What's in the crockpot?

Foul Medames that's what. It's an Arab dish, called the national dish of Egypt. And that's pronounced fool not foul. Don't ask me why it's transliterated that way. Okay, maybe I have a guess why. There are some things my Dad makes that are to die for, but the first time he ever made foul--my first introduction to foul too--I don't know what he did, but it stank so bad that my mother made him eat it standing outside on the front porch. The smell left a lasting impression on me and I didn't try foul until I was an adult and discovered I quite like it. So here's what you do:

Get a bag of dried fava beans, medium or large, doesn't matter. Put them in a crockpot and add water til its an inch over the top of them. (I like to throw a handful of dried garbanzo beans in too.) Let them soak overnight. In the morning, add more water so they again have an inch of water over them, throw in at least one or two cloves of crushed garlic, okay, maybe three or four (I like garlic), the juice of half a fresh lemon, a couple slurps of olive oil, and sprinkle of cumin. Turn it on low, cover, and let it cook for 9-10 hours. If you want, take a bit out, mash it up, and return it to the crock to thicken the liquid. How whole or mushed they are is personal preference. Add salt and more cumin or lemon as you wish too.

Now let it cool and put it in the fridge overnight. The next day, reheat it and serve it with any or all of the following: chopped fresh tomato, greek yogurt, sunny-side up egg, hot sauce, tahini, green onion, and, of course, flat bread. That's it, easy peasy, or easy beany. Makes a great breakfast or have it for lunch with a nice chianti.