I usually make tomato-ey, spicy bean recipes, but this one is different since even though it does have chili peppers in it, it really is mild (or maybe I just have a flame retardant tongue!). No tomatoes, either. This is modified just a little from a recipe from Crescent Dragonwagon's The Passionate Vegetarian. She suggests serving it with bread & oil, or rice or barley, as a side dish, or with sour cream. I like it either hot or cold just as it is, or with rice or over pasta. I think any beans except maybe black would work, and I often use cooked dry beans instead of canned.