Oh Saddina... let me clear up some things. You soak the beans and get rid of the soak water because that first soak water contains the indigestible protein that makes people so "gassy".
Next... after the soak I like a crock pot like someone else said. You can cook them on low all day, and you don't have to worry about going in every 20-30 minutes and stirring them and adding water. So after you drain, add back some fresh water, add your ham bone, some people like to add a chopped onion here (you'll have to ask hubby if he prefers them cooked with onion). Add salt and pepper here too, don't want those beans to be too bland.
Now, you didn't tell us whether you were cooking brown beans (pinto beans) or navy or great northern beans. All cooked the same, except the navy and great northerns don't take quite so long.
And I am suspecting the peas that someone is talking about cooking to have with cornbread are blackeyed peas or maybe cowpeas. Not english peas. Very different.
Masa is too fine to make a good cornbread. I think it would turn out like a brick more than bread.
While you are stirring up your cornbread, you need to be warming the baking dish in the oven with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in it (about 10 minutes). That way when you pour in the batter it cooks at the edges and makes for that special crispy cornbread crust and helps keep it from sticking. This works whether you are using an iron skillet or glass dish, but works best with an iron skillet. Then after the cornbread is done, take it out of the oven. Grab the pan pretty firmly with pot holders and shake the pan very vigorously back and forth. This should loosen the cornbread so it doesn't stick. Then let it cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.
It's not hard any of it. It's just learning the tricks of the trade.
Next... after the soak I like a crock pot like someone else said. You can cook them on low all day, and you don't have to worry about going in every 20-30 minutes and stirring them and adding water. So after you drain, add back some fresh water, add your ham bone, some people like to add a chopped onion here (you'll have to ask hubby if he prefers them cooked with onion). Add salt and pepper here too, don't want those beans to be too bland.
Now, you didn't tell us whether you were cooking brown beans (pinto beans) or navy or great northern beans. All cooked the same, except the navy and great northerns don't take quite so long.
And I am suspecting the peas that someone is talking about cooking to have with cornbread are blackeyed peas or maybe cowpeas. Not english peas. Very different.
Masa is too fine to make a good cornbread. I think it would turn out like a brick more than bread.
While you are stirring up your cornbread, you need to be warming the baking dish in the oven with about 2-3 tablespoons of oil in it (about 10 minutes). That way when you pour in the batter it cooks at the edges and makes for that special crispy cornbread crust and helps keep it from sticking. This works whether you are using an iron skillet or glass dish, but works best with an iron skillet. Then after the cornbread is done, take it out of the oven. Grab the pan pretty firmly with pot holders and shake the pan very vigorously back and forth. This should loosen the cornbread so it doesn't stick. Then let it cool for about 5 minutes before cutting.
It's not hard any of it. It's just learning the tricks of the trade.
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