Baked Beans

Sydney Morning Herald

Tuesday August 8, 2006

John Saxby

In 1895, Henry John Heinz popularised a traditional American dish of navy beans baked in a rich sauce of brown sugar, spices and salt pork (Oxford A-Z of Food & Drink). The Brits were so taken by it that most now believe the company to be English, not American. The dish's high point in Blighty took place in 2003 when performance artist Mark McGowan performed his artwork Sausage, Chips and Beans in London. McGowan spent 100 hours sitting in a bath of baked beans with sausages strapped to his head and two chips stuck up his nose "in support of the traditional fried breakfast which he views as an important part of British culture", according to reports from the time. I don't know much about art, but I do know that "empty contents into a saucepan and heat gently while stirring" is about as creative as things get in my kitchen some nights.

© 2006 Sydney Morning Herald

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