Rice & Beans: Food of ‘El Pueblo’

I spent much of the late 1980s at marches chanting, “El pueblo unido jamas sera vencido.” Whether in solidarity with Nicaragua or El Salvador, the marches would culminate with parties at union halls where we spooned up rice and beans, saying, “Arroz con frijoles, por favor,” in our best Spanish accents.

Yellow rice and beans, once united, shall also never be defeated, at least when it comes to simple, satisfying sustenance. And you can get excellent yellow rice and red beans ($4.49) at Sophie’s Cuban Cuisine, along with toasty, carmelized maduras, which are fried sweet plantains ($1.99). Like the best yellow rice, Sophie’s is orange, and I have no idea what gives it this characteristic color—whether achiote, annatto, turmeric or saffron. Read more