With so many of us heeding orders to stay at home in these times, a lot of us are rediscovering — or learning for the first time about — kitchen basics. We’re cooking and baking in greater numbers now than we have in decades. And not without reason.

We all have to eat.

I’m going to start to share daily cooking and baking posts, along with handy kitchen tips. Whether you’re new to the kitchen, or feel a bit rusty when it comes to a particular skill or technique, I hope to help with these posts. And if you’re looking for any particular information or recipe, contact me and I’ll do my best to help you out, or point you to the right resource. You can reach me at: noelle@noellecarterfood.com.

To soak or not to soak? That’s a common question when it comes to dried beans.

And if, like me, you’ve stocked your pandemic pantry with bags of dried beans, it’s not just a hypothetical question. Particularly when you’re figuring out tonight’s meal.

Go online, and you’ll find a variety of answers, ranging from a long soak (soak the beans the night before!) to a short soak (quickly soak while preparing other parts of the recipe!) to no soak at all.

Years ago, former LA Times Food editor Russ Parsons wrote a column on cooking dried beans, and we tested a variety of methods in the Test Kitchen. The results? Soaking is almost never necessary. Of course, a lot depends on the type and age of beans. Quick cooking beans, such as lentils, can skip the soak. Older beans (such as the ones you’ve stored in your freezer for years), would benefit from a good soak, along with all the love you can give while you’re cooking them. For more information, you can check out Russ’ story here.

In my experiences since then, I rarely soak beans before cooking; it’s just not worth it. Plus, I’ve found the beans actually taste better without a prior soak. The one exception is for certain recipes where the beans are soaked in a flavored broth before cooking (such as Justin Wilson’s recipe for red beans and rice, a favorite in our household), where I’ve found the slow soak infuses the beans throughout with flavor.

Earlier this week, I received a request from Wes, wanting to know what to do with the bag of black eye peas he recently picked up. My favorite dish? A comforting bowl of Hoppin’ John.

Enjoy, Wes!

HOPPIN’ JOHN

About 2 hours. Serves 6 to 8

• 6 ounces bacon, chopped (about 1/2 package)

• 2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)

• 1 cup chopped celery (2 to 3 stalks)

• 1 cup chopped green pepper (about 1 large)

• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 3 cloves

• 1 pound black eye peas

• 1 bay leaf

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• 3/4 teaspoon dried oregano

• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, preferably cayenne

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 6 cups chicken broth or water, divided, more as needed

• 1 cup long grain rice

• 2 cups coarsely chopped cooked ham, optional

• Salt, as needed

• Hot sauce, preferably Tabasco, to taste

• Sliced green onion, for garnish

1. In a 6 quart heavy bottom pot, cook the bacon over medium heat until the fat is rendered and the bacon is cooked, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the onion, celery and bell peppers and continue to cook until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until aromatic, about 1 minute.

2. Stir in the black eye peas, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, red and black pepper. Add enough broth to cover the beans by 2 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer and cook, uncovered, until the beans are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours (timing will vary depending on the beans). The beans will soak up the liquid as they cook; add additional as needed to keep the beans barely submerged.

3. Shortly before the beans are done, stir in the rice and ham, along with 2 cups broth or water. Loosely cover the pan and continue to cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

4. Taste the beans, adding salt and hot sauce to taste. Serve the beans in shallow bowls, garnished with green onion.

Note: From Noelle Carter.