In memory of my mom...

[wayne foundation 07]

How long are you cooking the beans?

[toys2cool]

being Cuban we eat black beans and rice every x-mas with pork and a honey baked ham..My mom cooks them from scratch but I buy the cans and add some stuff to it

[HardyGirl]

Simmering for about an hour and a half. I just put the rice on. I'll let you know how it comes out.

How long are you cooking the beans?

[HardyGirl]

SUCCESS! It's YUMMY! Here's to you Mom! Happy New Year!

[wayne foundation 07]

Glad to hear you had great results,Happy New Year to you!

[VintageMike]

Congrats on the success. I hope I'll be able to do the same with my Mom's homemade pizza in the future. Done the actual making a few times but still have attempted the making the sauce.

[mikeoz]

Awesome tribute to your mom! Happy New Year!

[The4thDoctor]

Hi guys!

So it's always been a tradition in my family to have black beans and rice for a prosperous New Year. But since my mom died, I've been too chicken to attempt to make them from scratch, (I've used canned beans). But this year, I have the beans soaking in the kitchen and tomorrow, I make some good ole' black beans and rice. I hope I can do it justice.

Wish me luck!

Good luck, honey!!

[UnderdogDJLSW]

Happy New Year. Glad it came out yummy. It sounds yummy, too.

[Hector]

Great mom homage, Sharry.

I make beans all the time (never liked canned beans)...

I usually boil pinto beans...slowly low heat cook for hours...I add salt, onions, garlic, black pepper, paprika, and bay leaves.

I boil until they practically melt in your mouth.

I serve in bowl...and add sour cream, cheese, salsa, etc.

Next day, I drain the liquids...and mash them really good with a potato masher...or...place them in the blender until it becomes a paste (not soupy though).

I prepare an iron skillet...drop some olive oil (lard is the most traditional way, but we stay away from cooking with that)...high heat...then drop bean paste.

After done...wait until they become room temperature (or even place them in the fridge)...and do it all over again (cook on skillet for a second time)...and you get refried beans (that's where the word comes from, twice fried)....delicious.

You can blend all kinds of stuff with refried beans, monterey jack, oaxaca cheese, etc, oh...but if you want to take those beans to the next level...sautee some Mexican chorizo on a separate pan...then add and blend the cooked chorizo with the refried beans...served on a flour tortilla or bolillo (kinda like a Mexican french roll)...heaven on earth, lol.

[Hector]

Sorry about my recipe, Sharry, didn't mean to take away from your mother's focus, it's just the recipe nut in me, many apologies.

[megojim]

very touching tribute, I'm sure she would be proud.

[Allie Fox]

being Cuban we eat black beans and rice every x-mas with pork and a honey baked ham..My mom cooks them from scratch but I buy the cans and add some stuff to it

I'm married to a Cuban (and the rest of her family) so I too am familiar with black beans, rice, yucca, pork roast and ham on Christmas Eve. My favorite thing about this is the croquettes made from the leftover ham.

HG I hope everything went well.

[HardyGirl]

No worries, Hector. I had everything you put in your beans, but the bay leaves, (which mom usually used, but I didn't have any, so I substituted oregano). She also used a chicken boullion cube, so I just used chicken ramen seasonings (same thing). It was really good!

Sorry about my recipe, Sharry, didn't mean to take away from your mother's focus, it's just the recipe nut in me, many apologies.

[Werewolf]

SUCCESS! It's YUMMY! Here's to you Mom! Happy New Year!

Congrats. I'm sure your Mom would be proud.