Boston Baked Beans – A Few Words…

2 1/2 Quart Boston Baked Bean Pot

Beans. There are few words in cooking that can, at once, suggest so much and so little. There are so many forms of beans that the only generalization that can be made is that they’ve been a food source worldwide since prehistoric
times.
   

And a very good food source at that. But you probably knew that already since you are reading this inside the Pot Shop of Boston web site where one of its best and best-known sale items is the Official Boston Bean Pot. This humble clay vessel has a deep history. More on that in a minute.
   

Waverly Root, the uber authority on all matters food, provides us with some facinatin’ facts. The world’s most important beans, in order, are the soybean (cultivated in China 4000+ years ago), the American haricot bean (found in excavations dating back to 7000 B,C.), and the European broad bean (the fava).   The antiquity of the fava is so great that it had already split into two branches, large and small bean forms, by the dawn of recorded history.

And, yes, since historic records have been kept, the bean frequently appears — often to comic effect.

    *** The ancient Chaldeans, who believed in the transmigration of souls, did not limit their metamorphoses to the animal realm. They believed they could be reborn as fava beans!
    *** When Plutarch wrote, “Abstain from beans.” he wasn’t giving dietary advice but cautioning people not to get involved in politics. It was used as a voting token in the election of magistrates and so came to symbolize graft
and the bribing of votes.

    *** The American haricot is the most varied bean, everything from the stringbean, eaten fresh, to the lima, pinto, pea, pigeon, and black beans dried and later cooked. The uses and interpretations are endless. One famous dish, Cuban black bean soup, when mixed with white rice, is known as “Christians and Moors”.  Not politically correct but delicious nonetheless.
    *** The French took a very long time, hundreds of years, to fully accept the bean, cultivate them and accept them in their diet. Brilliat-Savarin, the food authority, abhored them. Don Marquis, the writer, said “There will be no beans in the Almost Perfect State.” But Napolean liked them. A more influential endorsement cannot be imagined.

 

Finally, back to the bean pot. 

 

1 Pint Boston Baked Bean Pots

The one-pot meal, consisting mainly of peas or beans, was already a staple of the English diet before their arrival in America.  And the Native Americans also had a popular indigenous bean dish cooked in a “pot” made in a special hole in the ground.

The colonists, whose faith did not allow them to work (i.e., cook) on the Sabbath, maintained this simple tradition. Adding cured pork (bacon) and the local sugar (maple) to the pot for enrichment and flavor, the beans adapted beautifully to the need to do the cooking on Saturday. The pot was left overnight on the dying fire, ready-to-eat and still warm come Sunday morning.

Fanny Farmer, in the earliest editions of her cookbook, tells us that the reason Boston (aka “Beantown”) and the bean are so united is due to the local development of what has become the traditional bean baking pot, so perfectly suited to the preparation of good baked beans.

The earthen pot with the small opening and bulging sides retain moisture, tenderizes the beans and keep them warm long after the heat is out.

You, too, can contribute your part to this huge food history by buying one of the original Boston Bean Pots (and its cookbook) and get your unique take on beans cookin’ soon.

Contributed by:

Merilyn DeVos, Culinary Director since 1980

The Pot Shop of Boston

Worried About Bacteria Found In Eggs?

Worried about the egg scare? Well, don’t be. Eggs need to be cooked only to 165 degrees Farenheit to be free of any pathogens. Think of a batch of brownies (which are made with eggs, of course) baking at 325 or 350 degrees, NOT a very hot oven, to realize how low a temperature 165 degrees is.

