An Overnight Soak Makes Better Beans

Recently I posed a question on my Facebook page about the practice of soaking beans.  That is, whether there was any advantage to soaking beans over night versus the "quick soak" method.  Overwhelmingly those that responded deferred to the overnight method, indicating that the beans would render more tender and taste much better.  Following the well heeded advice of familiar foodies I brought picture perfect beans to the kitchen for a Spicy Black Bean Chili for service at a local potluck Oscar party gathering.  Preparing this recipe from another elder cook book on the shelf, my 1993 copy of  Better Homes and Gardens Cooking for Today: Vegetarian Recipes. I included one cup of cooked sweet corn kernels for additional texture and color as well as a touch of cinnamon to the recipe.  I also followed the advice of the recipe to provide plain yogurt and leaves of cilantro to "dress" the chili. And for those forever loving cheese heads I provided slivers of Asiago cheese to top off their bowls. Cornbread does make for a complete meal of this recipe, but I'm rather smitten with the Late July Organic Snacks and elected to serve a variety of their multigrain chips (note these chips stand alone in flavor quite well, but also pair nicely with all sorts of dips, soups, etc).  An overnight soak delivers superbly in this case, but much like life I imagine the short cut exists for those lacking the patience to let every moment ease itself into being.