Molasses Maple Baked Beans

DEAR SOS: I was told of an excellent Boston Baked Beans recipe in your paper in February 1994. Would it be possible to get a copy? Whether it is possible or not, thank you for taking the time.

VIRGINIA E. REICHARD

West Lafayette, Ind.

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DEAR VIRGINIA: You are so nice. Here you go.

Boston Baked Beans

Active Work Time: 20 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 6 hours 25 minutes

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This recipe, adapted from “Jasper White’s Cooking From New England” (Harper & Row: 1989), may well be the ultimate American baked bean dish , just sweet enough from the molasses and maple sugar. There is also a pleasantly bitter undertone from the black pepper and dried mustard. Maple sugar is available from specialty food stores such as Surfas in Culver City, (310) 559-4770.

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1 pound navy beans, pea beans or other small dried white beans

1/2 pound salt pork

1 onion, cut in 1/2-inch dice

4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup tomato puree

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper

1/4 cup dry mustard

1/3 cup maple sugar

1/3 cup molasses

2 bay leaves

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

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Sort through the beans and discard any off-colored or broken ones. Rinse and drain the beans and set aside.

Remove the rind from half of the salt pork. Cut it in 1/2-inch squares. Cut the other half in 3/4-to 1-inch-thick strips to equal 4 or 5 strips, with the rind attached. Set aside.

Line the bottom of an earthenware crock or bean pot with the 1/2-inch squares of salt pork and onion. Place the beans on top. Bring 1 quart of water to boil in a saucepan. Add the garlic, tomato puree, salt, pepper, dry mustard, maple sugar, molasses, bay leaves and vinegar. Simmer 1 minute. Mix well and pour over the beans. Score strips of salt pork crosswise, about every inch, without cutting through them. This prevents the strips from curling while cooking. Place the strips on top of the beans and liquid.

Heat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cover the beans and bake 5 hours, checking occasionally (first at 2 hours, then every hour), to be sure the liquid is just barely covering the beans. Add more water as needed. After 5 hours, remove the cover and cook 1 hour more. Remove the strips of salt pork and stir the beans before serving.

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6 to 8 servings. Each of 8 servings: 305 calories; 629 mg sodium; 12 mg cholesterol; 13 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 40 grams carbohydrates; 8 grams protein; 5.50 grams fiber.

Banana Bread From Betty DEAR SOS: I’ve mislaid the recipe for banana bread. I am going to have it copied 10 times! My two sisters enjoy the recipe too.

MARY PRADO MARTINEZ

South San Gabriel

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DEAR MARY: Sisterhood is powerful. I hope you gals like this recipe. It’s from “Betty Crocker’s Best of Baking” (Hungry Minds, $24.95).

Banana-Nut Bread

Active Work Time: 15 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 1/4 cups sugar

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe bananas

1/2 cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

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Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease the bottoms only of 2 (8x4-inch) loaf pans or 1 (9x5-inch) loaf pan.

Mix the sugar and butter in a large bowl. Stir in the eggs. Add the bananas, buttermilk and vanilla and stir until smooth. Stir in the flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda just until the flour is moistened. Stir in the nuts. Pour the batter into the pans and smooth the tops.

Bake the loaves until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 1 hour 25 minutes for the 9-inch loaf and 1 hour for the smaller loaves. Cool 5 minutes. Loosen the sides of the loaves from the pans with a knife and remove the pans. Cool the loaves completely on wire racks before slicing. Store the bread tightly wrapped in the refrigerator up to 1 week.

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24 slices. Each slice: 176 calories; 205 mg sodium; 28 mg cholesterol; 8 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams protein; 0.76 gram fiber.

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Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or e-mail to: cindy.dorn@latimes.com. Please include your last name and city of residence for publication. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants.