Swedish Brown Beans

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            FOOD FUNNY
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Patti DeLance writes:

I have a true to life food funny story. My husband and children
and I were dining out and enjoying our pre-dinner salads. All of
a sudden my then 5-year-old daughter asked her daddy if he was
going to eat his "cooties." She meant his croutons.

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            TODAY'S RECIPE
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The Swedes use a local type of bean known as bruna bonor, or
brown beans in English, to make this dish. They might be available
in your area, especially if there is a large Scandinavian community
where you live, but most of us will get great results using pinto
or cranberry beans. (See http://www.foodsubs.com/Beans.html for
more info on Swedish brown beans.)

Swedish Brown Beans (Bruna Bonor)

2 cups (500 ml) dried Swedish brown beans or pinto or
cranberry beans, picked over and rinsed
5 cups (1.25 L)
1 Tbs (15 ml) chopped crystallized ginger
1 tsp (5 ml) salt
1/4 cup (60 ml) cider vinegar
1/4 cup (60 ml) dark corn syrup or molasses
1/4 cup (60 ml) packed brown sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) ground ginger

Combine the beans, water, crystallized ginger, and salt in a large
pot and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and
simmer covered until the beans are tender, 2 to 3 hours. Use a
potato masher to mash some of the beans and stir in the remaining
ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes and adjust the seasoning with
salt, vinegar, and brown sugar as desired. Serves 6 to 8.
Received on Thu Oct 12 08:37:55 2006