Catherine Guzovich

To All who liked my post - not my recipe - as I said got it off of chow.com. Thank you very much, these are the best beans I ever cooked.

One day when I was cooking a pot of them, one of my sisters stopped by and commented that whatever I was cooking really smell good. I gave her a taste and she thought I had purchased the beans - she was really surprised when I told her that i cooked them from scratch.

These are my all-time favorite bans when making chili. If you are a Texan, I know that you do not put beans in your chili; if they are included then they are callled chili beans, or at least that is what I was told by another sister who lives in Texas. Either way, enoy.

Some time ago, probably months, I asked the permies community if anyone had a copycat recipe for Brooks Chili beans, thinking that I had lost mine. Well, I found it. Got this recipe from chow.com, they had some really good recipes. Here it is:

1 lb. pinto beans, soaked overnight, drained, rinsed
1 large bay leaf
1 (28-oz) can of diced or stewed tomatoes, undrained
1 (8-0z.) can of tomato paste
3 T olive ol
1 large onion, diced
3 or 4 garlic cloves, or more, minced
1 Bell pepper or poblano pepper, seeded, diced
1/2 to 1 t dried oreagno, optional (I always add oregano when cooking beans)
2 T chili powder
1/2 t cayenne powder
3/4 t cumin powder
1./2 t dried red pepper flakes
1/2 t each salt and pepper
Water as needed

Put the soaked and drained beans in a large pot, add enough water to cover by 3" and bring to the boil. Lower the heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, do not drain.

Meanwhile, heat the oil, saute the onion for about 3 mintues or until it begins to wilt, add the garlic,  and bell pepper and cook for another 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and herbs. Do not add the salt and pepper. This mixture will be thick, so add water. Return to the boil, lower the haet and simmer until the beans are done and the mixture is as thick as you like.

Discard the bay leaf, add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy. These are really good.

I have not eaten ranch-style beans so I cannot compare. However, I will go to the websites you listed and  look at their recipes. Thank you and God bless you and your family.

Good Afternoon to All. I am on a recipe hunt. Years ago, there was a website called Chow.com. One of the contributors shared a recipe that was exactly like Brooks chili beans. When I cooked chili, t my family did not believe that I did not buy a couple of cans of Brooks chili beans.

I know I have the recipe, but cannot find it. Does anyone remember that website and have the recipe? If you do, share it.

thank you.

Anne, I have never had brown sugar cornmeal cake with frosting and strawberries. It sound delicious, I will research for this recipe. Thank you.

Nancy, this is the cake I was trying to remember. I made it severeal years ago, for Easter dinner. It is delicisou, very rich and very good. My family kept saying that it was too rich but we kept on eating. Thank you.

Good Morning Ladies, I'm thinking it was a white cake, and had fresh strawberries on top of the icing used in between the three layers.

Good Morning to All, I am looking for a cake recipe that was featured on America's Test Kitchen that was frosted with a very rich and creaming icing made with cream cheese and whipped cream. It was really rich and really delicious. Does anyone out there have this recipe? I don't remember the cake which as excellent, but I do remember the icing, it was a perfect match.

Hi Shaun, Rather than send you some of the garlic growing in my yard (which would probably not survive the mailing process), do what I did. I purchased fresh garlic at my local supermarket, planted it and forgot about it. Let it overwinter, it will grow, divide and spread.

I wonder, is there anyone besides me who does not like sourdough bread?