Braised Irish Lamb Stew

Today we all are a ‘wee bit’ Irish, so drink a glass of Irish Whiskey to all of those who have gone before and celebrate their glorious memories!

Whiskey, invented in Ireland, is derived from the Gaelic words “Uisce Beatha” – and means Water of Life. Whiskey has been enjoyed in Ireland for over 800 years and in many other civilized countries for over 500. Irish Whiskey is made from cereals grown in Ireland, mostly barley, malted and un-malted. Irish Whiskey is triple distilled and matured for seven years or more.

Irish Old-Fashioned
To a lump of sugar, crushed with a dash of Angostura Bitters, add ice cubes, a shot of Irish Whiskey, a twist of lemon peel, one slice of orange and a cherry. Stir and serve in a wide glass.

Irish Coffee
Heat a stemmed whiskey goblet; pour in one jigger of Irish Whiskey, 3 cubes of sugar, fill goblet to within 1 inch of brim with a rich brewed coffee. Stir to dissolve sugar, top with slightly aerated whipped cream, so that the cream floats on top.

Irish Handshake
Add together 2 parts Irish whiskey, 1 part Green Curacao and 1 part fresh cream. Using a cocktail shaker, shake well with chipped ice and serve as a cocktail.

Irish Cream Coffee
10 oz. rich brewed coffee
1½ jigger Bailey's Original Irish Cream
¼ cup heavy cream, whipped until stiff peaks form ground cinnamon (optional)
Pour hot coffee into the heated glass. Add the Bailey's and stir well to blend. Top with a mound of whipped cream. Sprinkle with cinnamon if desired.
Yield: 1 serving

The luck of the Irish is legendary, so if you want a great Irish meal here is one that will definitely have you dancing the Irish gig for sure!



Braised Irish Lamb Stew

Ingredients
For the lamb:
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cumin
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2½ pounds boneless lamb shoulder or boneless leg of lamb, 1½ -inch cubes
For the stew:
1 onion, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 carrots, roughly diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon ginger, minced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 lemon, zested
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup dried apricots
1 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoons freshly chopped mint leaves

In a mixing bowl add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, turmeric, cumin, cayenne, cardamom and salt. Mix well until the mixture has turned into a paste, if the paste is too thick add a little more olive oil. Add the cubed lamb to the bowl and toss around to coat well. Cover and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add ⅓ of the lamb, and brown well. Remove to a plate, and repeat with remaining lamb.

Add onions and carrots to the pot and sweat for 5 minutes. Stir in the fresh garlic and ginger; continue cooking for an additional 5 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste, then return the lamb to the pot and stir in the lemon zest, chicken stock, apricots, and honey.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1½ to 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the lamb is tender. Sprinkle the stew with chopped fresh mint and serve right out of the pot.

Serves 6
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George's notes:

• Everybody is Irish on St. Patrick's Day. Be it Ireland, America, Australia or Peru, the 'wearin' o' the green' is now a world-wide event embraced by dozens of nationalities. The spirit of St. Paddy's Day is such an infectious one, it cuts across all religions, nationalities and other man made barriers. So get decked in green, put a shamrock on your lapel and cry out "Top o' the morning to ye" to every one you meet!

I drink to your health when I'm with you,

I drink to your health when I'm alone,

I drink to your health so often,

I'm starting to worry about my own.

Happy Saint Paddy’s Day!

Yippee, it’s pancake day...

I recently posted how in France, crêpes are traditionally served on February 2, known as Candlemas ~ La Chandeleur. Well today is the day before the beginning of Lent and known as Shrove Tuesday. To shrive someone, in old-fashioned English ~ he shrives, he shrove, he has shriven or he shrives, he shrived, he has shrived ~ is to hear his acknowledgement of his sins, to assure him of God's forgiveness, and to give him appropriate spiritual advice. The term survives today in ordinary usage in the expression "short shrift". To give someone short shrift is to pay very little attention to his excuses or problems. The longer expression is, "to give him short shrift and a long rope," which formerly meant to hang a criminal with a minimum of delay.

Shrove Tuesday is also called Fat Tuesday ~ in French, Mardi =Tuesday; gras = fat, as in "pate de foie gras", which is liver paste and very fatty ~ because on that day a thrifty housewife uses up the fats that she has kept around for cooking, but that she will not be using during Lent. Since pancakes are a standard way of using up fat, the day is also called Pancake Tuesday. In England, and perhaps elsewhere, the day is celebrated with pancake races. Where the contestants run a course while holding a griddle and flipping a pancake. Points are awarded for time, for number and height of flips, and number of times the pancake turns over. There are of course penalties for dropping the pancake.