That said, runny, barely warmed eggs are probably not a good plan, particularly if you use only the store brand, the $1-2/doz. kind. Reminds me of a story. For many years, I’ve used The Country Hen eggs exclusively. These come in at $2.89 for SIX! But I love the idea of unconfined chickens and high omega-3 eggs (though I confess that the 6 to 8 called for in a pound cake does give me pause). Anyway, a while ago, while reaching across another supermarket customer to grab a box of my Country Hen, I was stopped by her questioning me as to why I was buying such pricey eggs. I shared my concerns about humane farming and quality. Her response? “Well, I won’t pay for that. I ONLY use eggs for baking… (pause) and once in a while to eat, of course,…a fried egg or an omelet maybe.” I asked her, “What do you think I’m doing with them, making my own tempra paints? What better reasons do you need to buy better eggs than to bake with them and eat them?”. Oh well, she left with her usual cheap battery-hen eggs. But maybe I gave her something to think about later.

Now just let me add that omelets, no matter the eggs, make for fine eating and are a great way to use up leftovers. You can add whatever you have to the nice, heavy French Chef omelet pan along with 2-3 eggs for the 8-inch pan or 4-6 for the large pan. Start the cooking on top of the stove. Wrap the wooden handle in several layers of aluminium foil. Pop the whole thing in the oven (about 350 degrees)and finish it up there. You can top it with some shredded cheese first if you like. This is a frittata (thank you, Italy) and is cooked more throughly than the top-of-stove-only French version. Both are yummy. Just remember to wrap any wooden handle if you plan on putting it into a hot oven!

Plain, Stuffed, and Stacked Sky-High: Kids, It’s Omelette Party Time!

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

 

 

“Welcome to the Omelette Show!”

I have become a bit … single-minded lately. Some might even say obsessed. All I want to do is make – and eat – omelettes. Not exactly post-holiday diet food, but at least they’re no-carb, right?

It’s all Poppa Trix’s fault. He just couldn’t bear to be predictable and get me Julie & Julia for Christmas, oh no. It’s just as well, really. I’ll see it eventually, but I have absolutely no doubt that the Julie character’s incessant whining is going to irritate me to no end. So instead he got me something that’s (in my opinion) far superior: a collection of The French Chef, Child’s groundbreaking PBS cooking show.

I’m addicted! I had forgotten how truly loopy, charming, and sweet this woman was. Poppa Trix and I repeat Julia-isms – “Don’t let the butter brown. It tastes cheap!” or “Take a sip of wine and make a lovely comment, which you’ll know how to do if you read good books.” – over and over. We scream out words (in our best Julia falsettos, of course) like “Piperade!” or “Swiss cheese!” or “Parsley!” apropos of nothing.

But it’s the omelette show that is, so far, my absolute favorite. Until I saw it, I had always made souffle-style omelettes – the puffy, folded-over kind. But then I saw Julia demonstrate her 20-second omelette: 2 or 3 eggs with a splash of water, salt, and pepper frantically shaken in an extremely hot pan in copious amounts of butter and then plopped into a misshapen heap in the center of a plate and finished with a good pound of chopped parsley. Yum! She made omelette after omelette after omelette. She demonstrated various fillings and toppings – cheese, mushrooms, and my favorite, crabmeat. I couldn’t wait to try it.

And it really does cook in 20 or 30 seconds, if you get your pan good and hot. You know the temperature is right when the butter stops foaming, just before it begins to brown. When the eggs hit the pan, they should sizzle and begin to bubble immediately. Wait just a few seconds, then start twirling the pan counterclockwise. In a few more seconds, shake the pan back and forth, allowing the eggs to get to the furthest edge away from you before jerking the pan back towards you. The only real trick is not being afraid to shake that pan:

When it’s finished, just tip it over onto your plate. Don’t worry if it’s a bit messy! Julia says that “You can fold it under with your hands, if no one’s watching.” Love her! If you’d like to fancy it up, cut a slit in it and fill it with goodness, like this one, which I topped with a warm crab and artichoke salad:

And why not, Julia suggests, throw your very own omelette party? Because they cook so quickly, she helpfully points out that if you have 5 people cooking simultaneously, you can easily serve 300 guests omelettes in under 30 minutes. Take that, Rachel Ray!

