Erie Bean Day

Bean Day 2011?

2010-12-20T19:41:00.001-08:00

We're kicking around the idea of Bean Day 2011. It will probably be in February. It will depend on a few other factors, but stay tuned for more Bean-News!

Bean Day Success

2009-02-13T20:37:00.000-08:00

Bean Day 2009 Was A Success!

We had between 70 and 100 people at Bean Day, and we raised over $400 for the Second Harvest Food Bank! We'll be presenting the check to the Food Bank shortly.

We had 21 dishes entered in our cooking contest and awarded some great prizes for some truly wonderful entries. Best of Show was Vonnie Lorah's Bean Pie. Father Andrew and I were the "food judges", and we enjoyed tasting and evaluating all of the dishes.

The buffet was great, and everyone had their fill of hot dogs and Greek sauce. We even took the extra desserts and cowboy beans to the City Mission.

The house band (Ryan Maloney, Pat Daugherty and Mike Duda) filled the room with excellent grooves, reminiscent of the 60's sessions at the Fillmore.

Thanks to everyone for coming, and for your support. Special thanks to the young ladies who manned the ticket booth and helped the kids.

Bean Day is Upon Us!

2009-02-07T08:35:00.001-08:00

It's Here! Saturday at 5PM begins the most bean-oriented event in recent Erie History!

Bring a dish, bring nonperishable food, bring your money, bring a bottle if you want. A Good Time Will Be Had By All!

Featured during the hot food portion of the nonstop feeding will be Nan's Cowboy Beans. We have cooked these at many large events and they are always a crowd pleaser.

Note that this recipe was scaled up 10x for this event.

COWBOY BEANS

½ lb sliced bacon , diced
½ lb ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 can (28 oz) pork & beans
1 can (17 oz) lima or Great Norther beans, rinsed & drained
1 can (15 to 16 oz) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
½ cup barbecue sauce
½ cup ketchup
½ cup sugar
½ cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons prepared mustard
2 tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon chili powder

In a large skillet, cook bacon, beef and onion until meat is browned and onion is tender; drain. Treansfer to a greased 2 ½ qt. baking dish; add all of the beans and mix well. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ingredients; stir into beef and bean mixture. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Uncover; bake 15 minutes longer. Yield: 12 servings

Multiply by 10x to serve an army!

Feeling Bottled Up?

2009-02-02T18:34:00.000-08:00

There's a down time in late winter. Starting just after the Super Bowl until it gets warm enough to venture outside without fur on...usually in April sometime. People get blue...they feel cooped up. Some call it Seasonal Affective Disorder. I think it's just because people aren't getting enough fiber in their diets. Beans can fix that!

That's why Bean Day was created. A reason for a party in February. A motivation to get creative in the kitchen, learn a little about the lowly bean, and have some fun. Plus for some people, the fun lasts for days!

So if you're feeling bottled up and need some release, come to Bean Day on Saturday February 7th.

If you cook a mean bean, you may even walk away with one of these fabulous prizes!

A Different Kind of Birthday Cake

2009-01-31T19:55:00.000-08:00

My daughter celebrates her 17th birthday this week. We had our traditional pizza dinner at my in-laws this evening. Jenny requested fruit tarts for her birthday treat. My wife made two types: one with lemon curd and cream cheese, and the other with a chocolate mousse. Topped with fresh fruit, these mini-desserts were a real hit.

On the side were chocolate covered strawberries, and my new favorite, chocolate covered raspberries. I'm giving this one a "slight" bean credit owing to the chocolate.

Shot under only candle-light, this is a warm and cozy dessert.

You too can have warm and cozy desserts, along with lots of other great foods, if you come to BEAN DAY!

See you soon!

Bean Day - What To Cook?

2009-01-28T18:27:00.000-08:00

I know that you are just achin' to fix up a mess of beans. But which way? Do you go old school and bake them? New school and incorporate them into a "bobby flay" style Iron Chef creation with a pomegranate sorbet, sorrel garnish and lamb lips on the side? How do you choose? What will you do?

Well, there are some great internet resources for bean recipes, and some decent books. My first suggestion is to try the Bean Bible. This site has lots of good recipes. You can also pour through your cookbook collection of bean books. What, you don't have a bean book? My ragged and dog-eared copy of "The Little Mountain Bean Bible Cookbook: Over 1000 Bean Recipes" is sitting beside me just now. I think you need some inspiration. Let me peruse the many bean creations hidden within this gassy tome.

I shall borrow a vehicle from Forrest Gump and list the many ways you can prepare beans:

Bean Soup
Baked Beans
Bean and Bacon Salad
Green Beans Viniagrette
Green Beans Perk-Up (huh?)
Bean Sprout Casserole
Sprouted Beans in Red Wine (really!)
Black Bean Turkey Chili
Breaded Green Beans
Bean Pudding (uhh...)
Quarry Quick Bean Pie
Drop Biscuit Beans
Three Day Bean Bake
Cajun Beans with Rice (now ah say son...)
Blackeye Beans
Beans 'N Friends
Italian Pizza Beans
Beans, Eggs and Cheese Trio
Bean-Tuna Nut Plate (next!)
Jellied Beans and Vegetable Loaf (uber-next!)
Beans and Brazil Nut Loaf
Criterion Red Bean Soup
Pinto Bean Pie
Bean Sandwiches
Bean Souffle

ahh...there are many more, but I tire of this quickly.

