Dry Beans and Cornbread

I was born and raised in the south so dry beans and cornbread were on the menu at least once per week. As I grew up, I turned to craving more variety than the dry butter beans and dry northern beans that my mother so loved to use. I used pinto beans a lot.

Over the years, I added many things to the dry pintos. I started with onion. Next I added a variety of spices such as chili seasoning, salt, pepper, and cumin. Once I even found a bottle of cajun spices in the store which I used for a long time.

The next phase my dry beans went through was the addition of polish sausage or smoked sausage to pinto beans. Eventually, I substituted rice for cornbread. This was my favorite for quite some time. Just like many things in life, my cravings have began to return to the old familiar tastes of my youth.

Instead of just throwing some dry beans in a pot with water, shortening, and ham like my mom did, I wanted something different. I grabbed my big pot, covered the bottom with olive oil, threw in a couple table spoons of minced garlic, and chopped up a medium sized onion. After sauteing this until it was a gorgeous golden color, I added water and dry northern beans. Then, I let it cook to death. Okay, if you aren't a southerner or if you are unfamiliar with cooking something to death, it really is quite simple. I turned the stove on high and let it boil away for hours. I added more water and stirred often.

The smell in my house right now is unbelievable! When the beans were beginning to get good and mushy, I mixed up some cornbread and started it baking. When it cools enough to be touchable, I'll crumble up some cornbread in a bowl, dip out some beans and add a bit of the bean soup over it. I can't wait to taste it!

And all of this came from watching television until I wanted to try something different.

So what are you having for dinner or supper today?