If there is one cookbook that stands above the rest in Columbus, it would be “A Grand Heritage.”

First printed in 1983, the book has gone through three printings, the last in 2002.

The recipes were submitted by Columbus residents, many of whom are no longer around, and compiled by Heritage Academy.

It has been referred to as the “cooking bible” by some.

One recipe in particular stands out, and it is Beth Imes’ “Lizzie’s Red Beans and Rice.”

The dish was inspired by the home of the dish, New Orleans, Louisiana.

“In the mid 70s, I was teaching school in Slidell, Louisiana, outside of New Orleans,” Imes said. “Then Birney and I married and we both were down there and spending a lot of time in New Orleans going to restaurants. New Orleans and red beans and rice go hand in hand. There was a place called Buster Holmes’, it closed in the early 80s. … He would serve his famous red beans and rice.”

She began experimenting with different recipes and ingredients until she landed on the one she liked.

“I loved to cook, so it was not unusual for me to try my hands at red beans and rice,” Imes said. “It was before the internet, and I found a couple of recipes and added to it. It just became a family favorite.”

Her family members weren’t the only ones who loved the dish, however, and now many more do and may not even realize it. Proffitt’s Porch, a popular local restaurant, has been using her red beans and rice recipe since it began.

“Bob Proffitt called me when they first opened Proffitt’s Porch and asked me if he could use my recipe,” Imes said. “I laughed and said, ‘ Of course you can.’ I didn’t care who used it.”

While the recipe is popular with many, Imes has changed it over the years. From using different beans to making a vegetarian version with the meat components separately, the recipe has seen multiple iterations.

“I have changed it, as I always do with any recipe, and I’m horrified at some of the ingredients I have in there like the almost cup of bacon grease,” Imes said. “But everybody says that’s what makes it so good. There are people that say, ‘I would not change a thing about it.’ … I started off using kidney beans and now I go back and forth between kidney beans and red beans. … It’s important for me to start soaking the beans — I always use dry beans, never canned — the night before.”

While the recipe has seen many changes, one thing has remained constant, the pot it is made in.

“I would cook it, and still do, in my grandmother’s cast iron dutch oven,” Imes said. “Always have since the first time I cooked it 50 years ago.”

Regardless of the evolution of the dish, the purpose remains the same, to bring families together around the table. Memories made around good food last a lifetime.

“Meals never last very long,” Imes said. “But we talk about meals that we’ve had together forever. The memory of sitting down together and being together is what’s important. Certainly you want the food to taste good and you draw people in by having good food. The love that you put into each dish fills your friends and family with genuine love.”

LIZZIE’S RED BEANS AND RICE

Early in the day wash and soak 3 pounds red beans in 2 quarts water over low heat. (There is a difference between red beans and kidney beans. If red beans are unavailable, use 2 pounds red kidney beans). Dissolve 6 beef bouillon cubes in another 2 cups boiling water and add at beginning of soaking period. (If possible, use a big iron Dutch oven, but by all means use something big.) Two or three hours later, sauté in 2/3 cup bacon grease until clear, 4 or 5 medium onions, chopped, 1 large bell pepper, chopped, 1 or 2 whole bulbs garlic, pressed (depends on how large the bulbs are and how much you like garlic), 3 cups celery, chopped, (include stalks and leaves). Add this mixture to beans along with 3 smoked ham hocks (cracking the ham hock really brings out the flavor) and 4 ounces tomato sauce. If the beans have completely soaked up the water, add some. Then add 6 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 6 dashes, plus 2 Tablespoons, Louisiana hot sauce, 1 Tablespoon horseradish, and 1 handful fresh chopped parsley. Cook over medium to low heat for 4 or 5 hours checking water often. When beans are tender, add 1 Tablespoon cumin, 1½ teaspoons thyme, 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, 1 to 2 pinches sage, salt to taste, and 1 more cup of water (add more or less water, as needed — beans should ooze over rice). Simmer 1 hour longer to make good bread sopping. 30 minutes before serving, add 3 pounds smoked summer sausage cut into 2 inch lengths. Cook natural brown rice as directed, but use a little less water than called for to make a drier rice. Do not peek at rice during the cooking time. Serve each plate with heaps of rice topped with beans and sausage. Serve with hot buttered French bread and tossed salad.
Invite a crowd. These beans do not freeze well. Yield: 15 to 20 servings.

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