 35 items in your closet, and I just could not find enough work appropriate items. My casual wardrobe did not really need replenishing. I think their first month is free, so give it a try! It was a bit of a slog to look through everything to fill the closer, and my other concern was that for the monthly fee, I could buy one or two items on my own, which would be better than getting a few from them and returning them every month. YMMV.

    • KT

      I have Gwynniee Bee and love it. I do the two item at a time plan, . I usually wear an item once and send it back, and I get about 8 items a month.

      They do send them out if you have less than 25–I have about 15 and none of my shipments have been delayed. They encourage you to have more, but you can have less.

      I like it–it keeps me feeling like I always have something new without shopping constantly (and at $40 a month for 8 items, way more items than I could afford to buy each month!) and I can try out bold colors and prints I would never buy if I had to wear it repeatedly.

    • Tried it in the spring

      Stopped after the trial period because they had nothing I could actually wear to work.

  6. Houston Recs

    I tried searching the site to no avail – is anyone familiar with Houston who can recommend some great options for dinner somewhere along the Metro Rail line? I’m working here for a little while and the options so far have been fairly lackluster… perhaps I am just not finding the right spots! We have two vegetarians in our group, so if anyone could recommend a veggie-friendly place to eat it would be very appreciated.

    • Anon

      Could you use uber in order to expand beyond the rail line? Houston’s rail isn’t the greatest and doesn’t get you into the best eating areas in the city.

      Also, any cuisine preferences other than wanting vegetarian options?

      • Anona

        Sure, anywhere that is easy to get to via uber is great. I’m not familiar with the city at all and am willing to make the trip to a good spot.

        • Anon

          My favorite upscale Tex-Mex restaurant is Hugo’s on Westheimer. For more typical Tex-Mex fare, Guadalajaras is good (lots of locations – including one downtown in Greenstreet which isn’t far from the rail) as is El Tiempo. Tex Mex is not super vegetarian friendly, but you could check out the menus before you go for what the vegetarian options are because they usually have at least some avaialble (and always ask about the bean salsas – they may have bacon in them).

          Other ideas for nice meals: Uchi, Mark’s American Cuisine (I’d get steak but I know they have other options), Table, Brasserie 19 (for some of the best people-watching in the city), Churascos/Americas

          I also like Hearsay & Batanga in Market Square (which is rail-accessible-ish).

          For a casual meal, definitely go to Barnabys (also lots of locations – and $10 bottle of house wine), Torchy’s Tacos, or Black Walnut Café (also multiple locations).

          If you are staying/working near the med center, Rice Village is a good place to check out with a wide variety of places to eat. Also, all of the “Pappas” family of restaurants (just search Pappas Houston) are good.

    • Anonymous

      Natchees & Tacos-A-Go-Go are great options. (Ensemble Stop)
      Also a huge fan of Nikos Nikos or Barnabys (Market Square closer to the north side of downtown, but open weird hours during the week)
      I’d suggest checking out Yelp and do a limiting map.

    • Anonymous

      There is a Barnaby’s close to the rail line in the Museum district, their veggie burgers are seriously the best thing I have ever had there. I second Mai’s and also add in Le Grivals which you could walk to from the line.

    • Cora

      Two veggie-friendly places that I love are Pondicheri and the Queen Vic. You would have to Uber.

    • N.C. anon

      This sounds like a mouthful and I hate that there’s not a simpler way to order it, but: grande half-caff two-pump white chocolate, two-pump raspberry (or hazelnut) mocha. Way too sweet with full servings of chocolate or syrup. (I also get a two-pump white chocolate mocha when ordering without syrup.)

      • heatherskib

        Oh sorry, and for why: Because COFFEE and TEA! and Chai spices, and lots of caffeine and the Skim doesn’t make it a total calorie bomb. The small is too small,and the other one is too big.

        If this is incoherent, it’s because I’ve had 2 today…..

    • JJ

      I also hate the way it sounds when I order this (so complicated and stereotypical), but I don’t hate it enough to stop:

      Quad, venti, non-fat vanilla latte.

