Kitchen Essentials

I tend to have people over to my house often whether it is for a nice sit down meal or it is to watch a movie. I have learned that there are some items that I must always have on hand in my kitchen. Some of these items include a combination of dark and light beers, limes, hot sauce, and HOMEMADE beans.
I made the mistake once of serving beans from a can and everyone knew right away that they were not homemade. Before arriving in Mexico I had never made my own refried beans but now I like to think I am an expert. After all, my Mexican friends think I make some pretty darn good beans. The recipe is actually pretty simple. Put some black beans in a pot and cover with twice as much water. Let the beans sit over night. The next day, boil the beans for 2-3 hours adding salt half way through the boiling time. The key is to make sure the beans are really soft after the boiling process. In a sauce pan, saute a finely chopped onion in about a tablespoon of butter. Add the drained cooked beans and mash them with a potato masher. If the beans appear too dry, add some of the broth the beans cooked in. Add salt to taste when done. Simple as that. Give it a try and trust me, homemade beans are WAY more yummy then frijoles de lata (canned beans)!