Great ingredients make for great meals. Whenever you can, use the highest quality supplies for your recipes. The flavor difference will always come through in your finished dish.
If there is an ingredient that you are not familiar with, check our Ingredient section. There are pages and pages of information about the ingredients used in my recipes.
Ingredient Information
White Beans
There is no bean that actually carries the name "white bean". When a recipe calls for white beans, it can mean any one of a number of choices of bean.
The most common white bean used are Navy beans. As with almost every bean, Navy beans have other names including Yankee beans, Boston beans, Boston Navy beans, Pea beans and white pearl beans. The French call these haricot blanc beans.
Another white bean choice is the Great Northern bean. These are slightly larger than Navy beans but are similar in taste and texture.
In some specialty shops you will find the French Flageolet beans (they are actually grown in California). These are a light, creamy bean with a fine texture when cooked that is not at all grainy.
There is also the white kidney bean. This is the one that the Italians call cannellini or fazolia. They are somewhat firmer than other white beans and make a great addition to soups.