EDITOR'S NOTE: Sunday Night Suppers is a monthly feature provided to the Advertiser by shareyourtable.com, a culinary Web site, and written by former Advertiser food editor Joan Namkoong. The theme: Cook once, eat several different meals.

Foods that are slow to cook are the ideal foods to prepare on a Sunday afternoon for a Sunday Night Supper. Beans come to mind, the base for many savory dishes like cassoulet, chili, baked beans, refried beans and bean salads. Nutritious, inexpensive, tasty and adaptable to all sorts of seasonings, beans can be the centerpiece of a great family meal.

Beans are a healthful and economical food. As a source of protein, one half cup of dry beans provides 6 to 7 grams of protein, counting as a one-ounce serving of lean meat and a full serving of vegetables in the USDA food pyramid. There are only 100 to 120 calories in a half-cup serving of beans, providing 25 grams of complex carbohydrates and about 25 percent of your daily requirement for fiber. Vitamin B, folacin, iron, phosphorous, magnesium, manganese, potassium, copper calcium and zinc — important to your health — are all found in beans. And you get all of these nutrients for about 20 cents per serving.

Purchase beans from a store that you know sells a lot of beans. Good turnover means that beans may be fresher. Just harvested and dried beans will look a little glossy; they cook faster and taste fresher compared to dried, stale beans that have been sitting on a store shelf for a while. If beans look shriveled or cracked, chances are they're old. Dried beans are best eaten within a year of harvest.

Start by soaking a pound or two of beans. Better yet, soak them the night before: soaking speeds up cooking time and helps to remove the oligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that can cause gas when you eat beans. Beans expand when they cook: a pound of beans becomes 6 to 7 cups, cooked.

After an overnight soak, drain the beans and discard the soaking water that contains the oligosaccharides. Put the beans in a large, wide pot and cover with water, at least an inch above the top of the beans. As the water comes to a boil, skim off the foam that rises to the surface (this is just a water-soluble protein). Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer and let the beans cook for an hour or two or more, depending on the size and type of bean. Cooking the beans at a gentle simmer will help to keep the beans from bursting open. There's little effort in this; just let the beans bubble and cook! You'll also be surprised how little time it actually takes to cook a pot of beans.

It's been said that you should never add salt to beans while they are cooking because they will take longer to cook and toughen the skins. Not so, said a recent article in a food magazine, and a recent side-by-side test proved that adding salt didn't make a difference in the cooking time or texture. So add salt to the cooking water if you like.

Adding aromatics to your pot of beans is a good idea, too. An onion is a standard addition; whole garlic cloves would also flavor beans nicely. Beans are generally bland so adding herbs, spices and sauces will make for great beans. Spices like anise, coriander and cumin also help to negate the effects of oligosaccharides. Flavorings can be added after the beans are cooked, allowing you to use a pot of beans in a variety of ways.

While the beans are cooking, decide how you'd like to flavor your beans. Are they red beans like kidneys or pintos for chili, refried beans or Portuguese bean soup? Or black beans that make for a flavorful soup or black beans and rice? White beans can be a part of so many preparations. There are no strict rules about what color of beans makes a particular dish but for our purposes, we'll stick to some basic recipes.

White beans like cannellini, navy and great northerns are especially versatile. They form the basis for cassoulet, the French casserole of beans, duck, lamb, sausage and pork, cooked together slowly and topped with a crust of breadcrumbs. Seasoned white beans atop a green salad is a perfect lunch, as served at the Pavilion Caf[0xe9] at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. White beans and canned tuna is a classic; a puree of white beans atop crisp crostini is a healthy, tasty munch. And of course, there's pasta e fagioli — pasta and beans — the classic Italian combination.

Test your beans for doneness: they should be tender and soft to the bite but not mushy. If you're going to use beans in soups, casseroles and other long cooking preparations, it's best to stop cooking the beans when they are just tender and firm to the bite. When beans are cooked, drain them and add them to soups, chilis, casseroles or other preparations. If you're using beans on their own, season them well. Always reserve some of the cooking water to add starchy moisture to your bean dish.

Canned beans are, of course, convenient to use though they cost more than uncooked beans. Canned beans tend to be softer in texture and can get mushy in a soup, casserole or other long-cooking preparation. It's a good idea to note the sodium content of canned beans. Generally, cooking your own beans gives you more control over the final product.

Cooking up a large batch of beans doesn't mean you have to eat them all at one meal. Freezing cooked beans is a good option; they can be used later in other preparations. For more ideas on beans, go to www.shareyourtable.com.

GARLICKY WHITE BEANS

• 1/2 pound white beans like cannellini or navy beans, cooked

• 2 shallots, finely minced

• 4 to 6 cloves garlic, finely minced

• Salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1/2 cup minced Italian parsley

When the beans are just cooked, drain and transfer them to a mixing bowl and add the shallots and garlic and toss together. The heat of the beans will "cook" the shallot and garlic while flavoring the beans. Add salt, pepper and the olive oil and mix together. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add more olive oil if needed, to moisten the beans well. Add the parsley and mix.

Serve the beans at room temperature. Or top a salad with the beans. Or top the beans with a good can of tuna, preferably an oil-packed European tuna.

The following is a meatless chili that's terrific on its own, served with cheese, avocado, onions and salsa. Or use it to make a burrito. If you like, saute some Island-raised ground beef and add it to the pot.

BLACK BEAN CHILI

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 3 onions, chopped

• 8 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 pound black beans, cooked

• 4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 4 to 6 fresh Serrano chili peppers, chopped

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 tablespoon paprika

• 1 tablespoon chili powder (or more)

• 4 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 sweet red pepper, diced

• 1 sweet yellow pepper, diced

• 1 cup chopped cilantro

Heat a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When it is hot, add the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes, until onions are translucent and lightly browned.

Add the cooked beans, tomatoes, chilies, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, paprika, chili powder and salt. Add a cup of the bean cooking liquid or water. Bring the mixture to a boil, lower the heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.

Add the red and yellow peppers and continue to cook for 15 minutes. Just before serving, add the cilantro.

Serving suggestion: Serve this chili on top of rice; top with chopped sweet onion, grated cheese, diced avocado or guacamole, fresh tomato salsa and chopped chili peppers.

PASTA E FAGIOLI

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced

• 1/2 cup diced ham or pancetta

• 1 carrot, finely diced

• 1 celery rib, finely diced

• 4 tomatoes, diced

• 1 pound of cooked beans, cranberry, great northern, navy or cannellini

• 4 cups homemade chicken stock (see www.shareyourtable.com)

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 8 ounces pasta, macaroni, orecchiette or pieces of fettuccine

• 1/2 cup minced Italian parsley

• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus additional for serving

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the onion and garlic and saute for about 10 minutes until lightly browned. Add the ham, carrot and celery and cook together for 5 minutes.

Add the tomatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Add the beans and chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

About 15 minutes before you are ready to serve, add the macaroni and cook for 15 minutes or until pasta is just al dente. Do not overcook the pasta. Add additional chicken stock if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning. Add the parsley and cheese and stir together. Serve immediately with additional cheese on the side.