Tree Tops

Ok I admit it. Striking and dramatic. Yes, it's pretty:

3 February 2011
The parking lot where I work at lunchtime. That is just plain crazy!

This time of year I'm usually thinking "Phoenix". I've never been to Phoenix. But I think I'd probably like it. Everything is hard this time of year. New England on the Fourth of July is just about as beautiful a place as there is anywhere but on the fourth of February? I think I'd rather live in Death Valley.

Hopefully it will be Spring before we know it. And this stuff will be a distant memory!

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Boston Baked Beans!

The single most important ingredient for Boston Baked Beans is...

A Beanpot
It's cracked. It's been cracked a very a long time and doesn't matter much. I think I've had that beanpot for almost 25 years now. I have another one that's older. It does a good job but it doesn't really have handles. So I like this one. I've tried "crock pots" and casserole dishes and pottery bowls and found you will not make Boston Baked Beans without a beanpot. Really. Don't even try.

If I recall correctly, this is the Durgin Park recipe verbatim:

Soak 2 pounds of navy beans overnight in plenty of water.

Boil the beans for 10 minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda. I always discard the water the beans have been soaking in and use fresh water for this, I don't know if that makes any difference. The beans will foam like crazy when they boil - be ready to scoop the foam off. I just bring the saucepan over to the sink and push the foam off into the sink with the handle of a wooden spoon. After the 3rd or 4th time you do this they stop foaming.

Mix, in a cup of hot water:

• 2/3 cup molasses
  
• 1/2 cup sugar
  
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  
• 4 teaspoons salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
  

Put 1/2 pound of diced salt pork in the bottom of a bean pot with a chopped medium yellow onion. Put the beans in and cover with the mixture. Take and put another 1/2 pound of diced salt pork over the top. Put in a 275 to 300 degree oven for 6 hours. Check them along the way and don't let them dry out - just add water to cover them, don't flood them.

Over the years I've changed that recipe.

• One package of beans is fine, I think that's 20 ounces, you'll get 6 to 8 servings from a 20 ounce package of beans and baked beans freeze really well.
  
• I use less salt, about 2 teaspoons
  
• I use a lot of coarsely ground black pepper. Maybe a tablespoon.
  
• I don't use sugar. You know you can freely substitute honey or maple syrup for sugar, approximately 2 to 1, right? I use maybe 1/2 to 3/4 of a cup of grade B dark maple syrup instead of sugar. You can get grade B maple syrup over the web and I'm told Trader Joe's sells grade B. Don't be fooled. Grade B is the good stuff.
  
• I don't use salt pork. I've always used bacon. But one time I couldn't find any bacon in the house. So I used pancetta. I've used pancetta ever since. Just about 1/4 pound, cubed, in the bottom of the pot. It's excellent!
  
• I quarter a medium onion and put in the bottom of the bean pot. I love the big pieces of onion.
  
• I do them in a 300+ degree oven and they're always done in about 5 hours or so.
  

Have brown bread with beans and hot dogs.

Or have some fish cakes with beans!