Ed Mitchell's Carolina-Style Baked Beans

 As mentioned in a previous post, we hosted Easter at our house this year.  To that end, I assigned member's of my family different dishes to make for our pot-luck Easter barbecue.  For my part, I made a lobster mac & cheese, a lemon curd and berry trifle, a flourless chocolate torte, and this baked bean recipe.

My father was the baked bean king of our family.  His Boston Baked Beans are the stuff of legend.  I didn't want to even try to replicate his recipe, so I went to the cookbooks and found this recipe in my "Bobby Flay's Throwdown!" cookbook.  Not only was it the winner of the baked bean and ribs Throwdown, it was super easy to make, and had everyone asking for the recipe!

So, for those of you at Easter who asked (and anyone else interested) here it is.  As always, try to use organic ingredients wherever possible.


Ed Mitchell's Carolina-Style Baked Beans

• 1 onion, diced
• 3 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons freshly minced ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 green pepper, diced
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained (use organic if you can)
• 1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained (use organic if you can)
• 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, undrained (use organic if you can)
• 1 cup Ed's BBQ Sauce (recipe follows)
  
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1 bottle beer
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers and cook until soft. Add dry mustard and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans, BBQ sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and beans. Stir and simmer on stove for 2 hours (or bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour). Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

Ed's North Carolina Western BBQ Sauce

• 2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup tomato paste
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 4 ounces liquid smoke
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/8 teaspoon oregano
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• Pinch of ground cinnamon

Combine all ingredients in a bowl (that's it!).

Thank You Easter Bunny!

Well, the first major holiday sine our move home to Boston has come and gone, and I have to say, I was so happy to be able to celebrate a holiday with family in my own home for the first time in four years!

While we had nice Easter's while living in Minnesota, it just wasn't the same as it is when you are able to share the day with your extended family. While there, the girls would search for their Easter baskets, and then we would spend the rest of the morning, lounging around until our brunch reservations at whatever restaurant struck my fancy that year. After brunch, we would just come home and spend the afternoon as we would any typical Sunday afternoon.

So thank you family, for bringing the holiday back to Easter. I can't wait to see what happens on Memorial Day, July 4th, Thanksgiving, etc., etc., etc....

Niko's Restaurant, Weymouth, MA

I love a good breakfast spot.  Any throw in a place where you can order breakfast anytime, and I will for sure be there to check it out.  Today, that place was Niko's Restaurant in East Weymouth, Massachusetts.  I had read a few positive reviews of the restaurant online, and after checking out it's menu I was excited to drop in and give it a try. I was not disappointed!

Niko's is located in Jackson Square next to two other hot local spots -- The Venetian and Wendi Lou's Sunrise Cafe.  I got there about 12:30 with my two daughters, as it was spring break week from school and we had spent the morning at the Boston Science Museum.  The restaurant is very cute and cozy, with an open kitchen and nice homey atmosphere.  We were told we could sit wherever we would like, so we chose one of the booths against the windows.  We were quickly greeted by our server and given menus and asked if we wanted anything to drink.  I got coffee, and the girls ordered apple juice.

What I really like about this restaurant is the variety!  Most breakfast places have just the basics; eggs, pancakes, omelets, etc.  Niko's has those items, but it's menu really expands on what breakfast can be.  They have a large variety of original omelet and benedict choices, as well as an interesting assortment of other breakfast dishes.

I ordered the "Empire Benedict, " 2 poached eggs over spinach, smoked salmon, and potato cakes with a low-fat benedict sauce.  While the eggs were more soft-boiled than poached, the dish as a whole was very tasty!  It came with home fries and a side of fruit.

One of my daughter's ordered two HUGH chocolate chip pancakes with a side of bacon.  My other daughter ordered from the lunch menu, a Cesar Salad with grilled chicken.  They both enjoyed their meals, but as there is no children's menu available, their orders were from the main menu.  Consequently, their portions were way too big for them so we now have a significant amount of food in our fridge to have for breakfast and lunch tomorrow.

I didn't really peak at the lunch menu as I was way more interested in breakfast.  But they do also have lunch, and are open everyday from 6 am until 3 pm.

All in all, we really enjoyed Niko's Restaurant.  The food was very good, the service extremely friendly, and with the wide variety of menu choices, I know we will be back soon!

All the News That's Fit to Broadcast

This past Saturday morning I was at the gym, working out on the Arc Trainer while watching the weekend edition of Good Morning America on the television that is attached to the machine. After a couple of news stories regarding the budget battle, the fighting in Lybia, and the Japanese earthquake, the next story was about the voting on American Idol.

Granted, I know this is a morning "news" show and they do their share of fluff pieces, but this just got my goat. For the first three stories they maybe allocated 15 minutes total. The American Idol story went on for 7 minutes! And this is a story about a television show that airs on a competing network! Really?

I am so constantly amazed at what both the local and national news organizations choose to report on their broadcasts. There are so many important and interesting stories in the world that they could education the public about, but they give us stories on the latest You Tube viral video or what Charlie Sheen said yesterday. And then we wonder why the American people are so apathetic and uninformed when it comes to elections and world events.

With the decline of newspapers, I think that television news really needs to pick up some of the slack. Give us more cake, and less icing. Those who are looking for icing, watch Entertainment Tonight and leave the news to the rest of us.

Mantra Restaurant in Boston

On Saturday night, Paul and I got dressed up, called the babysitter, and hauled ourselves up to Boston for the first time since we moved back from Minnesota. The occasion? Nothing special; we just had a Restaurant.com certificate to Mantra Restaurant on Temple Place.  Mantra is a French-Indian restaurant with both a fusion menu and a traditional Indian menu. 

Paul and I had 7:30 reservations, and arrived a few minutes early.  We were promptly seated, even though the place was buzzing with the pre-theater crowd.  However, upon being seating we noticed we were only given one menu.  I guess we were expected to share.  The menu was only for the traditional Indian food; we did not have the fusion menu.

After about a 10 minute wait, the server finally arrived with a drink menu.  We asked about only having one menu, and she then returned with one copy of the fusion menu.  Maybe there aren't enough to go around?

During our long wait for the server to arrive, we were able to take in the decor of the restaurant.  Very weird.  Mantra is housed in an old bank building, but is decorated in a contemporary way.  It makes for a jarring combination of genres.

After another 10 minute or so wait, we were finally able to order.  Paul ordered the Spiced Pomegranate Crusted Tuna from the fusion menu and I order the Maharani Vegetarian Dinner from the Indian menu.  My dinner started with a cup of Mulligatawny Soup and a Veggie Samosa.  The soup was nothing to write home about; luke-warm and bland.  The samosa however, was very good.  Nicely flavored and piping hot.

The entrees arrived and we dug in.  Paul didn't have much to say about his Tuna, other than "fine."  However, he did make a point to say he liked the lemon corn that accompanied the dish.

My meal consisted of basmati rice, veggie curry, malai kofta, and raita.  I was also supposed to receive porri with my meal, but it never arrived.  The food was, again, just alright.  I did appreciate the spice, as I had ordered it with a "medium" spice.  It did have a good kick to it without being overpowering.  All in all, though, it was not any better that the Indian restaurant down the street from our house, and they are much less expensive.

All in all, nothing special about Mantra Restaurant.  However, with the terrible service we received, I doubt we would ever return, or recommend it to others.