The day or sometimes a longer period immediately preceding Lent, is also called Carnival, which means "farewell to meat." The first part of the word "carni" as in carnivorous, and "vale" as in valediction. I have always said, one last hamburger before the Lenten fast begins.

Now back to those pancakes… it is hard to believe how many different variations of pancakes there really is. It seems most cultures have their own form of pancakes. Most are like a crêpe or very thin pancake; like the Chinese ones used for moo shu dishes. In Australia and New Zealand, small pancakes known as pikelets are traditionally served with jam and/or whipped cream, or solely with butter, at afternoon tea. In India, the Pooda or Cheela is a pancake, that can be made either sweet or salty and are of different thicknesses in different places of India. In the Netherlands, pancakes are called pannenkoeken and eaten at dinnertime. Pannekoeken are slightly thicker than crêpes and usually quite large (12" or more) in diameter. The batter is egg-based and the fillings can include sliced apples, cheese, ham, bacon, candied ginger and many other ingredients.

Well you get the idea ~ I submit to you here, two of my favorite ways to serve & eat pancakes. The first is just your basic pancake batter, which I like to stack about three high and top with lots of butter and warm maple syrup. And the second, which I made this morning, is like the Dutch pannenkoeken, made with apples and puffs up like a soufflé then topped with melted butter.

Basic Pancakes

Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon sugar
½ teaspoon salt
1 egg, beaten
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, milk, and oil.

Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring until just moist. Let mixture rest about 2 minutes. Spoon or pour batter onto greased, hot griddle or nonstick skillet.

Cook pancakes on the first side until bubbles appear on the upper surface. Turn over and cook until the bottom is golden. Slide onto an oven proof platter; and keep warm in a 300 degree oven until ready to serve.

Serves 2




Spiced Apple Pancake
For the puffiest pancake, use a cast-iron skillet. If you don’t have one, choose a heavy 12-inch skillet with a bottom that is at least 10 inches in diameter and has an oven-safe handle.

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons water
½ cup sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
3 to 4 medium Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored
~ and cut into 8 wedges
3 large eggs
¾ cup milk
¾ cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice*
¼ teaspoon salt

* can substitute ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. In 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat butter, water, and ½ cup sugar over medium-high heat to boiling. Add apple wedges; cook 12 to 15 minutes or until apples are golden and sugar mixture begins to caramelize, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, in blender or food processor with knife blade attached, place eggs, milk, flour, pumpkin pie spice, salt, and remaining 2 tablespoons sugar, adding liquid ingredients to blender first. Blend until batter is smooth.

When apple mixture in skillet is deep golden, pour batter over apples. Place skillet in oven; bake 15 to 17 minutes or until puffed and lightly browned. Serve immediately.

Serves 4



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George’s notes:

• Today is traditionally the day when you feast, in preparation for what you’re about to give up for Lent. It’s also a day when it’s traditional to cleanse your soul - to confess and be absolved. There are records of this over a thousand years old, written by an Anglo-Saxon monks.
• Nowadays it’s pretty much just Pancake Day. Not that this is a bad thing. Pancakes have been part of Shrove Tuesday in England for centuries. Pancake racing still takes place and is thought to have started in 1445, when a woman cooking her pancakes heard the church bells ring, calling to confession. She ran to church wearing her apron and carrying her pancake still in its pan!
• Lent is not something I think too much about in my faith, but I like the idea of cleansing the soul, then cleansing our bodies in preparation for Easter. It is also good for ones health & diet to fast.

A candlelight dinner...

Valentine's is a day of romance filled with love and candlelight dinners. It’s the day of the year that couples express their deep and abiding love for one another. A time when expressing one’s love is shown through small gestures – a small wrapped box filled with a sparkling piece of jewelry or maybe a box with a silky red négligée or perhaps a romantic dinner at home with the one you love.

Whatever you choose to do this Valentine's Day, make sure it comes from the heart and it shows your special love just how important he or she is to you.

Being a cook, I feel the best way to a heart is through food. So, I suggest this three course dinner menu ending with champagne and espresso. Each of these recipes is easy to prepare and filled with flavors that will definitely add to the romance in the air.

So take the hand of the one you love and rekindle the spark of your first kiss by saying, “Will you be my valentine?”

Mesclun Greens with Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette

Steak au Poivre

Sauté of Baby Vegetables

Individual Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé

Champagne

Espresso

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Recipes for your above Valentine's Day dinner…

Mesclun Greens with Lemon-Miso Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
1 pound mesclun greens
1 pear, cored & sliced
6 ounces goat cheese

For vinaigrette:
4 tablespoons Miso (found in Oriental markets)
1 cup salad oil
½ cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons tamari
2 small shallots, chopped
2½ tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons water

In a large salad bowl, toss mesclun greens and set aside. Squeeze a bit of lemon juice on pear slices and set aside. Crumble the goat cheese and set aside.

