Basic Black Beans

Ingredients

 * 14 oz dried black beans
 * 2 qt, water
 * 1/8 tsp baking soda
 * 1/2 tsp ground oregano
 * 2 tsp ground cumin
 * 1 green pepper, quartered
 * 1/2 Onion, finely chopped
 * 3 tbl minced garlic
 * 1/4 cup olive oil
 * 3 tbl cider vinegar
 * 1/4 cup sherry wine
 * salt, to taste

Directions

 * 1) Rinse beans and discard any stones.
 * 2) In a large pot, soak beans overnight in water with baking soda, oregano, cumin and green pepper.
 * 3) The next day, add onion, garlic, olive oil, cider vinegar, sherry and salt to the water and cook on medium-low heat for about 3 hours or until the beans are very tender and liquid is reduced and somewhat thickened.
 * 4) Make sure liquid in pot does not entirely boil away. To prevent beans from burning, add more water when necessary.