      And when it’s winter: a triple grande non-fat peppermint mocha latte.

        • Shayla

          My original comment was deleted because of a swear word in the url :-/ so my response that added another reason “why” I drink a Pumpkin Flat White ended up here.

          My drink is a pumpkin flat white, and the reason “why”–information requested by the OP–is that it’s gourd season. McSweeney’s is an awesome website with a collection of essays/articles/what-nots. I’d hate to think my link to the ever-famous, hilarious, and timeless read, “It’s decorative gourd season, M*F*ers,” was deleted simply because of the swear. Clutch your pearls you over achieving chicks! That article has copious amounts of swears, but it is amazing–please go read it if you, like myself, LOVE, gourd season.

    • KinCA

      Fall/winter – skinny vanilla latte.
      Spring/summer – cold brew or iced coffee.

  8. favorite Starbucks drink?

    What’s your favorite and why? I want something new to perk up (pun intended) my afternoon coffee break.

    • Cat

      Nonfat chai latte. Perfect mix of creamy and spicy-sweet, without coffee jitters.

      • Chai lover

        Starbucks chai probably has about 30 grams of sugar, FYI. It’s delicious but super super sweet.

          • First Year Anon

            Good alternative- Chai tea misto- half water, half steamed milk, with chai tea bag. None of the sugar. (similar to a london fog without the vanilla)

          • Meg March

            Yeah, you can go for the chai misto, but the 42 grams of sugar is why the chai latte tastes so good. :)

      • lawsuited

        In the same vein, my favourite is a lactose-free, 2-pump chai latte. Before I had to switch to lactose-free I drank non-fat, half-sweet, but the lactose-free strangely makes the drink sweeter so I opt for less syrup now.

        • Cat

          Ooh, I will have to experiment with alternatives like this! I didn’t realize how much sugar it was. Probably why it was so effective as a 4pm pick-me-up! What does “half-sweet” actually do when you order that way?

          • lawsuited

            They just divide the amount of syrup that would usually go into the drink in half.

    • Anonymous

      Soy chais are good. Mint majesty tea as I don’t drink caffeine in the afternoon. For the summer I like the iced passionfruit tea lemonade. The Greentea frappaccinos with nonfat milk and no whip are good (I actually made the barista pull out a nutritional facts menu–during a non-busy period– so I could get the calories down on this one).

  10. Senior

    If I have a phone interview with the US branch of a large international company tomorrow, and a previously scheduled phone interview with the European office next week, should I tell the US recruiter about the Europe interview?

    I applied to both online so perhaps the system isn’t centralized.

    • Bingo

      Are these two different positions? If they are two completely different positions in different offices, then I think you’re basically applying for two completely different jobs, and you don’t need to volunteer that. I suppose you can if you want, but I don’t think it’s particularly relevant. If you applied to the same job through two different sites (US and international), then I’d mention it.

      • Senior

        Okay. I’m an American student and these jobs are 2 different jobs at the same company in different countries. I wont mention anything unless they ask.

  11. A

    I’m getting a little fed up with one of my coworkers, who has a history of talking down to me, micromanaging my work, and asking me to do her administrative tasks. I’ve spoken to my manager about this a few times in our 1:1’s, and we think we’ve solved the issue of her asking me to do her admin stuff, but today she was seriously condescending and it drove me bonkers.

    My manager has told me that this is because she was a lawyer before she came to work for us, and she’s used to delegating work to a paralegal, so in her mind that’s basically what I am to her, or at least that’s how her brain defaults when she’s stressed out. But I’m not! I am here to do work which helps her out as well as others, but I’m in no way her helper, I’m not a secretary or an admin, never mind her personal admin, or an intern, or a paralegal. It’s true she has a senior title and I don’t, but I still wish she’d talk to me like a reasonably intelligent colleague who knows how to do her job.

    And . . . do lawyers talk down to paralegals? I’d like to think they’re also treated with respect even though they work in a support capacity.

