Some cooking mistakes can be hidden by a simple name change, the idea being that if you present something confidently enough (and it doesn’t taste bad), your guests will be none the wiser. Did the toast get a bit darker than intended? Call it bruschetta! Did the custard not set? Call it crème anglaise!
This technique might also require a change in serving vessel or style, as in the classic example of a trifle. When your cake doesn’t rise enough, you cut it into cubes, and layer it with whipped cream and fruit in a glass bowl that shows off all its beauty.
Here’s one I’ve used more than once: If your veggie burgers turn out too soft, skip the buns, serve them on plates with a sauce and maybe a salad, and unapologetically call them bean cakes. That way, you avoid the dreaded smoosh effect that can come from compressing them between bread.
All this ran through my head when I tried a recipe from Marisa Moore’s new book, “The Plant Love Kitchen.” Her Pinto Bean Cakes are so simple to make. You just mash up the cooked or canned beans with onion, spices, and a good amount of cornmeal, which helps bind them and also adds a welcome crunch to the exterior when you pan-fry them. I used pinto beans as instructed, but I’m confident that virtually any legume would work.
Now, these are no mistake. Far from it. I have no doubt they are exactly what Moore intended, because they’re delicious, especially when topped with her vibrant avocado salsa. But they also served to remind me that so much of cooking (and eating) is about expectation and its fulfillment — or lack thereof. In other words, if these had been sandwiched between buns and called veggie burgers, I would’ve been disappointed. Instead, I appreciated every tender bite.
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