Ham and Beans — The Birthday Table That Only I Can Set

My sixty-sixth birthday. April twelfth. The first birthday where Marvin is not in the house to say "happy birthday" at breakfast, to give me a card (which he hasn't been able to do for two years anyway, but the possibility was there, the possibility was in the house), to be present for the moment of turning another year older. I drove to Cedarhurst at my usual two o'clock. I brought a piece of honey cake. I sat beside him and said, "It's my birthday, Marv. I'm sixty-six." He looked at me. The look was polite. The look was not recognition. He said, "Happy birthday." The words came from the manners vault, not from the Marvin vault. But the words came. "Happy birthday." He said them. I will take them.

David and the family came for dinner — the birthday dinner, at my table, with all four grandchildren and Jennifer and Rebecca and Thomas and Miriam on the phone from Tel Aviv singing badly, as required. I made my own birthday dinner, as always — nobody else makes the brisket, nobody else is trusted with the brisket, the brisket is mine and the making of it on my birthday is not a burden but a gift I give myself, the gift of standing at my stove in my kitchen in my house and making the food that is my signature and my legacy and my love.

Ethan gave me a book — a real book, a novel, "A Tree Grows in Brooklyn" by Betty Smith, which he found in a used bookstore with David and which he chose himself. I said, "Ethan, this is one of my favorite books." He said, "I know. You told me last year." He remembered. An eight-year-old boy remembered what his grandmother told him about books, and he found the book, and he gave it to me, and the giving was the chain, the literary chain, the chain of readers that connects Sylvia (who read Yiddish newspapers) to Irving (who read the Times) to Ruth (who read everything) to Rebecca (who reads Chekhov) to Ethan (who reads Percy Jackson and now Betty Smith), and the chain is strong, and the chain is mine, and the birthday is good. The birthday is good.

The brisket is mine — it has always been mine — and on a birthday like this one, the act of standing at my own stove and making something slow and generous and deeply savory is not a chore but a declaration. When the whole family comes — when there are four grandchildren at the table and voices from Tel Aviv on the phone and a boy who remembered what book his grandmother loves — the food has to be worthy of the moment. Ham and beans is that food for me: humble on the surface, patient in the pot, and richer than it has any right to be by the time it reaches the table. It asks very little of you except time, and on a birthday, time given to cooking is time given to love.

Ham and Beans

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 45 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1 lb dried navy beans (or Great Northern beans), rinsed and picked over
• 1 meaty ham bone, or 2 cups diced cooked ham
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 stalks celery, sliced
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
• 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Salt to taste (add at the end — the ham brings its own salt)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Fresh parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Soak the beans. Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water by at least 2 inches. Soak overnight, or for a minimum of 8 hours. Drain and rinse before using. For a quick soak, bring beans and water to a boil for 2 minutes, remove from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour, then drain.
2. Saute the aromatics. In a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the diced onion and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and translucent, about 5–7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
3. Build the pot. Add the drained beans, carrots, ham bone (or diced ham), chicken broth, water, bay leaf, thyme, smoked paprika, and black pepper. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil over high heat, skimming any foam that rises to the surface.
4. Simmer low and slow. Reduce heat to low, cover the pot, and simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are completely tender and creamy and the broth has thickened. If using a ham bone, remove it from the pot, shred the meat from the bone, discard the bone, and return the meat to the pot.
5. Adjust and finish. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste for seasoning and add salt as needed. If you prefer a thicker consistency, use the back of a spoon or a potato masher to crush some of the beans directly in the pot and stir to incorporate. Simmer uncovered for another 10 minutes to thicken further if desired.
6. Serve. Ladle into deep bowls and top with fresh chopped parsley. Serve with crusty bread or cornbread for a complete meal.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 310 | Protein: 22g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 11g | Sodium: 580mg