Baked beans and franks

  Let' s face it.  Sometimes you just crave the plain, and today that's what I made.  Baked beans are not what you call a looker.  But, when you get it right it is very satisfying and today I got it right.  Andy thinks they were a bit spicy, but I think his nose was out of joint because when he headed for the catsup, I blocked the fridge. The beans and franks were (are) perfect, just not pretty and catsup would be putting lipstick on a pig.  Bacon and hotdogs and many seasoning additions of things like Grandma's molasses, shiricha...well you get the message; slow baked and good.

Once Andy and I invited a couple from Winchester, VA. to travel with us to London and Paris to shop for antiques.  We knew all the spots to shop and I thought they would be good company, and they were.  Andy and I traveled to their home and spent the night so we could fly out together. So we had two or three meals there and one stuck in my mind as a shocker because I never would have thought to serve it to guests unless there was a grill out and a crowd.  She served us beans and franks before we left for the airport and to this day every time I see the combination I think of her--she was going to be gone for a couple of weeks and that was her favorite dish, so she had to have it before leaving. There was no lack of money there, he was a big banker, but she had to have her beans and franks and they were not even doctored up like mine. Plain. Surprising to this day.  She died in her nineties, so they must have served her well.  Maybe she was pulling an Ina Garten.  Just when you think you are going to get a great meal served to guests depending on your cooking prowess, Ina likes to serve them spaghetti and meatballs--she says they think that's great fun.  I doubt it. Now I like beans and franks, just not before I board a plane for an 8- hour ride across the ocean.