Julia Child was a regular contributor to Food & Wine for many years. Her November 1997 essay for the magazine is a fascinating window into how the legendary author and TV host celebrated Thanksgiving with her family in the 1910s and 1920s. Enjoy this Julia Child Thanksgiving essay from the Food & Wine archives.
Arthur Rothstein/Retrieved from the Library of Congress
Untitled photo of Colorado farmer and their bean harvest. Part of the Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information Photograph Collection at the Library of Congress.
Fun Colorado fact: Pinto beans have a royal heritage around Cortez, Dove Creek and Dolores.
Ancestral Puebloans grew beans in that area, and ‘modern’ farmers have grown dryland beans in the sandy, loamy, bean-friendly soil there since the 1880s. Since then, Pinto beans have remained a kitchen staple.
The humble beans were so beloved in the 1950s and ‘60s they ascended to nobility. An annual pinto bean recipe contest culminated in the crowning of a Pinto Bean Queen – the local cook who garnered a coveted “Grand Award” for legume creativity.