Even after four years away from Geneva, the sights and sounds of this quaint Swiss city nestled between Lac Leman and the French border bring fond memories of good wine, wonderful cheese, high prices and rigid rules.

Most importantly, each time I visit…on this occasion the third time since we moved to Dubai…I get to catch up with my very good friend and former colleague Simon Ralph. One tradition that has developed…aside from sampling a considerable amount of French and Swiss wine…is Saturday night dinner. Discussions on the menu typically start a week or two prior to the visit. Three years ago it was an appetiser of foie gras and pears poached in French sauterne, followed by roast leg of lamb and pierogies.  This year, we opted for a traditional southern menu of Boston baked beans, slow roasted pork, coleslaw and corn bread. By popular demand (namely Simon and Colette’s two children Olivia and Connor) we went with bruschetta as an appetiser to go with the bubbly that would greet our guests. All in all it seemed good winter fare and my former boss, good friend and White River/Sault Ste Marie native Tony Concil, along with our friends Chen (finance guru from Colgate) and Rich (designer extraordinaire from IATA) were set to join Simon, Collette (Simon’s superior half) and I.

(Chen (left), Tony and Colette. Tony hired me in 2005 to work at IATA. During the interview we were surprised to learn we both hailed from northern Ontario...didn't hurt my chances!)

Shortly after arrival on Friday Simon and I made the requisite stop at Coop – one of the local supermarket chains to load up on over-priced ingredients. Just to give you an idea, a 2.2 Kilo pork neck roast (we couldn’t find shoulder or pork butt sadly) was 55 Sfr. The first night, also a tradition, involves dinner and drinks at the local Auberge…we supped on terrine de fois gras, filet and vegetables and copious quantities of the local bread which is just amazing.

(Simon (left) and Rich pictured here...both have an amazing sense of humour)

Before we went out for dinner I put the beans in a pot and covered (about 3 inches over the beans) with cold water to soak overnight. The next day, preparations started early. First the beans had to be prepared since the cooking time was 8-9 hours. Unfortunately, we had to stray from the recipe (below) due to our inability to find some of the key ingredients…including brown sugar and molasses.

We improvised with cane sugar and a honey that contained 20% molasses…also added a bit of maple syrup. 

The oven went on low (250 F or 125 C) and the beans went in.

Next I turned my attention to the pork roast and rub. Thankfully we did have all the proper ingredients for the rub so that was easy enough…I covered it generously and put it in the fridge for a few hours while the beans got a head start. The roast went in about 5 hours in advance of the arrival time of our guests.

So how did it turn out? Not bad actually. The beans were a tad on the sweet side but ended up being inhaled in any case. The pork, while tasty, wasn’t as soft and tender as I would have liked but, again, everyone seemed to enjoy it. Tony was kind enough to make the coleslaw, which was excellent, and a great time was had by all.

Next year’s menu? Too early to tell …I’ve always wanted to make suckling pig…all I have to do now is talk Simon into digging a pit in his backyard. But then again, what the Christ do you think that would cost at a Swiss supermarket?!

Until next time my brave ‘gastronauts'!

Boston Baked Beans: (note I doubled the batch to ensure there were plenty to go around and there were)
• 1 pound (2 to 2 1/4 cups) dry white beans such as Navy beans or Great Northern beans (can also use kidney beans)
• 1/3 cup molasses (or Swiss variation on the theme)
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 3-4 Tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 3 cups hot water
• 1/2 pound salt pork (can sub bacon), cut into 1/2-inch to 1-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, (1 1/2 cups) chopped
1 Place beans in a large pot and cover with 2 inches of water. Soak overnight and drain. Alternatively, bring a pot with the beans covered with 2 inches of water to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for a hour, then drain.
2 Mix the molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and ground cloves with 3 cups of hot water.
3 Line the bottom of a slow-cooker (or a Dutch oven if you are cooking in the oven) with half of the salt pork (pick the fattiest pieces). Layer over with half of the drained beans. Add all of the onions in a layer, then top with another layer of beans and the remaining salt pork. Pour the molasses water mixture over the beans to just cover the beans.
4 Cover and cook in a slow-cooker on the low setting for 8 hours (or in a 250°F oven), until the beans are tender. Check the water level a few hours in, and if the beans need more water, add some. Add additional salt to taste if needed. Note that fresher beans will cook faster than older beans. Your beans may be ready in less than 8 hours, or they may take longer.

Slow roasted (pulled) pork
Riley’s Rub - In a small bowl stir together 1/ 2 cup paprika,1/3 cup black pepper, 1/3 cup garlic powder, 1/4 cup salt, 1/4 cup chili powder, 1/4 cup ground cumin, 1/4 cup packed brown sugar, 3 Tbsp. granulated sugar, and 2 Tbsp. cayenne pepper.
 Roasting method – Rub roast (ideally pork butt or shoulder) generously and leave to marinate overnight ideally, but 3-4 hours will do the trick. Place meet in tray and loosely cover with foil. Heat oven to 225 C and cook at that temp for about 20 minutes. Then drop temp to about 165 C and cook low and slow for about 4 to 4.5 hours or until the meat falls apart.

Corn Bread
Original recipe makes 1 - 9 inch round pan
1 cup all-purpose flour, 1 cup yellow cornmeal, 2/3 cup white sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1egg, 1 cup milk, 1/3 cup vegetable oil
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Spray or lightly grease a 9 inch round cake pan.
2.In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt and baking powder. Stir in egg, milk and vegetable oil until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean