Instead of soaking the beans to break down the carbohydrates that make the eater socially unacceptable, simmer the beans in 1-2 quarts of water for 30 minutes (either in your crock pot on 'high' or in another pot on the stove), then drain the water & rinse the beans. The beans should have expanded and softened slightly

Add to the beans the onion, cumin, cinnamon, black pepper and cayenne pepper. I like to add a jar of salsa and a can of tomato sauce.

Add a little water if needed (beans should be sloppy but not soupy at this stage), and cook overnight on "auto-shift" setting or on "low" if your pot doesn't have "auto-shift"

The beans are generally done enough to eat in 3-4 hours, but they can be cooked as long as 12 hours with no harm to them. Of course, they will taste better if given time to flavor through.

If you want to give your beans a "refried beans" texture and appearance, forget about the bacon grease and frying pan - just get your hands into it & squish them up! (Don't use a food processor.)

These are great in burritos - I like to scramble some eggs with green peppers, mushrooms and onions, then serve the beans and eggs together as "huevos rancheros." They also work well served with tortilla chips for scooping, with melted cheese (monterray jack or cheddar), lettuce, tomato and sour cream layered over the beans. 8-10 servings. Leftovers freeze well.

Jmni@Midway.Uchicago.Edu

(Jill M. Nicolaus)