How about the following recipe for corn chowder salad from Food and Wine? I have made this several times and it's always a big hit. I use frozen corn when fresh corn isn't in season. And when I had vegetarians to dinner, I took out the bacon and used a spoon or two of miso. Add one tablespoon at a time, and taste. DH said he didn't miss the bacon at all. The vegetarians finished off the whole dish, preferring it to the grilled swordfish with lemon-caper-chive sauce! I've made this ahead and served at room temperature. Warm Corn Chowder Salad with Bacon and Cider Vinegar 1. 4 thick slices of bacon (4 ounces), cut crosswise 1/2 inch thick 2. 1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice 3. 2 red bell peppers, cut into 1/2-inch dice 4. 8 ears of corn, kernels removed 5. 1 medium red onion, thinly sliced 6. 1/4 cup cider vinegar 7. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper 8. Salt 1. In a large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately low heat, stirring a few times, until it is crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels and let drain. 2. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the skillet. Add the potatoes and cook over moderate heat until they start to brown, about 3 minutes. Stir and cook for about 2 minutes longer, until almost tender. Add the diced red peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until the potatoes and peppers are tender, about 5 minutes. Add the corn kernels and cook, stirring, until heated through, about 3 minutes. 3. Transfer the vegetables to a large bowl and stir in the onion, cider vinegar, crushed red pepper and bacon. Season the salad with salt and serve.

You may want to try several varieties of vanilla beans and be your own judge. The first time I ordered them I got Tahitian vanilla beans. They were the most fragrant beans I'd ever used; but because they are a fruit they are subject to weather and other conditions that will make its mark on each harvest so one time one variety is great and the next time maybe not so great. I've made a variety of "vanillas", not only from a variety of beans but a variety of alcohol. Cherry vodka vanilla was a favorite used in chocolate pudding because chocolate and cherries are a good combination. Spiced rum vanilla was great in vanilla ice cream. So have fun with the project. I got my vanilla on e-Bay from Mr. Bean who sold a wide variety of vanilla beans - lovely big, fresh, plump, beans (not those dinky dehydrated things you get elsewhere and are charged a small fortune for) and I got enough to make 3-4 different bottles of homemade vanilla. They made nice gifts to some of my baking buddies. Grainlady Tip: Leave one or two beans long in your bottle - long enough you can fish it back out. You can remove it and strip the extra rich vanilla from the bean. How to: while holding one end of the bean between your index finger and thumb, "milk" the vanilla bean with your other index finger and thumb from the top of the bean to the bottom, pulling out a thick brown liquid. Put the bean back into the bottle and use it this way several times when you want a richer flavoring. -Grainlady

and another use for the bourbon.. I love this for basting grilled chicken.. BOURBON BUTTER 6 ounces butter, cut into small pieces 1/4 cup brown sugar 2 tablespoons bourbon 1/2 lemon, juiced 1 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper While grill is heating, make bourbon butter glaze by melting butter with the other ingredients in a saucepan and boiling over high heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly.

I have a couple of dutch ovens, a pressure cooker, a crock pot, an Instant Pot AND a couple of bean pots. I got this one at an auction, with the instructions still inside, it looks like it's never been used. Actually, it came in a box with some other items, including a cake plate that I wanted. I bought the box for $2, got the glass cake plate and the bean pot, tossed out the chipped coffee mugs and other junk and still think I got a great deal, although my garbage man hates it when I do that. :-) The booklet was still inside the pot, showing that it was available for $1.79 with an additional purchase, so I guess that's probably about what I paid for it. (grin) Here is the recipe that was included: I like beans best in the crockpot, though. It's far cheaper than using my electric oven, and I can go away for hours and come back to supper. I also add bacon or smoked pork hocks or leftover ham, and that makes supper with some rye bread or corn bread. Fortunately, both my husband and I like beans in nearly any form, and although Grandma used navy beans and the recipes usually call for "pea" beans, I grow Italian Horticultural and shell them, then freeze them. They are not dried, they are more like fresh shelled beans and that's what I use because I have them. So I think whatever beans you like will work fine. I do like them cooked for a long time, as I think they absorb the flavor and I like them thick, a texture I haven't been able to obtain in the Instant Pot or the pressure cooker. Bean soup comes out well, but not the baked beans, they're too thin. I know there's a "learning curve" with the Instant Pot and Elery just got it for Christmas, so maybe that will be better after some practice. When I'm short on time I make the "cheater" baked beans with Bush's baked beans or my new favorite, KC Masterpiece with Bacon. I add some catsup, some mustard, some brown sugar and cook them until they are sticky, my grandson will eat a plate full. If I were to choose between a bean pot and a dutch oven, though, I'd have to go with the dutch oven, those get regular use here. If I wanted an actual bean pot, I'd be stalking the Goodwill and other second hand stores, I occasionally see them there as they are not particularly popular with the younger generation(s) and when Grandma passes away her "weird kitchen things" often get auctioned or go to the second hand stores. Annie