You Can’t Make Old Friends
Gambler Beans
Kenny Rogers died. Singer/songwriter. Master of the Dolly duet. The Gambler.
We toasted to the iconic country star on the most important occasion of the year: the one annual day my friend Beth and I celebrate the days we were born, just one day apart.
We started this tradition in high school. Yes, she’s one of my oldest friends. “It was you and me, since way back when,” as Dolly and Kenny sang it.
Beth (left) and Angie on their 18th birthday (I think).
This year we originally planned to dine at this cool Wisconsin restaurant called the Fork and Dagger. It’s in the sticks, and it’s delicious. It’s the place that introduced me to the peanut butter-and-jelly old fashioned. OMG.
Then COVID-19 shut down our restaurants, sent us home from work with our laptops and launched a worldwide search for toilet paper. So with a sliver of time before 10-person gatherings were turned to none, we planned to grill out at my place. We went all-out comfort food:
Ribs
Baked beans
Smoked pimento mac-n-cheese
Sweet potato wedges
Baked zucchini
My mom’s carrot cake (the best ever)
PB&J old fashioneds
With Joe (he’s my husband) at the Weber, I whipped up the most indulgent sides. After the last week of isolation and scary news, we deserved them and the memories that went with them.
The smoked pimento macaroni and cheese was an homage to our first trip to Knoxville to visit Joe’s cousin. She took us to an amazing BBQ joint, where we were served this to-die-for side. I went home, found a recipe and have since made it my own—like most recipes, to be honest.
Just like the PB&J old fashioneds. The Fork and Dagger’s are the best, but my ode to the screwball comes in pretty close.
The baked beans, though, were the star of the night. This recipe was originally a Cholka family (Joe's mom's family) favorite; now with some additions, it’s another of my masterpieces. [Scroll down for the recipe.]
It was a night of comforting memories in food and forever-friend forms. Stories of past co-birthday celebrations, work talk and sad, musical tributes to Kenny Rogers on the tube.
So, at the risk of using too many Kenny clichés, I say to my friend:
Beth, “you can’t make old friends.”
We “gambled” with our lives to get together and keep tradition alive!
“You decorated my life” … and I will always be grateful to have you in it, “Lady.”
And to all The Gambler fans, we knew when to hold ‘em.
Gambler Beans
Disclaimer: These amounts are approximate. I’m an “add it, taste it and forget to record it” cook.
1 48 oz. jar Great Northern Beans
1 onion (chopped and sautéed)
1 package of bacon (grill first for the best flavor)
About ½ c. brown sugar
About ¾ c. ketchup
Couple shakes of liquid smoke
Drizzle of molasses
Tony Chachere Creole Seasoning and black pepper to taste
Drain and rinse beans. Grill bacon (fry in a pan if you have to). Reserve 2 slices to fry in a pan and use bacon grease to saute onions. Combine beans, sauteed onions, seasonings, brown sugar, a few pieces of crumbled bacon (save the rest for the top!), a drizzle of molasses, a few dashes of liquid smoke and enough ketchup to coat everything (without it being soupy) in a baking dish. Cover with pieces of bacon and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes until bubbly and hot.
