Food Dude: Nothing refried about refritos

Refritos are beans that are cooked simply in a pot then fried — for the first and only time — in lard or bacon fat. That's an improvement to virtually any dish. Refritos can be any bean, but south of the border pinto beans and black turtle beans are the most commonly used.

As always, canned beans can be used in a pinch. I've been known to use Ranch Style Beans on occasion.

Epazote is an edible herb that is essential in Mexican kitchens, it puts off a mild flavor but is said to aid in the digestion of beans. That's right, a natural version of Beano.

Diana Kennedy , one of Mexican cuisines first and best English-speaking friends, recommends skipping the oft-suggested overnight soak, claiming the practice dims the flavor. She's much wiser than me, so I'll go with it.

1 pound dry pinto beans, rinsed and sorted

6 ounces bacon, cut in half

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 sprigs epazote

Salt and pepper to taste

Cover beans with water and bring to a boil. Simmer until beans are tender, anywhere from an hour to two hours depending on the quality of the beans.

Add remaining ingredients, bring to a boil and simmer another hour.

2 cups basic beans

½ cup lard or bacon grease

½ onion diced

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 teaspoons chile powder

1 teaspoon tomato paste

1 cup water or chicken broth

In a large, heavy-bottom skillet, melt lard or heat bacon grease to medium-high heat. Add onions. Lower heat to medium, and sweat onions until opaque and soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, combine remaining ingredients, except broth. Using a potato masher, mash beans to preferred consistency. I like mine about half whole beans, half mashed.

Increase heat to high, and add bean mixture to onions and oil. Fry beans until they lose moisture, then add broth a little at a time until it's exhausted. Beans are done when a flaky residue begins to form on the pan and beans are thick but moist.

Serve as dip or with warm tortillas.

Spanish Rice Recipe | How to Make Spanish Rice

This Spanish rice recipe is the most simple and quick recipe I know. Spanish rice is what I grew up eating almost every day at school and at home in South America.

Authentic Spanish food made its way into the hearts of people all over the world because of its simplicity, flavor, texture and taste explosion you feel with every spoonful or with every bite.

In the U.S. today, many people crave foods from Hispanic origin because of the strong influence Hispanic culture is making.

Here, you'll find the best Spanish rice recipe that doesn't use up so much of your time (only 30 minutes) or requires too much effort from you to cook a great side dish.

1. Basically, you heat the oil over medium heat in a large skillet.
2. Stir the chopped onions in and cook until they are tender.
3. You then mix the rice in with the onions and keep stirring.
4. When the rice starts to brown, pour in the chicken broth and the salsa.
5. Stir, cover the skillet and reduce the heat to low.
6. This mixture has to simmer for 20 minutes and when the liquid has been absorbed by the rice, you're ready to sit down and enjoy a plate of authentic Spanish rice.

Rice didn't use to be a staple in the beginning amongst Hispanic countries. You might want to know how rice arrived in Spain.

In the earlier days, around 711, Moors started to rule Spain and were already heavily influenced by the culture of the Muslim Arabs.

It's because of the Moors that rice was introduced to the Spanish society. After 500 years, when the last Moors were defeated in Granada in 1492, rice had already become a staple.

Evidence of the Moors bringing rice to Spain is seen in the language. The Spanish word for rice is arroz, and this word appears to come directly from al-ruzz which is the Arabi word for rice.

Throughout Latin America rice preparation is more standardized. In Mexico it includes tomatoes and chilies to give it a kick, but it is also very common to have it just plain white.

In making Spanish rice today, you might even like to add tomatoes, parsley, garlic and cilantro. You might like to explore by adding a few ingredients like corn, carrots or peas to make your own Spanish rice recipe.

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