In a food processor, blend all ingredients until the consistency of light cream. Add additional water to thin dressing if necessary.

To assemble salad: place a generous handful of mesclun greens on your serving plate, arrange a few pear slices around the greens and sprinkle goat cheese top your salad and dress it with your vinaigrette. And serve.

Makes about 2 cups



Steak au Poivre

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons black peppercorns, crushed
2 teaspoons white peppercorns, crushed
2 eight (8) ounce strip steaks
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2½ tablespoons butter
½ cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon flour
¼ cup cognac or brandy
1 cup beef stock or canned broth
2 tablespoons parsley, minced
2 tablespoons chopped parsley for garnish

Press peppercorns into both sides of the fillets; let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Season with salt.

Using a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat, warm the oil until hot. Add steaks and cook on each side for 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and keep warm. Discard the fat wiping the skillet clean. Add 1 tablespoon butter and shallots to skillet and cook for 2 minutes over medium-high heat. Add flour and cook for 1 minute. Add the cognac and reduce, stirring for 1 minute. Add stock, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Swirl in remaining butter and parsley.

To serve; place spoonful of sauce on plate and pour sauce over the steaks.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves 2



Sauté of Baby Vegetables

Ingredients:
1 pound haricots verts or tender young green beans
1 pound baby carrots with tops, peeled
¾ pound pattie pan squash
¾ pound baby purple pearl onions, peeled
4 tablespoon unsalted butter
Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

In a large heavy sauté pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add carrots, pattie pan squash and pearl onions; sauté until tender. Add green beans and sauté for 5 additional minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serves 2



Bittersweet Chocolate Soufflé

Ingredients:
½ cup sugar, plus additional for dusting
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 large egg yolks
1½ cups milk
1 tablespoon vanilla
6 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped fine
6 large egg whites
¼ teaspoon salt
Garnish with confectioners' sugar

Prepare a 6-cup soufflé dish with butter and sugar, knocking out excess sugar. Butter and sugar a 6-inch wide piece of foil long enough to fit around dish. Fit prepared dish with collar extending 2-inches above rim.

In a bowl, whisk together flour and 1 tablespoon sugar. In a small bowl, whisk together egg yolks and ¼ cup milk. Add to flour mixture, whisking until smooth.

In a heavy saucepan heat remaining 1¼ cups milk over high heat until it boils; whisk into yolk mixture in a slow stream.

Transfer mixture to a saucepan and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until it comes to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer until very thick - stirring constantly. About 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and chopped chocolate until smooth. Transfer to a large bowl.

In another large bowl, beat egg whites with salt until they form stiff peaks. Stir ¼ of whites into chocolate mixture and fold in remaining whites gently until thoroughly mixed. Pour mixture into prepared dish. Soufflé can be prepared to this point up to 1½ hours before cooking.

Bake soufflé in a preheat 375 degree oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until firm and set in center. Remove collar carefully and sift confectioners' sugar over top.
Serve with a dollop of sweetened whip cream.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• Saint Valentine's Day (commonly shortened to Valentine's Day) is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection.
• Valentine of Rome was a priest in Rome who was martyred about AD 269. Saint Valentine was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD.
• While some claim the first recorded association of Valentine's Day with romantic love is in Parlement of Foules (1382) by Geoffrey Chaucer this may be the result of misinterpretation. Chaucer wrote: "For this was sent on Valentine's Day, when every bird cometh there to choose his mate."
• Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.
• The rise of Internet popularity at the turn of the millennium is creating new traditions. Millions of people use, every year, digital means of creating and sending Valentine's Day greeting messages such as e-cards, love coupons or printable greeting cards.

My Internet message to you ~

The above dinner is one I did several years ago and the photographs were taken at different times for different occasions.

Chicken Liver and Pear Mousse...

Just in time for the Super Bowl, here is a terrific mousse pate that will have your guest calling you the next day for the recipe. It’s a rather refined pate that doesn't involve multiple types of pork fat, with an airy, compulsively spread able chicken liver mousse. The livers are sautéed with pears and shallots, and blitzed to a smooth puree in a food processor. By folding whipped cream into the liver mixture which will aerate it and provides a cool, creamy effect to the meaty flavor.



For entertaining, chicken liver mousse trumps any cheesy, baked concoction you may have made in the past. You can prepare it 24 hours ahead and serve it chilled, so there is no last-minute prep. But if you do want something extra-special, pipe the mousse onto crackers or mini phyllo shells or I will pipe it on pear slices and serve. Even if vegetarian pates are dismissed by purists, they are a delicious addition to any party.

Pate is delicious in any season, but its inherent richness and status in French gastronomy make it especially appropriate right now. It's the little indulgences that make entertaining feel special — getting dressed up, snacking on a variety of treats and enjoying the game with friends. With its emphasis on transforming common, unappreciated ingredients into decadent fare, making pate is a small act of culinary magic.

Chicken Liver and Pear Mousse

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1½ cups chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped semi-firm pear
½ cup chopped shallot
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound chicken livers, trimmed of any fat and halved
1½ teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons brandy
2 tablespoons pear brandy
~(regular brandy may be substituted)
1 cup cold whipping cream

Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet on medium-low. Add the pear, onion and shallot, and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, until pear is tender. Move shallot and pear to the sides of the skillet and place the livers in the center. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until firm but still pink in the center, turning once or twice.

Remove from heat and set aside to cool for 10 minutes.
Add liver mixture to a food processor. Add the thyme, brandy and pear brandy. Process until smooth. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

Cover and refrigerate 45 minutes or until chilled.

Add whipping cream to a large bowl and beat with an electric mixer on high speed until medium-stiff peaks form. Gently fold the cream into the liver mixture in 4 additions, taking care not to over-mix and reduce the cream's volume. Taste and add salt and pepper if desired. Transfer to mason jars, ramekins or other serving dish. Chill at least 2 hours or overnight. Serve chilled. Mousse will keep in the refrigerator for about 5 days.

Makes about 3½ cups

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George’s notes:

• Pears and pear brandy draw out the sweetness from rich, meaty chicken livers. Serve as a spread or dip, or use a pastry bag to pipe swirls of mousse onto crackers, mini phyllo shells or apple slices. You can experiment with different herbs, spices or liqueurs.
• The Super Bowl was created as part of the merger agreement between the National Football Conference (NFC) and its competitive rival, the American Football Conference (AFC). After its inception in 1920, the NFL fended off several rival leagues before the AFL began play in 1960. The intense competitive war for players and fans led to serious merger talks between the two leagues in 1966, culminating in a merger agreement announcement on June 8, 1966. One of the conditions of the merger was that the winners of each league's championship game would meet in a contest to determine the "world champion of football".
• Super Bowl XLIV will be pitting the American Football Conference (AFC) champion Indianapolis Colts against the National Football Conference (NFC) champion New Orleans Saints to decide the National Football League (NFL) champion for the2009 season.

Cheese Balls...

As a child, when it was time to decide whose house to party at on Super Bowl Sunday, I always voted for the side of the family that served cheese balls. Not only did they turn the other way when I topped off my Shirley Temple with a few more cherries, but they never objected when I polished off a box of butter crackers spread with half of their cheese ball supply. Those were memorable parties. I recall walking toward their front door on Super Bowl Sunday like it was yesterday. The air was crisp, the sun was shining, and I could see the late winter Georgia air on the window.

Inside, amid trays of salami, olives and carrots with ranch dressing sat those mounds of cheese delight. They were expertly rolled in pecans, while no longer crunchy, were so finely chopped that no one remembered that the cheese balls had sat on a grocery store shelf for a week or two prior to being purchased. When sliced, the spheres exposed colors vibrant enough to make '70s fashion seem tame. My favorite was the port wine-flavored one with a dark-red center that smelled faintly of bacon.

Years later, I discovered with much trepidation that my admiration for the cheese ball was not universal. I learned that many were disrespectful of this dish that my family and I held so dear.

One night recently at a party, I ran into a group of self-pronounced “foodies” chatting over a bowl of hummus about dishes traditionally served by their families during the holidays. One exclaimed that her aunt never let them sit down to dinner until the annual cheese ball was finished. When I spoke kind words about her relative and, chuckling, shared that I had been known to finish a ball or two even before the last guest arrived, I was given looks of total disbelief and slight disgust.

To my surprise, they informed me that most serious modern food lovers associated cheese balls more closely with Velveeta than Brie and Gorgonzol. To them, cheese balls were considered suspect, and people like me, who sang their praises, were not to be trusted in the kitchen.

So I kept my desire quiet, praying that the nut-covered dairy treat of my childhood would once again grace a table when I attended the next party, only to have my dreams repeatedly shattered. Cheese balls, it seemed, had fallen out of fashion.

Then one day after recalling the good times I had at the hors d'oeuvres table as a child, I decided I had had enough. I was going to rock the cheese ball boat. I would bring this American classic into the next millennium. In so doing, I discovered that cheese balls never go out of style. They just need a makeover.



Sweet Potato Cheese Ball

Ingredients:
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
8 ounces light cream cheese
1½ tablespoons minced jalapeno pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce
1 teaspoon Lawry season salt
1 teaspoon pepper sauce
¼ cup minced green onions
¼ cup finely chopped pecans
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon granulated onion

Let cheese come to room temperature. Boil sweet potatoes in jackets until tender. Peel, mash and cool. Blend sweet potatoes and cream cheese. Add the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Shape into balls.

