Baked Beans and Fourth of July Fixins’

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

Having moved from Hawaii upon graduation from college, my first home on the Mainland was Boston. And for a history buff, celebrating the Fourth of July in the hotbed of the American Revolution was thrilling. It brought textbook tales to life in a way that was unimaginable studying history at Hilo High School.

One of the highlights of that summer was dining at the iconic Durgin-Park, experiencing a traditional New England dinner at communal tables under the bustling service of surly waiters. In addition to a memorable meal, I took away with me the baked beans recipe from the restaurant and I’ve continue to make it for many a Fourth of July cookout since.

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What’s Cooking for the Fourth?

By Sandy Hu
The latest from Inside Special Fork

We’re not having a big cookout for the Fourth of July this year because there’s too much going on in our life right now. It will just be our family – Steve and me, Dave, Lynn and baby Tara, who, at five weeks old, makes up in entertainment what we lack in party size.

Still, I wouldn’t dream of letting the day go by without grilling some ribs and corn, cutting wedges of ice-cold watermelon and making a few sides. I’ve been going through our more than 500 previous Special Fork blog posts, looking for menu ideas, and I pulled these to consider for Thursday – you might like to try them, too.

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