On May 8, 6:19*am, TFM® > wrote:
> "Bobo Bonobo®" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
>
>
> > On May 7, 1:17 pm, Nancy2 > wrote:
> >> On May 5, 5:40 pm, Food Snob® > wrote:
>
> >> > Put the canned beans and water into a pan with a little
>
> >> The way to make them decent is to layer them in a 7-layer Mexican dip.
>
> > But I don't want to merely dilute them. *I want them to be good enough
> > to eat totally alone. *Then, and only then, are they suitable for
> > making said "dip."
>
> > My sister (whom I love in spite of a couple of bad qualities) would
> > say, "Ahhh, you can't tell the difference when it's all mixed together
> > in the dip."
>
> > OK, now I'm imagining the other 6 layers. *Let's see? *Regular
> > American style sour cream? Vinegary pickled jalapenos? <shudder> green
> > onions? *Please Dear God, no "cheese sauce."
>
> > Then there's the OK stuff. *Jack or cheddar cheese? *Black olives?
> > Chopped *fresh* chilies? * A bit of sweet corn? *Sliced avocado or
> > actual guacamole (as opposed to the guacamole dip, which is not
> > guacamole)? *Most of those layered dips, but not all, are most useful
> > at parties when used the way that the apple pie was used in American
> > Pie.
>
> So why, since you insist on using the best of everything else, do you insist
> on eating refried beans from a can?
>
It was a matter of timing. Cooking them fresh takes a very long time,
not merely the hour or so for canned. Straight out of the can, they
have kind of a sour taste to them, but repeated frying seems to make
them more, not less like fresh. It reminds me of simmering tomato
puree. When I was in my early twenties I lived with my sister for a
couple of years. She always had beans in the fridge, and they were
carefully rotated. Every day or two at least, the whole pan was
*refried*. The process seemed to improve them. The more times those
things got reheated, the mellower and richer they became. Pintos and
black beans really seem to benefit from being cooked a long time.

A few years ago I used to keep home cooked pintos on hand most of the
time too because the two things that my son would happily eat just
about any time were beans&cheese and yogurt. That's it. I'm putting
some beans to soak this morning.
>
> TFM®

--Bryan http://www.flickr.com/photos/15522299@N08/?saved=1