But Julia taught me that no omelette party would be complete without the King of Omelettes, le gateau omni-omelette. Or, as I lovingly call it, the Megalomelette (as in, Godzilla vs. Megalomelette):

A gateau omelette consists of single layers of unfolded omelette, separated by a variety of fillings (or toppings, depending on how you look at it) and, in Julia’s recipe, completely surrounded by creme fraiche. She described it as a “flying saucer,” and as soon as she pulled this bizarre creation out of the oven, I knew I had to make it.

For her mega-omni-omelette, she alternated between piperade, a reduced stew of onions, green peppers, and tomatoes, and sauteed mushrooms. For my version, I stuck with the piperade, which Poppa Trix volunteered to make – and he made yummy work of it! In fact, he did a little research and discovered that piperade is a Basque recipe; and indeed, you can clearly taste (and see) the Spanish/Mediterranean influence.

Are you ready to amaze your friends at your next omelette party and make your very own sky-high stacked crazy le gateau omelette? Here’s how:

For the piperade, simply saute sliced onions and green pepper in olive oil until soft, and add enough canned plum tomatoes to cover. Add salt and pepper, reduce the heat, and let it all simmer down into a flavorful mass.

Your omni-omelette can be as many layers as you like. I whisked together seven eggs with a little salt and pepper, and used one ladleful of egg for each layer until I ran out. Again, get your pan good and hot. You’ll need roughly one tbsp of butter for each layer. Proceed in the same way as if you were making a regular omelette, only don’t shake the pan. Slide each layer onto a plate, alternating between filling and egg, and topping it off with some piperade for color:

Now here’s where things get a little crazy. As if layers of egg and butter and filling weren’t enough, Julia now instructs us to grate Swiss cheese over our monster omelette and surround it with creme fraiche:

You pop the whole thing into a 425 degree oven for about 5-6 minutes. I had my doubts about how this would taste – I was afraid it was going to be utter chaos in my mouth, but I should have trusted Julia. The creme fraiche, eggs, and sweet piperade were wonderful together. Rich? You bet! But a very little goes a long way:

This was my dinner, and it was more than enough! You can see what a tiny dent two servings made in the massive King of Omelettes:

So what are you waiting for? Go throw your own omelette party! You only need about 500 eggs and a willingness to pretend that there is no such thing as cholesterol.

Bon Appetit!

Posted by Trix at 8:43 PM
Labels: cholesterol, eggs, gateau omni omelette, Julia Child, Megalomelette, omelettes, The French Chef

This article courtesy of:   TASTY TRIX CULINARY COMFORTS

Avocado Black Bean Omelette…Perfect for Mother’s Day! After the Oprah Show – Part 2.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

 

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First of all, I wanna wish all you mothers out there a very Happy Mother’s Day! My husband, nieces and I are sleeping over my parents’ house tonight.  I am hanging out in the family room with my Mom and nieces sitting beside me while I blog.  It’s a nice feeling being home with family.  🙂

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Second, I want to continue Part 2 of my Oprah story, what happened the day I met Oprah Winfrey.  So on a beautiful Friday morning in New York City my friends and I showed up at Radio City Music Hall on May 7.  Everyone was so dressed up, including myself in a HOT PINK dress and black high heels. What do you expect? This is Oprah! We were seated by 8:30 am.  The anticipation was building, I didn’t even use the bathroom once. In less than 2 hours I was going to see Oprah Winfrey.  Finally, at 10 am the curtains rise, and there she was, standing confident, yet modest, in a shimmering hot pink gown, the legendary Oprah Winfrey.  We were all on our feet clapping, screaming, I even shed a tear.  Her presence was so powerful which made me emotional.  I LOVE OPRAH!  The May 7, 2010 episode featured Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz, Nate Berkus, Suze Orman, and Christina Aguilera.  In addition, I got to see the gorgeous Vanessa Williams and the evergreen Susan Lucci, whom I must say looks absolutely stunning in person.  It was a great show and an awesome experience.  After Oprah, my friend and I went to Eatery for lunch.  I am going to write a restaurant review on Eatery which I will post soon.  The remainder of the day was spent with my sister.  It was just the perfect way to spend a Friday… Oprah, friends, and family. I wish every Friday could be like this. 🙂

