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Black beans are our favorite; then black beans and refried pintos combined in the same one-pot dish; then lima beans.

But ahk, I have to say, I do NOT forgive my parents lol--you're so funny!--but Mom never cooked the limas long enough. Wow, what a difference it makes when you cook them till they're actually soft!

I learned to cook in a Greek deli. I was already pretty good at following recipes and I was a good baker, but it was in the deli that I was exposed to enough different foods and techniques to really learn how cooking works. Then it was thirty years of trial and error to teach myself what I like. I have to say, those five years I spent with my mom were a waste as far as cooking; I wasn't welcome in her kitchen and pretty much retreated to very simple foods, sandwiches, burritos, etc. I made up for it in spades the past five years though!

My favorite cooking blog is the King Arthur Flour baking blog. I've learned a lot there because they go step by step with pictures and they also explain all the technical parts, the chemical reactions, the various ingredients. That blog is an education all in itself! http://www.kingarthurflour.com/blog/