"baked beans" news and stories

A staple of British food culture, baked beans appear regularly in breakfast menus across the U.K., but rarely grace food counters stateside. Whereas American baked beans traditionally include molasses or brown sugar, the British Heinz variety strictly includes white beans and tomato sauce, creating a much more savory dish.

Here, blogger Luscious Temptations created this blissfully easy, hearty breakfast dish, topping the carb-and-protein plate with a hearty drop of Maggi seasoning and a generous dash of white pepper for kick. The dish may be simple, but definitely disproves the stereotype of British food lacking flavor -- this is easy comfort food at its best.

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Cold spring rolls. Photo: YumSugar.

Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

Cold spring rolls might seem fancy, but they're actually a quick and easy treat.

Cat Cora's baked beans mixes chickpeas, kidney beans and pinto beans.

Coffee is good for a whole lot more than drinking -- java can perk up many a dish.

A look at Paula Deen's uncomfortable visit to "The View" and Barbara Walters' loaded health question.

Figs in a Blanket is a "killer appetizer."

Do you prefer the grocery store or farmers' market?

Black baked beans. Photo: Jennifer Iserloh.

Beans are one of the foods I crave. No matter if it's black bean soup with tons of fresh lime, refried beans, chili or summer barbecues -- I make a beeline to the baked beans.

I have a passion for Moros y Cristianos, gorgeous black beans and rice cooked with green peppers, fresh cilantro, savory spices and a little ham. I treat myself to this whenever I visit the very authentic Cuban restaurant, La Isla, in Hoboken, N.J.

My version of black baked beans is a nod to some of the flavors you'll find in a plate of their moros. The recipe is after the jump.

• Open-face sandwiches, from Scrambled Egg and Smoked Salmon to Herring with Apple and Cucumber.
• Behind the scenes of the Bueno Queso Social Club.
• Couples like to go to culinary school.
• Kitchen tips and tricks, including ideas for baking blueberry pie and selecting fresh fish.
• What's your favorite Halloween candy?
• What's the hip new coffee place in Boston?
• Roasting a pig: forget the spit and get a box.
• This week's recipes: Pasta with Bell Peppers and Ham, Baked Beans, Big Blue Slaw, and Pears Poached in Red Wine.

I'm very familiar with baked beans, being from Boston and all, and I think they're one of the great foods. They're tasty, healthy, and filling. They're light enough for a quick summer meal yet at the same time hearty enough for a cold winter night (especially if you eat it with some nice crusty bread).

July is National Baked Bean Month, and after the jump, a couple of recipes, including one from me that's very quick and easy but one I think you'll like.