I make a thick bean soup and I make red beans and rice. Typically, I use a canned creamed red bean from the south to attain the desired consistency for my red beans and rice, but I have previously experimented with dry beans for a fresher, cleaner flavor. This week I realized that my thick bean soup (using dry pinto beans) is the consistency I want for my red beans and rice. So I melded the two recipes together, (also borrowing from one or two others), to create the desired consistency and flavor, and at the same time come away with two distinctive dishes. I also realized as I was cooking that this method of writing the recipe and prepping, flavoring, mixing and cooking the food was similar to how our nation is governed. There are some underlying commonalities in the base foods and spices but by varying techniques, additions and flavors the result is two recognizably different dishes. Both outcomes utilize the ingredients and instructions in white. To make Thick Bean Soup follow the recipe in white and blue; ignore the red. To make Red Beans and Rice follow the recipe in white and red; ignore the blue. Below the actual recipe, I have rewritten it as it appears (to me) to apply to our elected representatives in Washington. Ingredients and instructions are changed according to my interpretation of politicians (in white), republicans (in red) and democrats (in blue). Proportions remain the same in both versions.

Thick Bean Soup or Red Beans and Rice:

1. ½ lb. dry pinto beans, soaked overnight.
2. 1 lb. dry red kidney beans, soaked overnight.
3. Olive oil.
4. 1 cup onion, diced.
5. 3 stalks celery, diced.
6. 2 cups vegetable broth + 3 cups water.
7. 3 cups vegetable broth + 6 cups water.
8. 1 can pinto beans, rinsed, drained and mashed.
9. 2 (large) medium russet potatoes, diced.
10. ¾ tsp garlic powder.
11. ½ tsp oregano.
12. ½ tsp thyme.
13. ½ tsp cayenne pepper.
14. ½ tsp cumin.
15. ¾ tsp smoked paprika.
16. 1 ½ tsp sea salt.
17. ¼ tsp black pepper.

Sauté onion and celery in olive oil. Add liquid and dry soaked (rinsed) beans. Add spices. Simmer for 10 minutes. Separate contents into two pots; one (with more liquid) for the red beans, and one for the pinto beans. Add respective (rinsed) beans to their pots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 – 3 hours. Add potatoes. Simmer until potatoes are almost done. Add mashed beans to desired heat and consistency. Remove from heat. Pull approximately one-half of liquid from pinto bean pot and add it to red bean pot. Using immersible blender, puree pinto bean pot contents. Using slotted spoon, add red bean pot contents to pinto bean pot. Add red bean pot broth as necessary for desired consistency; (thick but still pourable). Let cool, then set aside and/or refrigerate while preparing the rice below.

• 1 cup dry rice.
• 3 cups water.

Parboil rice in water above, then drain and Rinse and finish rice prep in 9 x 13 casserole dish as directed below.

• ½ stick butter.
• 2 cups water.
• ¾ cup vegetable broth.
• Parboiled rice.
• 6 to 8 cups bean mix from above.

Plop red beans on top of liquid, covering the top; beans may settle into liquid. Do not stir; gently smooth with spoon or spatula if necessary. Cover and bake at 375 for 40-60 minutes or until liquid is absorbed by rice. Note: As a leftover you will find the beans likely drier and somewhat clumpy, though the rice should have maintained integrity and plumpness. It is recommended to add an appropriate amount of vegetable broth to restore desired consistency before reheating.

Densely Blended Soup Pot or Red Blooded Americans and Rich White Men:

1. ½ lb. dry consumers, soaked overnight.
2. 1 lb. dry red-blooded American consumers / constituents, soaked overnight.
3. Rhetoric.
4. 1 cup indignity, diced and widely distributed.
5. 3 stalks humiliation, diced and widely distributed.
6. 2 cups Market Value + 3 cups Capitalism.
7. 3 cups Market Value + 6 cups Capitalism.
8. 1 can consumers, rinsed, educated and indoctrinated.
9. 2 (large) medium gaps (wealth and power), widened, diced and largely ignored.
10. ¾ tsp welfare state.
11. ½ tsp credentialism.
12. ½ tsp nationalism.
13. ½ tsp fundamentalism.
14. ½ tsp distributive justice.
15. ¾ tsp explicit bias.
16. 1 ½ tsp implicit bias.
17. ¼ tsp opportunity and mobility.

Sauté indignity and humiliation in rhetoric to enhance palatability. Add Capitalism and Market Value and soaked consumers. Add spices (10 thru 17) for flavor according to your recipe. Simmer for effect. Segregate contents into two pots; one (with more Market Value and Capitalism) for the red-blooded Americans, and one for the remaining consumers. Add respective (rinsed) consumers to their pots. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 4 – 6 years. Add wealth and power gaps. Simmer until gaps are absorbed and accepted. Before adding educated, indoctrinated consumers, mash with bureaucracy. Once mashed, add educated, indoctrinated consumers to attain desired heat and consistency. Remove from heat. Pull approximately one-half of Capitalism and Market Value from standard consumer pot and add it to the American consumer pot. Using immersible bureaucracy, puree standard consumer pot contents. Using slotted spoon, add American consumer pot contents to standard consumer pot. Add American consumer pot Capitalism and Market Value as necessary for desired consistency; (thick but still pourable). Let cool, then chill while reinforcing existing wealth and power gaps with the ingredients and methods below.

• 1 cup long grain enriched super fancy white men from the wealthy side of the gap.
• 3 cups Capitalism.

Plump, Praise, and Shower enriched white men above in Capitalism to ensure individual integrity and separation from consumers, then finish recipe as instructed below.

• ½ stick racism.
• 2 cups Capitalism.
• ¾ cup Market Value.
• Plumped enriched white men.
• 6 to 8 cups consumer mix from above.

Plop consumer mix on top of Capitalism and Market Value. Depending on the consistency and degree of bureaucracy some consumers may settle down into the Capitalism and Market Value surrounding the wealthy. This is okay but do not mix or stir; gently smooth the top with spoon or spatula if necessary for amenability. Cover and bake at 375 for an additional 4 – 6 years or until all the Capitalism and Market Value is absorbed by the enriched white men. Note: As time goes by you will find the consumers have likely become drier and somewhat clumpy, though the rice should have maintained integrity and plumpness. It is recommended to add an appropriate amount of Market Value before reheating to restore desired consistency and maintain status quo.

And there you have it.