Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-01-05

A BOSTON D1soU1sITIoN ON THE FAvoRITE
posToN SUNDAY MORNING DISH.

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BOSTON SUNDAY MORNING DISH.
There are beans, and then there are
beans This is a dctum that we need not
argue, in Yankee land, where the favorlte
vegetable is miscooked in as many differ
ent ways as there are TO make poor bread.
We always sympathize in the joremiad OF
the outspokeu Gail Hamilton (wbat would
have become Of her If she had kept pent up
for the past dozen years y over the decay OF
New England knack, in modern days, in
preparing the regulation Sunday morning
breakfast. We believe she classed 1t with
the most-to. be-lamented Of the lost arts.
There are many n Manifestations OF this loss /;
among which are the slippery, sloppery,
yellow beans of the corner bakery-intact,
globular, perversely individual, which no
man is justified in guessing are either
steamed, boiled, or baked. 1t is funda-
mental axiom in correct bean-baking, that
no dish can be right that is "aninussed."
A whole bean is confession of failure in
the cook. Then there are tho baked beans
OF the restaurant; dry, underdone, waxJ I,
aggravatng mess. A son of Yankee,
who will "make way with" plate of the
average eating-house beans when he can
get an apple pie nine days old, or sand
witch that has been used for a sign not more
than a week, is degenerate scion. And
then there arc the fashionable" baked
beans served in a shallow, dainty platter,
more adapted 10 display the china than TO
do justice TO the generous, historic dish
innocent of pork, bleached until they are
fiavorless, and then cooked to death. Beans
cannot survive "style." 1t is as fatal 10
them as 1t is 10 spare.rib, or roast oysters,
or any of the good old-time luxurles. We
have interviewed, specially for this occa-
sion, house-keeper whose baked beans
are worthy the renown of that ancestor OF
hers who helped through the war of the
revolution by seeing 10 II that the soldiers,
home on furlough, or in adjacent camps,
always had good rye and -Injun bread and
baked beans fit for patriot. And she says
that the only secret about il is "to have
them Just right" You want TO soak them
over night, or parboil them 10 two or three
waters until they are at the cracking point.
If your appetite is not robust enough to
eat pork and you have the art 10 cook them
without it, all that is required is to season
the dish to the fine point of half pinch OF
salt, single shake of the pepper-box, and
lump of butter neither too large nor too
small, and have piece of fresh spare-rib
roasted separately TO serve with them. The
beans must also he of "just the right con-
sistency when put into the dish for bak-
ing" So far, we believe, II is all clear. If
you have stamina enough for pork, praise
your ancestry and kind heaven, and put
the sweet criscrossed piece of seasoning
meat, with its possibilities Of crisp rinds,
in the centre of the dish, with slices orns-
mentiug the sides. All you need of the
oven is TO have it "nei:her too hot nor too
slow" The beans must then simmer
until they are "just done" To secure the
exact shade of brown over the top, and
the precise degree of heat and moisture
inside needed TO bring each individual
bean TO The very point of cracking and CO.
alescing with its neighbor-without entire
ly doing it THAT is all the direction one
needs as 10 baking. IL ii isn't clear, you
must learn as the boy learns 10 swim. And
then, as to serving. II is the edict of an
effele and over-ripe social despotlsm to
"dish out" pan Of baked beans. Assert
your independence, and preserve the integ-
rity of your result by placing them upon
the table in the dish in which they were
cooked. Let the servant pass around the
empty china, if you wish, to assure the
family or guest that you have it. And
have enough lefl 10 know the luxury of
cold beans that have heart in them. Thus
shall one of our glorious New England in
situations be restored to add lustre to the
centennial year.-Golden Rule.