This is a slightly revised version of a recipe I submitted in the rice competition, renamed in honor of Dolores Ibárruri, known in Spanish history as "La Pasionaria." I came up with this dish on November 23. On that date in 1936 the defenders of the republic and Franco’s fascists began the battle of Madrid. Meanwhile the International Brigades had just arrived at the new front. Pasionaria, an incredibly inspiring orator , made famous "No Pasaran!', which was the slogan of the war and of the decade. Just three days earlier Buenaventura Durutti was accidentally shot and killed by one of his fellow anarchists in his “column” (no wonder the communists ultimately disarmed them). What might the International Brigades have carried with them to the front in terms of cooking wisdom? Perhaps the red beans came over in the pockets of some poet volunteer from southern Louisiana.

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