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Now let’s talk about food… this morning I had some leftover Avocado & Black Bean Salad from Thursday so I decided to make an Omelette for myself.  I opted not to add cheese because lately I have been eating out too much.  Go ahead and add cheese though, it would taste amazing.  I also used 1 egg and 1 egg white.  This would be a great healthy breakfast treat for your mom on Mother’s Day.  Hope you like it.

 

 

 

 

NUTRITION: Eggs are a good source of Protein and Vitamin D.

Avocados is good source of Vitamin K, Fiber, Folic Acid, Vitamin B6, and Vitamin C. 
Black Beans are a very good source of Fiber, Folic Acid, Vitamin B1, Protein, and Iron. 
Tomatoes are a good source of Vitamins A and C. 
Lime is an excellent source of Vitamin C.

 

INGREDIENTS:

Avocado & Black Bean Salad
Olive Oil – 1 tsp
Egg – 1
Egg White – 1
Salt – to taste
Black Pepper – 1/8 tsp
Red Chili Powder – 1/8 tsp
Salsa – 1 tbsp
Mexican Cheese – 2 tbsp shredded (optional)

 

DIRECTIONS: 

1. Prepare the Avocado & Black Bean Salad or if you have leftovers, even better.  

2. Crack an egg and an egg white.

3. Add salt, black pepper, and red chili powder. Whip the eggs.

4. Heat a pan on medium heat and when hot, add a tsp of oil.

5. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.

6. Cook for a few minutes until the bottom is golden.  YOU DO NOT NEED TO FLIP THE OMELETTE.

7. Add the avocado & black bean salad on half the omelette.  At this point you can add mexican or cheddar cheese to the omelette. 

8. After a couple minutes, flip half the omelette over the salad.  When the salad heats up and the omelette is fully cooked, turn off the gas.

9. Place the omelette on a serving plate.

10. Top with salsa or I used Taco Bell sauce 🙂

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Posted by Honey

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This article courtesy of:  Honey, What’s Cooking?

Chef John Bennett of Oklahoma City presenting omelettes made with The Original French Chef Omelette Pan

CREAMED CRAB OMELETTE – from “The Omelette Book”

CREAMED CRAB OMELETTE

(Crabmeat, Cream Sauce, Sherry)

 

1 Cup Cooked Flaked Crabmeat

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Pinch Salt

1 Pinch Pepper

Cayenne

1/2 tsp Flour

3 Tbsp Heavy Cream

1 Scant Tbsp Madeira or Sherry Wine

 

There is no finer use of  crabmeat than this, – and so simple, too.

1. Heat 1 cup cooked, flaked crabmeat in 1 tablespoon of butter
2. with a pinch each of salt and pepper and a few grains of cayenne. 
3. Sprinkle on and blend in 1/2 teaspoon of flour,
4. add 3 tablespoons heavy cream and
5. 1 scant tablespoon of Madeira or sherry wine. 
6. When the mixture begins to simmer, continue to cook, stirring, for 1 minute. 
7. Fold into the center of a 6- to 8-egg omelette.

 

Basic Omelette Mixture

 6 eggs

3 tsp Cold Water

1/4 tsp Salt

1 Pinch Freshly Ground Pepper

Before making the plain omelette it would be wise to read the detailed instructions in the introductory chapter of The Omelette Book.

1. Break 6 eggs into a bowl,
2. add 3 teaspoons of cold water,
3. 1/4 teaspoon of salt,
4. a pinch of freshly ground pepper, and
5. beat with a fork (not a mechanical beater) for 30 seconds.  (If it is to be a dessert omelette, add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the eggs and no pepper). 
6. Heat the omelette pan until the butter sizzles at the touch, melt 1 generous tablespoon of butter in the pan, and
7. pour in the eggs. 
8. Stir once or twice with the flat of the fork,
9. lift the edges as the eggs begin to cook, and let the liquid part run under. 
10.  Shake the pan back and forth to keep the omelette free. 
11.  When cooked but still soft on top, turn the left side to the center,
12.  slide the omelette well to the right edge of the pan, and turn out the three folds on the platter.

