It has been theorized that human's switching from a vegetarian diet to a meat-occasional diet was responsible for the relatively rapid growth of their brains. That larger brain allowed them to outsmart their prey and avoid dangers. In addition it reduced the need for having a large gut, which was required to process difficult-to-digest foodstuffs. This high-fat regimen also gave them the means to ascend to the top of the food chain by running down large prey that had more speed but less endurance, due to their diets. Today, most of us consider beef to be a special treat that is available nearly everywhere. While legumes are a reasonable substitute for the meat protein that is lacking in vegetarian dishes, they may not be as satisfying to all. And no, I am not sponsored by the meat industry. Over time I have accumulated a number of recipes that are conducive to being prepared in a single vessel, and I have reworked others to fit into this pattern. The result of this is a cookbook that simplifies the preparation times and reduces the arduous and annoying cleanup to (usually) a single pot or pan, and possibly a serving dish. While these recipes may occasionally stretch the word classic, we are not talking about hotdogs embedded with cheese and covered with chili.
