{"product_id":"marcella","title":"Marcella Bean","description":"\u003ch5\u003eFrom heirloom Italian seed, this thin-skinned cannellini is named after Italian cooking hero, Marcella Hazan, who encouraged our growing it. A delicate tribute to a mighty force of nature. \u003c\/h5\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMarcella beans are grown in California from Italian \u003cem\u003eSorana\u003c\/em\u003e seedstock. \u003cem\u003eSorana\u003c\/em\u003e is a cannellini bean with incredibly thin skin and when cooked properly, an indulgent creamy texture. You can use them in your kitchen as you would any small white, European-style bean, but with an ingredient like this, simple is often better.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Back Story from Steve: \u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eOne day I was checking through our mail orders and I stopped in my tracks. There was an order from someone named Marcella Hazan in Florida. She ordered beans and even my first book, \u003c\/em\u003eHeirloom Beans\u003cem\u003e. It couldn’t be! My mind raced back to the early 1980s in San Francisco in what was possibly the smallest apartment on Nob Hill. I was young, broke and so happy to be living in the city. Every opportunity, I’d push up my Murphy bed into the wall and have dinner parties. My bibles were Diana Kennedy’s \u003c\/em\u003eThe Cuisines of Mexico\u003cem\u003e, Paula Wolfert’s \u003c\/em\u003eCouscous and Other Good Food from Morocco\u003cem\u003e and perhaps the book with the most kitchen splatters was \u003c\/em\u003eEssentials of Classic Italian Cooking\u003cem\u003e by Marcella Hazan. I really think these women taught me to cook more than anyone else.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAfter the order was sent, Marcella and I became online buddies. In addition to food, I also love music and I’m a huge fan of Italian pop music from the 1960s. Marcella indulged me and I think even got a kick out of my obsessions.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAt one point I asked her what beans she missed the most from Italy. I assumed she’d say Lamon, the famous cranberry bean from Veneto, or Zolfino, the delicate, almost gelatinous orbs that come from Tuscany, but she wrote back immediately that she missed Sorana, a cannellini bean I’d never heard of. On a whim, I had the staff go hunting for the seed and through some sleuthing and luck, we found it. I kept Marcella abreast of the growing and she was encouraging. She was really starting to have health issues around this time. I couldn’t wait to send her samples.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSadly, she died right as we were harvesting them. I was heartbroken and the world lost one of its brightest and most intense lights. How great is it to have affected so many people with your work? I can’t imagine. I was pretty upset about this.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eI contacted her husband Victor and told him about the bean and asked what he thought about our marketing it as Marcella, in tribute to her. I knew she was sensitive about lending her name and held my breath. Victor wrote back, “Marcella would get a kick out of your naming the bean after her.” He was encouraging about the project and you can bet the first bag out of the field went straight to him.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eSo we now are happy to present the Marcella bean. I hope you love it as much as we do.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Rancho Gordo","offers":[{"title":"1 Lb Bag","offer_id":13607171096672,"sku":"MARC-1","price":7.5,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0685\/2511\/files\/marcella-bean-878677.jpg?v=1730244322","url":"https:\/\/www.ranchogordo.pro\/products\/marcella","provider":"Rancho Gordo","version":"1.0","type":"link"}