Food Love, and boozy baked beans

Appetites diminished by a flu in the house, Valentine's Day dinner consisted of soup and chocolates from heart shaped boxes. We had already celebrated with gifts and love notes to one another which is the best part of the Holiday anyway if you ask me. Even before the day arrived, I noticed Easter goodies adorning every aisle at every market. Now Easter makes me really think about Love, Food Love that is. I'm talking about the love that is in a gift of food or the act of preparing of a meal. You have to consider the people for whom you are cooking, remember things about them, think about them. Isn't this why family food traditions exist? It isn't simply the food's taste but also the feeling of being known and thought about that feels, well like love. Like pizza, there is no such thing as a bad pierogi, but Mrs. T's never make me feel warmed through like my Grandma's did.

Sure, we make meals for people we know who are ill, or recovering, or sad, or celebrating, and that is very nice and nurturing, but Food Love does not require an event. The neighbor to one side makes the best dark chocolate syrup on this planet, and regularly shares it on a random weekday. The Hipster on the other side invites us over and never forgets to put out peppadew peppers and Goat Cheese for the Mr. who adores this. One time the across the back neighbor brought us a huge bowl of blackberries from her yard just to show my kids that it is possible to grow lovely things - even smack dab in the center of a city block. Kitchen karma being strong around here, I'm going to make something and spread some Food Love around today.

More than one recipient of my new favorite food gift - smoked onions and dried heirloom beans from Tierra Vegetables - has asked for ideas of how to use them, so here is one of my favorites.

Jameson Baked Beans

1 cup red beans soaked (Tierra's beans need only about one hour soaking)

1 cup onion chopped

2 T canola oil

2 ribs celery chopped

1/4 t paprika

1/4 ground coriander

1/2 mustard

1/4 rubbed sage

1 T smoked onions (chopped from about one slice)

4 garlic cloves chopped

1 T tomato paste

1 can crushed tomatoes (San Marzano or from the farmer is best)

1/4 cup Jameson Irish Whiskey

4 Cups water

2 ounces maple syrup

Sautee fresh onion, celery and spices in the oil for a few minutes until fragrant (do not brown). Put everything else in a pot with a lid and bake at 300 degrees until the beans are extremely soft (about 4 hours in my oven). If you have too much liquid at this point remove the lid and continue cooking until the beans are very thick ( took me about another 30 minutes).

We served the beans with grilled chicken, corn bread and a salad of chopped Romain Lettuce and Fuji Apples, dressed with tangy "ranch" recipe follows.

Tangy Ranch Dressing

Mix together

1/3 cup minced onion

1 garlic clove minced

1/6 cup fresh parsley chopped

1/3 cup olive oil

2 T mayonnaise

1/3 Cup Greek yogurt

juice of 1 lemon

1 t each: thyme, tarragon,kosher salt

1/2 t each: white pepper, celery seed, garlic powder

Thick and tangy, this dressing works well in salads with a sweet element (fruit or roasted beets), and makes a great sandwich spread with roast beef, left over pulled pork, or grilled steak.