It is 2013

Ok, it has been a while since we worked on this project. I now have additional incentive to get back to these recipe comments, having recently acquired a large inventory of recipe cards and cookbooks from my mother-in-law, Lorraine. In the past couple of weeks I have made a couple of her recipes. I neglected to photograph them. I think I will be re-creating her Boston Baked Bean recipe as it was quite the hit. After a little research based on a clipping of her recipe I learned that the origin of the recipe is from a restaurant in Boston, Durgin Park. I have actually been to this restaurant years ago. My father, having discovered the place on his work trips to Boston, recommended giving it a try one time when I was out there. I do believe I sampled their baked beans. If you go to the recipes section of their website, you can download their original recipe.

My adventure with Boston Baked Beans wouldn't have happened had I not picked up the bean pot from my in-laws basement. I grabbed it saying to myself - well the grandkids like baked beans, and I had never really tackled them, and there's this recipe for them in the pile  ... so ... there I was. The first time I made it strictly according to the recipe. Well, as strictly as I can, I was surprised that our local Harris Teeter carried salt pork. Salt Pork is really salty. There seemed to be an large amount of salt in the recipe. I confess that I did slightly reduce the amount of salt this first time. Yet, it ended up not seeming too salty over all. The overall family rating was 2 thumbs up, with one "I think it needs ketchup". I had hoped they would taste more smokey to emulate a batch of baked beans I had at a party some years back. This wasn't quite get that.

Tried the second batch with ketchup and barbecue sauce and, after some reading, liquid smoke. While the vote was still 2 thumbs up, some felt the ketchup an unnecessary ingredient. Most liked the smokiness the liquid smoke brought to the party. Then, while watching Martha Stewart on TV one day, she added tomatoes to her Boston Baked Beans. I'm wondering if the addition of tomatoes might satisfy the tomato urge without bring the sugar that ketchup brings. Stay tuned for more developments.