Refried Beans

Rinse and pick through the beans and soak overnight. Cook them until they are good and done. Don't worry about overcooking because the longer they cook, the easier they are to mash. In a pan large enough to hold the mashed beans, saute the onion in oil until soft. Mash the garlic in a mortar and pestle and add to the onions. Drain the beans and add a cup or two to the saute pan. Mash them with a potato masher until they're the consistency you like. Keep adding more and more beans. You will probably need to add a bit more oil and/or some of the bean juice to keep them from drying out. When you've added the last of the beans, add the chiles, the jalpenos (I don't seed mine, but add them to your taste), the cumin, and black pepper to taste. When everything's nice and hot, taste for salt (this can take a lot of salt) and serve. I sometimes pour mine into a casserole dish, top it with shredded monterrey jack cheese and bake it at 350 until it's bubbly.