Darina Allen: More recipe gems from Chicago cook Mary Jo McMillin

"We look forward to every bite she cooks, and there’s zero waste. She’s an example to all of us in how she thinks of ways to use up scraps of this and that."

This Boston baked beans were cooked in the time-honoured way in the bread oven as it gradually cooled down after the morning bake, maximising the heat. You can’t imagine how unctuous and delicious they tasted.

Mary Jo McMillin, our lovely American friend from Chicago, returned again this year to spend a few weeks here with us in Ireland. 

She has been coming for over forty years. It’s scarcely the best time of the year to holiday in Ireland, but she loves this country in hail, rain or snow, even during the crazy storms.