This is just a little blurb about beans just because I think everyone should be eating more of them.  I recently met with a group of people who run a hospital kitchen and was appalled to learn that none of them ever cooked dried beans – because, they said, they didn’t really like beans, you had to think too far in advance, and so forth.  Just in case you are in the same boat, here’s what you do to have a pot of beans ready to do anything you want with them.
No matter that many contemporary chefs say you don’t need to do so, I say you do have to soak beans for at least 8 hours in cold water to cover.  So, the night before you want to cook them, soak the beans.  Drain well, recover with cold water, and place over high heat.  Bring to a boil; then, lower the heat and continue to cook, adding water as necessary, for about 90 minutes or until tender.  I absolutely hate “al dente” beans which seem to be the current vogue in hipster restaurants.  You can do lots of other chores while the beans cook.
Once the beans are tender, you can do anything you want.  Just season them to your liking and serve up a plate of rice and beans, a world-wide nutritional meal.  Or, add tomatoes and basil and all things Italian – make a cassoulet – soups – hummus – chili – salads –dips – pastas – as a base for meats and poultry and on and on and on.  Well, I admit I once wrote a book called The Rediscovered Bean, so if you need a recipe, just let me know.