The Food: Sicilian Bean Soup

INGREDIENTS: (About 4 Servings)
1 cup of navy or kidney beans
1/2 quarts of water
2 cups of ham dices small (1/4" square)
1/2 cup of finely chopped white onions
1/2 cup of chopped celery
1 teaspoon of salt
Pepper to taste

While there are a hundred Sicilian bean recipes, this is just one of them.  When Al Pacino was on a diet and tring to slim down for a movie role, he adhered to a strict diet, which included his Grandmother's bean recipes.  

Get a stock pot or 4-quart kettle and add in beans and the water and bring it to a boil.  Let it continue to boil for 2-3 minutes and remove it from the burner.  Let the beans saok for an hour or so, and then drain them.   Be sure to save the water and set aside.  Add more water (about 2 quarts) and add in all the other ingredients.  Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to let it simmer for at least 1.5 hours. (The beans should be tender and you can easily split them with a fork to test them).  Then you should have soup!   

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