Let’s be honest. Easy cassoulet is an oxymoron. It isn’t easy without committing the labor, time, lots of ingredients and mindfulness to make a cassoulet. Cassoulet is a rich combination of beans baked with meats. It’s as much a tradition of southwestern France as Boston baked beans are of New England. What goes into a cassoulet is a subject of infinite dispute. In addition, is the dish native to Toulouse? Or is it an adaptation from the Arab fava bean and mutton stew? Truth to tell, the awesomeness of cassoulet has nothing to do with its historical background. It’s all about the flavor — from the beans, the liquid and the meats. What tips the scale and makes this the easy cassoulet for me, you may ask? It has to be a cheater approach (sorry and in a whisper!), by buying a cassoulet kit with all the ingredients you need in a box. (In fact, in the Gourmet Cookbook recipe online, it lists the telephone number of the supplier.) This was how I started many years ago. Over the years, I’ve found it hard to break the habit. Gourmet meal in a box makes life so much easier and tastier. […]