Chill in covered container overnight.

Serve with your favorite crackers, slices of pear & apple.

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George’s notes:

• Cheese is one of the most used ingredients around the world. It is a milk based solid food. Cheese can be prepared from cow, sheep, goat and other mammal milk.
• Hundreds of types of cheese exist all over the world. The types of cheese exist due to the usage of the milk from different mammals, specific species of molds and bacteria and also varying the aging length. Other processes are also used to prepare different types of cheese. Other factors which determine the type of cheese is the diet of the animal the milk is taken from. The diet can include herbs, spices and wood smoke.
• Velveeta is one of the most vilified foods in the United States. It's right up there with Spam. Velveeta is classified as a pasteurized processed cheese food. It actually has to label itself as food to clarify its status. Kraft, its manufacturer, likes to call it a "fun, family-friendly" cheese food.

Cheddar Olives...

When planning a cocktail party, I always make sure to have one "straight-from-freezer-to-oven" recipe, and I usually make an extra batch. You can keep refilling the tray as long as you need to, and any leftovers stay in the freezer for the next party. There's only one problem ~ with this favorite hors d'oeuvres, there are never any leftovers. Ever! No matter how many I make.

Even when I've quintupled this recipe for a cocktail party, they were all gone before the party was over. People just can't get enough of the warm, cheddary, slightly crumbly pastry enclosing a juicy olive.

It comes together in a snap - a single recipe probably takes about 20 minutes or less to get in the oven. Obviously, the more you make, the longer it will take, but once you've got the dough made, rolling the olives is pretty mindless. This is an old southern recipe - you'll find versions of it in many cookbooks.

Cheddar Olives

Ingredients:
8 to 10 ounce jar of pitted green olives, either pimento stuffed or plain.
1 cup sharp Cheddar, shredded
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
½ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon cayenne*

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Drain the olives well, and dry them completely with paper towels. Set aside.
Combine the other ingredients in a bowl and mix well until a dough forms. You can kneed it with your hands, if necessary, until it has the consistency of play-dough.



Pinch off a small amount of dough, flatten it, and wrap it around a dry olive. Being careful not to squeeze the olive, pinch off any excess, then roll it in your hands until smooth. Continue until all the olives are covered.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown. OR freeze, wrapped tightly, and they will last for months. Bake straight from the freezer for 20 minutes.

* I prefer the cayenne, but in a pinch I've made it with paprika and it was just as good! You just want a little something in there to cut the richness.

Serve immediately.

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George’s notes:

• Cocktails are the centerpiece of many celebrations. Throwing a cocktail party is an easy way to commemorate any occasion or milestone. Best of all, you never need an excuse to host a cocktail party. It's the perfect "just because" gathering to catch up with friends.
• Stock your bar with these staples so you never have to worry about not having the cocktail your guest might want.

Liquor
Vodka ~ 2 bottles, including flavored ones. Vodka is always a safe bet because you can serve it on the rocks and it mixes well with any kind of juice, soda, or tonic.

Gin ~ 1 bottle for old-school martini lovers and tonic drinkers will do the trick.

Tequila ~ It’s the prime ingredient of margarita and 1 bottle will do the trick.

Rum ~ 1 bottle to make delicious drinks with sodas or fruity flavored mixers.

Whiskey ~ consider this a broader category that includes bourbons and scotches and an at home bar is complete with 1 bottle.

Beer, red and white wine ~ Have all three on hand is best, but not a must. I usually have two types of beers and one type of each wine, thus introducing a new vineyard tasting and encouraging conversation among my guest.

Mixers
Soda ~ Tonic, Coke and diet versions, club soda, and fancy flavors, like cream vanilla flavored soda.

Juices ~ Orange, cranberry and grapefruit juices as well as vegetable juices like cucumber or tomato. Also remember lemon and lime juice.

Flavored Mixes ~ Liquor is always enjoyable when you had a tasty flavor to it and store brought mixes like pina colada, daquiri, margarita are a relatively inexpensive and easy thing to keep on hand.

Garnishes
Garnishes can be pretty much anything, but always keep the basics like olives, cherries, lemon and lime wedges, and sliced fruit on hand.

New Year’s Day Dinner…

This Southern dish is traditionally a high point of New Year's Day, when a shiny dime is often buried among the black-eyed peas before serving. Whoever gets the coin in his or her portion is assured good luck throughout the year. For maximum good luck in the New Year, the first thing that should be eaten on New Year’s Day is Hoppin' John. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve, many southern families toast each other with champagne and a bowl of Hoppin' John. If it is served with collard greens you might, or might not, get rich during the coming year.

