The San Francisco call., 1910-06-12
TT IHE Splendid Diner Out EulogiSes the Pebeian
~ Thing and Tells of the Preparation That Leads
to Taking It from the OUen Steaming and Triumphant
in the Good Black Pot

Wagner or Caruso's voice Genee's dancing, or
champagne, or trufies-some of the gen
timely inspiring things about which know. Cake is
not everything in this world of ours Even my very
epicurean self yearns at times for things of good pie
beian ancestry-for good brown bread and thick
bowls and humble art and heavy rafters. I speak
about brown bread It suggests something
Do you know anything about beans-baked beans?
won't say Boston baked beans, because some turgd
Massachusetts person may in his wrath if I fail
TO accurately and nicroscopically set down his
recipe. I mean just baked beans which can arouse
the sleeps of the soul and may set your head among
the stars and make of you of the infinite
Do Jon know this sortl suppose not. In fact, I'm
sure you don't don't believe they bake beans like
thst anymore. For reason, it's hard to get the
gropsrmolasses in these days of deleteousness For
another, tS hard to get potsust the very right kind
Of pcts-n these days Of glazed outer surfaces and
somrnercislsm. These two OF my for dis
Selief In your knowledge of the really competent
baked beans. Now, what do you suppose my other
ressonisi You don't know Well, to be confidential,
don't myself
Let me tell you about some beans and the circum-
stances of their making am willing to confess that
young person I'm going to tell you Of. She was not
the studio young person I spoke of lately. She wa8
Another. She not so beautiful perhaps. But she
could bake beans. And when persona young fe-
male person-can bake beans as beans should be
baked you can overlook much of the physical equip
ment provided by doubtless overworked Deity.
But in the matter of beans. I am willing to con-
fess that I had prejudice against them once That
before the time of the beans about which I'm
going to tell you had never tasted beans until that
time; but writhed under the very name of them.
knew that they nutritious. 1 knew that they
rich in starch and in proteid 1egumen and all
that. 1t seemed to that everything which I read
about beans crcled about nutrition or proteid leg
When you know me better you will understand
that loathe nutrition and that abhor proteids and
statistics and dull, deadly things like that What
those estimable comestibe things that have
souls and spirits and witching, suave enchantments
and gratifying essences and graduating unctons that
dance down to every craving bone within the crav-
ing system and say: Brother, absorb us and be
grateful for the JOY" But nutrition-as nutrition?
Pahl
find I'll have to discuss the matter of pots with
you first The young person will have to wait Be-
cause pots very important in the matter of baked
beans; and the young person has gone into the limbo
OF the past She has been married happily and has
raised quite family. I'll tell you about her later
But pots and beans of the present
ABOUT THE BEANS
Let US be very serious Upon the pot lies the
large of the beans. Let us be very attentive
know all about pots have studied their ways When
ever have eaten beans which have justified the ex
istenee OF man upon earth have always thanked the
pot A good pot is precious vessel.
II must be old, this pot of ours-old and earthen
and thick and black Like pipe and VIOLIN it
should have individuality. Like man and do
meshe cat pot is the of its experiences II
bears IN Its sturdy body the avors of every JOY of
tansgression which has ever been compounded in it.
Of course, know that these ripe pots, these good
pots-simple and thick and glazed only on the inside
are hard to buy in the cities. A sickenng sordid age
produces few of them. But let me tell you something
and you know you love hearing me tell you things
60 down to where the immigrants arrive some day.
They bring the right kind of pots across with them
from Silesia and heaven knows where Those pots
are the fitting sort-thick, black and old The old
folks on the farms in Maine and Vermont have them
too Steal one when you go on a vacation at some
time Always take advantage of the aged. You will
get many hints from me- See here:
An old piplin IS good Do you remember old Omar
and his "Suh pipkn piping hot?" He knew what he
knew, did Omar. He probably meant a pot for. bak-
ing beans, though know Boston will not approve Of
this suggestion If any should insidously suggest
glazed outer surface for your pot throw him out the
window. No, old earthenware pot it must be- be-
old earthenware pot should contain the tnct-
ures Of every ineable thing which has ever passed
into its good old body. That is where your abomi-
nsble yellow pot is weak 1t is raw thing of the
present The old pot should have the body of every
bean which ii has ever baked within its gracious mel
low self An old pot is like an old pipe It has
spirit which pot has got to work up to- That is
why black pot is the best
But gracious, how run on I've hardly mentioned
beans, and I've neglected the molasses entirely And
the beans really must be mentioned And IFS essen