Alan's favorite recipe email Alan Black Beans 2 cups black beans (soaked for at least 8 hours) 1 whole bay leaf ( 1 teaspoon of crushed will also work) 3 to 5 teaspoons of crushed cumin ( depending on how you like the taste) 4 teaspoons of paprika 1 tablespoon of basil ( you can use a bunch of fresh basil) 1 tablespoon of oregano 1 to 3 tablespoons of cayenne pepper (again depending on taste) 2 to 4 tablespoons of chili powder (Obviously the more chili powder and cayenne pepper the hotter, so use your discretion) 3 cloves garlic crushed 1 green pepper 1 red pepper 1 Anaheim pepper 1 serrano pepper 1 jalapeno pepper (Clean peppers be removing veins and seeds. Seeds can be left in but they add a great deal of heat.) 1 medium to large yellow onion 1 can Italian plum tomatoes chopped 1 bunch chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar 8 to 10 cups of water or chicken broth (depending on how much fat you want) 3 tablespoons olive oil salt to taste  Bring the beans to a boil in the water/chicken broth. Turn down the heat and simmer until done. I usually simmer the beans all day, but at a minimum 6 hours. Once the beans are simmering I chop the peppers, onion and cilantro - and crush the garlic. In a skillet I saute‚ the garlic (make sure not to burn the garlic) in the olive oil. Then I add the onion and peppers to the garlic and saute‚ for 3 to 4 minutes. I then add the peppers and garlic, the chopped tomatoes , the cilantro and all of the other ingredients to the simmering beans. Make sure the heat isn't to high or you run the risk of burning the beans at the bottom of the pan. Stir occasionally. When the beans are done make sure you take out the bay leaf. Serve over rice or pasta ( we use spaghetti noodles). Garnish with parmesan or cheddar cheese or creme fraiche. We also serve fresh tortillas.