Hoppin' John is found in most states of the South, but it is mainly associated with the Carolinas. The Low Country cuisine reflects the cooking of the Coastal Carolinas, especially the Sea Islands ~ a cluster of islands stretching along the coasts of South Carolina and Georgia; where I have been spending Christmas & the holidays with my family. Black-eyed peas, also called cow peas, are thought to have been introduced to America by African slaves who worked the rice plantations. Hoppin' John is a rich bean dish made of black-eyed peas simmered with spicy sausages, ham hocks, or fat pork, rice, and tomato sauce.

There are many variations to traditional Hoppin' John. Some cook the peas and rice in one pot, while others insist on simmering them separately. I like to cook it as one dish and serve it with my Collard Greens with a Dash of Soul and Aunt Carrie's skillet cornbread. Let's hope it brings luck to us all in the New Year.


New Year's Dinner 2010

Hoppin' John

Ingredients:
1 pound dried black-eyed peas
2 small smoked ham hocks or meaty ham bone
2 medium onions, divided
3 large cloves garlic, halved
1 bay leaf
1 cup long-grain white rice
1 can (10 to 14.5 ounces) diced tomatoes with chili peppers, juices reserved
1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
½ green bell pepper, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 jalapeno or serrano pepper, minced
2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
¾ teaspoon ground cumin
¾ teaspoon salt
4 green onions, sliced

In a large Dutch oven or kettle, combine the black-eyed peas, ham bone or ham hocks, and 6 cups water. Cut 1 of the onions in half and add it to the pot along with the garlic and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer gently until the beans are tender but not mushy, 2 to 2 ½ hours. Remove the ham bone or hocks, cut off the meat; dice and set aside. Drain the peas and set aside. Remove and discard the bay leaf, onion pieces, and garlic.

Add 2½ cups of water to the pot and bring to a boil. Add the rice, cover, and simmer until the rice is almost tender, about 10 to 12 minutes.

Mince the remaining onion then add to the rice along with the peas, tomatoes, and their juices, red and green bell pepper, celery, jalapeno pepper, Creole seasoning, thyme, cumin, and salt. Cook until the rice is tender, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the sliced green onions and the reserved diced ham. Serve with hot sauce and freshly baked cornbread.

Serves 6

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George’s notes:

• Most food historians generally agree that "Hoppin' John" is an American dish with African/French/Caribbean roots. There are many tales or legends that explain how Hoppin' John got its name.


• It was the custom for children to gather in the dining room as the dish was brought forth and hop around the table before sitting down to eat.


• A man named John came "a-hoppin" when his wife took the dish from the stove.


• An obscure South Carolina custom was inviting a guest to eat by saying, "Hop in, John”


• The dish goes back at least as far as 1841, when, according to tradition, it was hawked in the streets of Charleston, South Carolina of a local restaurant by a man who was know as Hoppin' John.


• The photograph at the top left was taken walking long the northwest portion of St. Simon's Island (GA) looking across Buttermilk Sound toward Broughton Island.

Beef Tenderloin...

My go to entrée when I am having a few friends in for dinner is a beef tenderloin. It can also be the star of the buffet menu for your holiday cocktail party. It's delicious whether served hot, at room temperature, or cold. Thinly sliced, it can serve a great many people. Even though a whole beef tenderloin is expensive, it is worth it for a special occasion.
Go to your local butcher and ask him to dress the tenderloin. That way you are cooking all beef without the waste, since he has trimmed it way; this will also brings down the cost.

It is doubtful that you will be adding beef tenderloin to your weekly meal rotation; but the holidays are a special time and, of course, special food. A beef tenderloin also gives you an opportunity for culinary creativity. I sometimes will marinate it overnight. An especially nice marinade for this purpose is ¼ cup olive oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon dried thyme. Or if I am grilling the tenderloin, I coat it with your favorite southwestern dry rub ~ 2 tablespoons chili powder, 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground cumin, and ½ teaspoon dried oregano ~ and I roast as described below. The method I am using in this recipe gives you a beautifully rare middle.



Beef Tenderloin with Chili-Cured Onions & Yukon Gold Potatoes

Ingredients:
1 (24-ounce) beef tenderloin, seasoned with garlic & fresh ground black pepper

Onions:
2 cups vertically sliced red onions
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
2 teaspoons chili powder
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon ground red pepper

Potatoes:
4 Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

To prepare onions, combine first 6 ingredients in a bowl; toss well. Let stand 2 hours, stirring occasionally. In a microwave proof dish, place onions and microwave for 5 minutes. Drain and spray with cooking spray and microwave for an additional 5 minutes or until tender.

To prepare potatoes, combine potatoes, oil, salt and pepper; toss well. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan coated with cooking spray. Bake at 450 degrees F for 15 minutes. Turn potato slices over and bake an additional 20 minutes or until tender and lightly brown.

