REPUBLIC OF BEANS

When I started opening restaurants in New York City, I wanted to recreate some of my favorite Italian dishes. I had a problem, however: I didn't have the densely flavored heirloom beans that are the key to some of my signature recipes... The solution was simple: I would reverse the trend started by explorers who revolutionized the European kitchen with the dried bean varieties they brought back from the New World, and bring my favorite beans from Italy to America. And, in addition to using them in my own kitchen, I decided to share them with others.