Here at Mardi Gras time everybody cooks red beans and rice, even myself who rarely make the effort because cooking red beans is like cooking rocks.

When southerners say "red beans" they mean kidney beans. You have to soak them overnight, then I put them in a crock pot and cook them all day. Even after hours of simmering, you can stir a pot full of these rocks--er--beans and still find some, well, still rock-ish.

But after I think they're completely soft (think) then I add sausage or bacon, onion, bell pepper, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic powder, a litle catsup and sugar.
If you dare add any salt or tomato product before the beans are completely almost mushy done, the beans will seize up into rocks again.
But if you get it just right, you ladle them over a bowl of steaming rice and it's Mmmmm Mmmmm good!

susil