Rub tenderloin with olive oil and rub pepper and minced garlic over surface. In a preheated oven set at 450 degrees F and bake for 20 minutes medium-rare. Let stand for 5 minutes and slice into ½ -inch slices.

On each plate, place slices of tenderloin and potatoes.
Top beef with onions.

Serves 4

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George’s notes:

• Holiday entertaining should be a delight and never a chore; if it is the latter, you may as well be partying with Scrooge.
• Whether your get-together is spontaneous and casual ~ good friends devouring a potluck supper around the kitchen table or more structured, like a Saturday afternoon cocktail party or you are having a formal black-tie midnight New Years party ~ Your party should bear your personal touch; just remember, the fancier and more detailed the event, the more you'll need to do...

Christmas Morning French Toast...

Ok, tomorrow is the best day of the year in any home ~ for some with small children, it could also be an early morning, so set the coffee for an early morning brew and get ready for an exciting day.

After all the packages are un-wrapped and the tree is bare of gifts; head to the kitchen and fix a breakfast bunch that will become part of your family holiday memories. Here is a recipe that has been part of our Christmas mornings.

Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night………………



Rum-Raisin Christmas Morning French Toast

Ingredients
4 eggs
1 cup Eggnog
2 tablespoons Dark Rum (optional)
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon salt
12 slices cinnamon swirl raisin bread
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons cinnamon sugar
~ 1 cup sugar to 1½ tablespoons cinnamon

On the stove heat heavy skillet.

In a medium mixing bowl, beat eggs with a wire whip.
Add eggnog, rum, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt, whip to combine. Soak bread slices in egg mixture for 1½ to 2 minutes. Soak only as many pieces of bread as you can fit in your griddle at one time. Two batches of six or three batches of four. Add melted butter to the medium hot griddle.

Sprinkle each slice of soaked bread with ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar and lay sugar side down in the griddle. Sprinkle additional ¼ teaspoon of cinnamon sugar on top of each slice in the griddle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes until French toast is a light golden brown and turn to cook other side.

Serve hot with creamy butter rum sauce or butter and maple syrup.

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Butter Rum Sauce
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
½ teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons light or dark rum

In a medium size saucepan combine sugar, 2 cups water, cinnamon, and butter and bring to a boil. Stir in cornstarch blended with remaining ¼ cup water and simmer, stirring, until sauce is clear. Remove from heat and add rum. Sauce will be thin.

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George's notes:

• The Butter Rum Sauce is an excellent addition poured over my Christmas Fruitcake.

Gift giving...

Yesterday, I was trying to finish up some last-minute gifts before I head out for Christmas. Gift giving sometimes becomes a real hassle when you don't really know the person very well, and a gift of some sort is obligatory ~ like to your boss or co-workers. Even when you know the person really well but have given them practically everything they ever wanted or needed on previous occasions ~ I’m talking next door neighbors and old friends, who are closer to you than family.

Books are a good fall-back for me, as far as gifting my nearest and dearest, but an even better all-purpose gift is something to eat, and I don't mean just a plate of Christmas cookies or one of those little baskets from Swiss Colony with the triangular little packets of cheese-food that taste like a pair of cruddy gym-socks, or one of those lavish and overpriced catalogue numbers. Although I love Harry & David fruit baskets, especially their delicious pears. I mean a carefully constructed food basket, and no, you do not need Martha Stewarts' skills - or her pocketbook.

My favorite gift food-basket starts with a cookbook: any cookbook. Those tiny specialty cookbooks about the size of a Beatrix Potter book, the thin paper-bound books that used to be given away by companies, any of the Sunset cookbooks - really, anything that has some nice recipes in it that would appeal to the recipient. I pick-up cookbooks of this kind at the half price book section of my local bookshop. But caution, you do not want to build a basket around a cookbook of sweets for someone that is a diabetic, or a book of barbequed meats for a vegan.

Pick a recipe out of the book, mark the recipe with a book mark, or a piece of ribbon ~ and measure out all the ingredients for it in appropriate containers, carefully labeled and packaged. I have bought little bottles and cellophane bags, and sheets of labels at the Container Store, or hobby shop, or at the local big-box import place. You can also purchase sheets of shrink-wrap, or shrink-wrap bags— the kind that you can use a hair-dryer to shrink over the basket when it is all finished, and excelsior or finely shredded packing materiel at the same place.

Really, you are only limited by your budget; there is nothing to stop you from building a basket around a whole meal— but if perishables are included, either assemble at the last minute, or keep refrigerated. Include in a bottle of wine, or a loaf of bakery bread, if you like, and any fancy accessories you can afford. I have done baskets based on a recipe for tea bread, and adorned it with a wooden spoon or an inexpensive metal whisk. I did a basket for the head of the firm I worked for many Christmases ago with the recipe for this Lentil soup and a copy of the book it was taken from. The finished basket was trimmed with a bunch of bay-leaves and whole garlic clove, which I knew she loved. She absolutely adored it and early the following year, gave me a raise.