So gentlemen - no need to start your engines. Them beans'll do that for you on the 7th! Bring friends! Support the Food Bank!

Food Photography

2009-01-25T15:01:00.000-08:00

Here is a shot as I am practicing my food photography for the cooking contest. Winning recipes will be featured on the blog, with recipes and food photos.

This one didn't have any beans, except for the vanilla in the frosting.

If you are planning to come to Bean Day and bring a dish for the contest, please bring the recipe so we can share!

See you soon,

John Huegel - Bean Day Guy

Bean Day In Erie: Stockin' Up

2009-01-24T16:18:00.000-08:00

Today we went shopping to prepare for Bean Day. Of course there was the boring stuff: plates, napkins, table covers, plasticware and cups.

But, then I got to buy BEANS! Lots of BEANS. The picture doesn't even begin to describe the quantity and variety of beany goodness I put into our cart. Canned, dry, processed, pickled, you name it, we bought it.

Our bean dish contribution will be "Cowboy Beans" which is a great barbecue beans entree/side with meat that is a hit everywhere we take it. We have learned how to grow the recipe so that it will feed a hundred or so. It's a lot of fun to make: you open up a bunch of number 10 cans and other large bean containers, add a bunch of beef and other seasonings and let the pot cook for a while.

There's a lot of good in a bean. And we intend to bring and host a lot of bean on February 7th. Please try to join us to have fun and raise funds for the Second Harvest Food Bank!

Erie Bean Day: Official Announcement

2009-01-19T16:11:00.000-08:00

Here are the OFFICIAL Details for Erie Bean Day 2009

DATE: Saturday February 7th, 2009
TIME: 5PM to 9PM
PLACE: Saints Peter and Paul Social Hall
34th and Wallace Streets, Erie
BENEFIT: Second Harvest Food Bank
COST: $5 per person or $15 per family

Bring a dish made using beans (regular beans, jelly beans, coffee beans, cocoa beans, soy beans, whatever...)

A Bean Cooking Contest will be held, with prizes in the following categories:

Salads
Soups
Entrees
Appetizers
Desserts

Coffee and water will be provided. Soda will be available for purchase.
This is a BYOB event. You must be 21 or older to bring or consume alcohol!
Entertainment and childrens' activities will be provided as well!

Hosts: John and Natalie Huegel.
Questions: (814) 881-2840, or email: johnhuegel@jhphotomusic.com.

Download the PDF Invitation here - post it and share with your friends!

Erie Bean Day: Supporting Erie's Second Harvest Food Bank

2009-01-04T18:46:00.000-08:00

Why are we hosting Erie Bean Day?

First and foremost, it's about generating awareness and more important MONEY for the Second Harvest Food Bank of Northwest Pennsylvania. These people do an incredible job of supporting the hungry in our area. This newly-relocated 60,000 square-foot food warehouse and distribution center is located near 12th and Greengarden. They distribute over 7 MILLION POUNDS of food per year to over 280 member agencies in 11 counties. They are able to levearge $1 of donated funds to purchase $17 of food - one of the greatest returns on investment around. And, if your employer MATCHES your contributions, you can get an even better return.

My employer has a new 200% match for employee contributions to shelter and food based relief organizations. You can bet I'm going to jump on that one...every dollar I donate will ultimately leverage $51 of food purchases!

So stay tuned, and learn how you can support the Second Harvest Food Bank and have a real GAS at our Erie Bean Day celebration!

Erie Bean Day 2009 - Background

2009-01-03T08:24:00.001-08:00

What started off as a fund raiser for the Second Harvest Food Bank focusing on SPAM has turned beany. When the SPAM folks politely declined to allow us to use their product in a food event, they missed out on a great thing.

So we have resurrected Bean Day!

Bean Day is an invention of my dad and stepmother, who, years ago, started bean day as a friends and family midwinter cooking celebration and a reason to get out of the house in February. Over the years it grew in popularity and at one point took over a fire hall, and this with no communication other than word of mouth.

The lowly bean is a wonderful base for cooking. At Bean Day we celebrate all that can be associated with bean, from pure bean-based foods such as baked beans, to things made with beanlike substances like Tofu, jelly beans, vanilla beans and coffee beans. Yes, we stretch the definition so we don't have to eat pinto bean ice cream.

The highlight of Bean Day is the cooking contest. People are invited to bring an entry to be judged and shared, and the winners come away with incredible prizes like more beans.

More details will follow. We would like to raise $1000-2000 for the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Erie Bean Day Mascot

2009-01-02T15:46:00.000-08:00

Here's our official Erie Bean Day MMIX Mascot. We'll announce his name shortly!

Erie Bean Day is reborn!

2009-01-02T11:00:00.000-08:00

Bean Day - a celebration of the lowly bean and an excuse to have a party in midwinter, is back!

Bean Day 2009:
Date: Saturday February 7, 2009
Time: TBD, expected to be 5-9 PM
Location: expected to be Sts Peter and Paul social center, 34th and Wallace
Benefits: Second Harvest Food Bank
Activities: Cooking contest, kids activities, music/entertainment

Stay tuned for more information!