Vent: my sister-in-law said my beans were "fine," and it made me fix my whole pot
I brought a pot of pinto beans to a family dinner in Mesa about 6 months ago, and my sister-in-law ate two bowls, then said they were "fine, but a little flat." I was a bit hurt at first, but then I asked her what she meant. She said I was dumping in salt at the start and not adding anything with acid at the end, and that a squeeze of lime and a pinch of cumin at the finish would wake them up. So I tried it the next week, and a pot that used to cost me about $2.50 for a whole dinner suddenly tasted like something I would pay for. I also started soaking them overnight instead of doing the quick boil, and the texture got way better with no extra money spent. Now I keep a bag of limes in the fridge just for beans. Has anyone else had a small tip like that change a cheap staple for them?