The Creation of The French Chef Omelette Pan

Natural Finish FCOP - 8" & 10"

In the early 1940s, a foundry in the Midwest manufactured torpedoes for the U.S. Navy. The front end of the torpedo shell was cut off, so as to allow explosives and other materials to be inserted. That same front end piece was approximately 8 to 11 inches in diameter and was shaped like a skillet, with shallow, sloping sides.

This surplus end piece was simply stockpiled in the foundry yard. At some point in the early fifties, someone recognized the extraordinary cooking potential of the surplus pieces and affixed a handle to one. They made wonderful omelette pans and were distributed through restaurant supply companies, as there were no gourmet kitchenware stores in existence at that time.

In the 1950’s, the foundry stopped manufacturing torpedoes, and the surplus pieces were no longer available.

In 1963, Julia Child, who was just getting started as a television personality, visited The Pot Shop in Boston, then a retail and product development company. She explained the foregoing history of the pan and suggested that The Pot Shop management develop a similar heavy cast omelette pan, since none were then available.

In 1962, I gave that first pan to Julia Child and she used it to create a special omelette for me (it was magnificent!) at a lunch in her magnificent home in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Both her husband Paul and her producer Ruth Lockwood were present.

Since then, The Pot Shop has manufactured The Original French Chef Omelette Pan, and has done so for 44 years.

During that time, opportunistic kitchenware suppliers have tried to call anything an omelette pan and present them in a way that would appear that the market is glutted with quality omelette pans. Many of these promoters have gone out of business; more keep coming in (who also won’t be around for long).

The Original French Chef Omelette Pan is different.  For four generations, customers across the country adore this product.

You can experience this kind of quality too. See for yourself what we believe to be the best pan ever created. Buy it today.

Vincent F. Zarrilli
Founder, The Pot Shop of Boston and PotShopofBoston.com

 

PERFECT OMELETTE PAN may cost more BUT spans generations!

Letter from Ann M. of Provo, UT The French Chef Omelette Pan:

What a pleasure it was to chat with you the other day about omelette pans and Julia Child and the many years that I have enjoyed the pan I bought in the early sixties.

That pan is still in perfect condition and has been used to teach two generations of girls and boys to flip crepes. I gave my two daughters cooking school when they were young and taught them to make and flip crepes high in the air. Then their daughters came along and I gave them cooking school too, complete with the day learning to toss those crepes high.

When they went home their brothers said it wasn’t fair that I only taught the girls to make omelettes so I had a grandson’s day. In our church (the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormon Church), our boys all serve missions so it was a good investment in their two-year stints away from home somewhere out in the world.

Since teaching my own family, I have also taught many others — surrogate grandchildren — to make and throw those yummy omelettes. So, it is imperative now that I supply a few of them with the perfect pan. See the next page for my order.

Most sincerely.
Professor Ann M
Provo, UT

LETTERS FROM JULIA CHILD

Letter from Julia Child to the Pot Shop

 

Where are the Original French Chef Omelette Pans Made?

Made in the U.S.A.

We get this question a lot.  The Pot Shop of Boston is proud to say that all of our Original French Chef Omelette Pans are now and have always been made in the U.S.A.!  This pan is The Pot Shop’s crown jewel and as such we take much pride in every aspect of its creation and production.

All of our French Chef Omelette Pans are made of very thick cast aluminum.  It is this massive amount of metal which allows the pan to be preheated to a very high temperature before tossing in the butter or other shortening for quick transfer of heat to the egg mixture, which then results in the perfect omelette – done in two minutes or less.