State of Massachusetts Dinner

Boston baked beans
New England-Style Clam Chowder
Corn muffins (official state muffin)
Green salad
Cranberry juice (official state beverage)
Boston cream pie

The kids weren't so thrilled with this dinner. At the last minute I bought a can of clam chowder for my husband. My oldest son likes it but only at restaurants. Go figure. The Boston cream pie was a hit, but when is a dessert not? I liked the baked beans though! If I ever made them again, I'd go with salt port instead of ham hocks. We had to eat very carefully because of all the bone fragments throughout the beans.

Nayv beans, the type of bean used in Boston baked beans, are native to the Americas, or the New World. Every region has a different, traditional way of preparing beans. In Boston, traditional recipes contains molasses and pork instead of a tomato-based sauce. Boston's nickname is "Beantown." The corn muffin and cranberry juice are both official foods of Massachusetts. The Union Oyster House, located in Boston, is the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the United States. It has been open since 1826. It has always served clam chowder. Boston cream pie (really a cake, not a pie) was first served at the Parker House Hotel in Boston. A French chef, hired for the opening of the hotel in 1856, is credited with its invention.