I'd like to thank everyone who attended the cooking class this past Sunday (All-American Summer) at the Williams-Sonoma store in Chelsea.  I had a wonderful time and look forward to working there again in the future.

The baked beans recipe was not in the handout, but can be found on the WIlliams-Sonoma website.  As promised, I've posted it here for your convenience.

Although this recipe calls for a 6 qt. electric pressure cooker, it can easily be adapted for a stove top model.  For safety reasons, be sure to follow the directions for your particular make and model.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups dried pink or pinto beans
• 8 cups water
• 1 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 Tbs. olive oil
• 1 yellow onion, diced
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 2 Tbs. dark molasses
• 2 tsp. dry mustard
• 1/4 cup brown mustard
• 2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/2 lb. bacon, cooked until crispy and chopped
    into 1/2-inch pieces

Directions:

Pick over the beans and discard any misshapen beans and stones. Rinse the beans and drain.

In an electric pressure cooker, combine the beans, water and the 1 tsp.salt. Cover and cook on high for 50 minutes according to the manufacturer's instructions. Release the pressure according to the manufacturer's instructions. Transfer the beans and their liquid to a large bowl. Set aside.

In a Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the brown sugar, molasses, dry mustard, brown mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper and stir until the brown sugar has dissolved. Stir in the bacon.

Strain the cooked beans into another large bowl, reserving the cooking liquid. Add the beans to the onion mixture and stir to combine.Slowly stir in 2 to 2 1/2 cups of the reserved liquid. Set the Dutch oven over low heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 1hour. Partially uncover the beans and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until the liquid has thickened, about 30 minutes more; do not allow the liquid to evaporate completely.

Serve immediately**

Serves 8.

Williams-Sonoma Kitchen.

** For the class, we made the baked beans the day before. They were reheated in a 350 degree oven for one hour just prior to the class.