Canned baked beans is considered comfort food by many people. It’s a flavour many of us know and homemade versions are surely to be compared to these store-bought ones. That doesn’t stop us from wanting to make our own, though. This recipe was inspired by the ChefSteps Baked Beans recipe. Those guys know what they’re doing. We made only minor changes because their version is awesome! The quality of tomato paste and molasses is crucial to the final result. Look for a paste with the fewest additional ingredients besides the tomatoes themselves, or make your own. There are definite differences between different molasses, so do some research to find your favourite because you are likely to make more than one batch of these beans. If the molasses isn’t up to scratch, the final result will also suffer. We’ve used great northern beans in place of navy beans because they are easier to find in our area, but in this recipe they can be used interchangeably.

This recipe is from a favorite Chinese styled restaurant that was once located in Chicago called Ben Pao. Ben Pao has since closed down, but before they did they had a cooking class and the provided this recipe for their most popular dish (and my wife’s favorite), Kung Pao Chicken.

This recipe is from a favorite Chinese styled restaurant that was once located in Chicago called Ben Pao. Ben Pao has since closed down, but before they did they had a cooking class and the provided this recipe for one of their dishes, which was very tasty. Ben Pao’s “Thai Basil Chicken”.

We’ve seen French chefs make a bouquet garni like we’ve rarely seen in western kitchens. It is no meek affair of a few sprigs and leaves. We use one of these in many of our braised dishes. It is a great way to use often-discarded parts of celery, leek and parsley.

This is a fabulous breakfast treat. Savoury and tangy. Serve with a toasted baguette and lemon wedges.

Garam masala means ‘warming spice mix’—an aromatic rather than hot blend of spices which often appears in Indian recipes. There are countless versions. This one can be considered elemental, which makes it useful in many situations where other spices are intended to characterise the dish. We love making our own spice blends because the results are just so much better than any store-bought option. The fragrance is certainly far more pronounced than pre-mixed blends and the flavour is richer. Spice blends are one of the areas where the Modernist.Recipes format really shines. Many recipes require you to make a large quantity because the smallest volumetric measurement is ⅛ teaspoon. With the modernist recipe format you can scale down the recipe to produce just what you require for a single dish. With inexpensive pocket scales with 0.01 g / 0 oz accuracy, you can make the quantity as small as you like. Spice mixes are best when fresh, so being able to make a fresh mix with negligible waste is a bonus for the quality of your final dish.