    • Anon

      Some lawyers talk down to paralegals. However, there’s really no need to be condescending to colleagues under any circumstances, no matter what the title or level difference. I am a little outspoken, but I would definitely say, “Jane, please don’t speak to me that way” the next time that she’s awful to you.

      And then separately, schedule a meeting with her about your working relationship. It doesn’t matter that she has a senior title. Your manager should be teaching this woman how to appropriately act in YOUR office culture. If your manager isn’t doing it, you should take this woman aside and say, “I really work better with people when we communicate as a team, with kindness.” Then see what she says. I find that half the time office bullies will stop if they are called out.

      If she continues to be awful to you after that, then I’d go back to the manager.

    • mascot

      So is she a supervisor/higher on the chain of command? Or do she just have a different title?
      Maybe this co-worker is a just a terrible manager. Or maybe she still feels some of the stress/habits from her former career. Law firms are pretty hierarchal places. The lawyers are the ones who can actually practice law so they have the final say and the ultimate final responsibility for whatever goes out the door. Sometimes that means that it is senior partner, sometimes that means it is the associate (depends on the project). If the paralegal screws up, they may lose their job. If the lawyer screws up, they may lose their job, get sued for malpractice, and/or lose your license to make a living. It’s a different pressure. Certainly the intent isn’t to be condescending to any of your supports, but sometimes you just have to make a decision and go with it.

      • Anonymous

        definitely not a supervisor, she has no authority over me. just a different title.

    • Anonymous

      Sorry you have to deal with this. As I see it, you have a few options:
      1. Do nothing but take deep breaths and accept her as a thorn in your side.
      2. Give her the benefit of the doubt that she doesn’t know she comes across like this. Address her directly but in a nonconfrontational manner next time she does it. For example, when she asks you to do something in a condescending tone, say something like, “I’m more than happy to do X, Y, Z, but I would appreciate if you would talk to me in a more respectful tone.” Don’t make it personal/atacking, keep it light, and maybe walk away so the conversation is over or make a joke about it so that she knows you’re not making a huge deal out of it.
      3. Talk to your manager about it. But I’d try #2 first. If she doesn’t even know she’s doing it, she might lose a little respect for you if you go straight to your manager instead of trying to deal with her first.

      Lots of lawyers are a** holes. Not all, but lots. A lot of it is we are under tremendous pressure and we take it out on people/don’t even realize we are doing it. A lot of it is over bloated ego. Whatever it is, it’s no excuse. Gotta treat people with respect.

    • AnonForThis

      Of the tens of lawyers I know, I only know one nice one. Just one of like 50+. I think law just attracts those types. My one nice lawyer friend works in medical malpractice and he tells me horror stories of other lawyers talking down to the doctor’s they hire as consultants, treating someone with a doctorate like a subordinate. It absolutely baffles me.

      • Anonymous

        Oof. My siblings and one in-law (and subsequently all their friends) are lawyers and comments like this bother me. Not all lawyers are mean or horrible people, and they’re definitely not ambulance chasers looking for a buck. It’s like the general population. Some people suck to work with, some don’t. Chalking it up to “she was a lawyer” is incorrect. Most of are under-paid and over-worked and helping out actual people. Maybe you just run in a circle of mean people?

      • Bewitched

        Yes, we are all a$$holes. I’m surprised it’s taken so long for the world to figure that out. Sarcasm, obviously. If you know 50+ lawyers and you only like one of them, you are hanging around with the wrong people.

  12. Bargain hunter

    Does anyone know what happened to the J.Crew schoolboy blazer? Any good alternatives? Thanks.

  13. Veg help?

    All the posts about vegetarianism and reducing meat content made me want to make more meals out of dried beans, which is a long standing tradition in my family (mainly due to the influence of my southern dad.) Very typical meals of my childhood would be black eyed peas with salt pork, served with cornbread, or stewed limas with ham hock, served with toast.

    All of the preparations i use for cooking dried beans involve meat, and probably the worst kind of “processed” meat. Even pinto beans for chili I make with beef soup bones.

    The handful of times I’ve made bean stew without meat I’ve found them rather flavorless. The meat adds salty/fatty/smoky flavors I miss when I skip them. I generally use onions, garlic and bay leaves as the beans are softening and add the seasonings like salt and spices at the end.

    So vegetarians, what do you add to your beans to give them more flavor?

    • KittyKat

      Smoked paprika and roasted garlic in everything my ‘base’ so to speak. Then depending if its more of a Mediterranean dish oregano or for something Lebanese tumeric, cumin and curry or Mexican cumin and chipotle.

      • NYNY

        This! Whenever I make split pea soup for vegetarians, I replace the ham with chipotles in adobo for spice and smoke.

        Also, lentils with red wine and tomato paste, especially the concentrated kind in a tube, are awesome, especially with wintery herbs like rosemary and bay leaves.

    • August

      I discovered a recipe few weeks back which serves as a base to many different beans as well as eggs:

      Take some oil in a pan, heat the oil, add cumin, chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, turmeric, red chili powder (not paprika, hot chili powder) , salt and cook till ginger and garlic doesn’t smell any more. Add tomatoes (I like canned fire roasted tomatoes for this recipe) and cook till oil separates from the dish. Blend the mixture (I use a hand blender). Add any kind of boiled beans or eggs or potatoes and simmer for a bit.

      • August

        Oh wait..I forgot few things. Along with cumin, I add whole cardamon, clove, cinnamon, star anise before adding onion. I also add a pinch of garam masala along with turmeric and hot chili powder.

    • Lorelai Gilmore

      I’ve actually been thinking a lot about this. My sense is that if you are going to use bacon, sausage, or other processed meats, then using them in beans is just about the perfect choice. You get a ton of flavor with not much meat. And I think that using beef bones for broth is fine. The articles I read suggested that the issue with red meat is about cooking methods – namely grilling or panfrying at high heat. There’s no evidence right now that boiling or broiling (or, I suppose, roasting?) meat has the same carcinogenic effect.

      If you want to ditch the bacon, you might try liquid smoke. I bet it would help with flavor.

    • Gail the Goldfish

      Black-eyed peas with collard greens. Which is admittedly very southern, but you can do it without ham/bacon. I don’t have a specific recipe, but I do have a collards suggestions–KW Collards sells jars of a pre-cooked vegetarian collard green that is delicious. I don’t even usually like collards, but I’ll eat these. I get them at Whole Foods, but they’re a NC product so I’m not sure if they’re only in local Whole Foods, but if you can’t find them, you can order them online.

    • bridget

      For beans: a LOT of spices, often cooked in their own pan to really bring out the flavour.

      For other dishes: mushrooms, wine, soy sauce, and balsamic. It has the richness of a meat dish. Also use mushrooms for gravy.

    • NOLA

      Curried lentils are my favorite. I use the Jane Brody Good Food Book recipe. I also have a recipe for vegetarian chili where they use sundried tomatoes to pump up the texture and flavor.

    • Ems

      I don’t think that beef bones is what the report was probably getting at (although, full disclosure, i did not read it), i think they said processed meat… so it’s probably the chemicals added to meat, not the actual bones, etc.

    • desi lawyer

      indian food looks a lot of lentils and legumes without meat.
      Most of the indian preparations involve cooking down onions, garlic and ginger (aromatics), adding tomato paste/tomatoes and adding a lot of spices (initially) to cook and mellow over a long period of time.

      I think that the same methods can be used for chilis and other cooked bean dishes, but the flavor is gonna need to be upped considerably and the spices (amount, not heat) will have to go beyond what you are used to.

      Indian as apple pie blog is a good place to start.

  14. Olya

    Hi everyone! Trying again from a weekend thread. I’m in NYC for work Nov 12-15, anyone interested in a mini meet up?

    • Jules (a different one)

      Hi Olya ~

      I’m not in New York but noticed your weekend post and this one, which was put up after work hours, which for some odd reason is when all of the hard-working women here read and post. Re-post early in the day US Eastern time and you’ll get responses, I’m sure.

      And enjoy NYC!

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