It's not strictly required to stick to items for human consumption, either: I did a basket for some friends moving into a new house in the suburbs, filled with a bird feeder, a pound of bird-seed to fill it, and a little field guide to local birds. I also did a basket for friend who was re-doing their bathroom, which included a spa-style shower head, some aromatherapy soaking salts and various toiletries, and a really nice terrycloth hotel-type robe. It's not even strictly necessary to use a basket, either; just some sort of appropriate container; say, a terracotta pot for a collection of gardening supplies, or one of those big tins for a collection of gourmet popcorns, with a popper and an oven mitt, for instance.

About the baskets, though; this is the embarrassing part. To buy an empty basket at retail price will likely make it the most expensive single element, which is counterproductive to my goal of a high-end one-off gift basket at an affordable price. So, in other words, buy a Neiman-Marcus quality basket at a Walmart cost. And the best place to find a variety of attractive baskets is at the thrift stores and flea markets, even yard sales will do. I usually pay only a dollar or two. They can be washed in mild soap and warm water and hung out in the sun, to give them that new basket look. And it's not like anyone will really be looking at the basket; they'll be looking at the contents anyway, and with luck, salivating slightly.

So there you are: stuck for a gift for someone you only know casually? Food is always gratefully received ~ trust me; it’s a gift we all would want to receive.

Wishing you all a very Happy Holiday and Joyous New Year!

Christmas Mincemeat and more...

Mincemeat has been my favorite holiday pie since I was a little boy. Especially when it is made from an old-fashioned mincemeat recipe ~ not the bottled version purchased at your local store. The flavor is sort of like a Middle Eastern mixture of cloves, cinnamon and nutmeg. There's a definite meaty taste, which I really like, with an ever-so-slight sweet flavor.

You might have noticed that I am a bit of an Anglophile when it comes to cooking. I love the various traditions and legends practiced in England. One legend goes, when mincemeat is made in an English kitchen, all the family takes turns in stirring and making a secret wish. The mixture is always stirred clockwise, the direction in which the sun is assumed to proceed around an earth at the center of the universe. To stir in a counter-clockwise direction is to ask for trouble in the coming year!

So I usually make a couple of batches of my Christmas mincemeat and use it for pies and give jars to family & friends. Hoping they will make a Christmas Mince Pie filled with this delicious homemade mincemeat. Christmas mincemeat is not, as the name suggests ~ meat, if you look at the Christmas Mincemeat recipe you will see it is sugar, fruits both fresh and dried, Brandy and suet.

The recipe below is remarkably easy to make and homemade mincemeat is such a treat it is worth doing. Make your mincemeat ahead of time to give it time to mature but don't worry if you are last-minute, it still tastes good.


Christmas Mincemeat

Ingredients:
1¾ cups dried currants
1¼ cups brown sugar
1½ cups apples, peeled, cored, and finely chopped
1¼ cups golden raisins
1¼ cups raisins
⅔ cup mixed peel of lime & orange, chopped
1¼ cups cold suet, shredded
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon nutmeg
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 Lemons, grated zest and juice
⅔ cup Brandy

In a large baking bowl combine all the ingredients except the brandy. Stir really well making sure all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Cover with a clean tea towel and leave overnight.

Next day, heat the oven to 225 degree F. Remove the tea towel and cover the bowl with foil and place in the warmed oven for 2½ hours. The suet will have melted but don't worry; this is how it should be as the fat is what will help to preserve the mincemeat. Stir well and leave to one side to cool, stirring from time to time.

Once cool stir the mincemeat again, add the brandy and stir again.
Fill sterilized jars with the cold mincemeat, cover a lid. The mincemeat will keep up to one year in a cool, dark place.

Makes 3 – 16 ounce jars

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Old-Fashioned Christmas Mincemeat Pie

Ingredients:
Pastry for 9-inch two crust pie
~ see my basic pie crust recipe below
1 quart prepared mincemeat, recipe above
~ 1 (28-ounce) jar prepared mincemeat pie filling may be substituted

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Prepare pie crust.
Spoon prepared mincemeat into crust-lined plate. Cover with remaining crust and flute. Cut slits in crust so steam can escape. Cover edge with aluminum foil to prevent excessive browning.

Bake pie 40 to 50 minutes or until crust is lightly browned and filling bubbles. Remove aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack before cutting and serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Serves 8

* I usually will do a lattice crust on top. Instructions below.
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Basic Pie Crust

Ingredients:
2⅔ cups all purposed flour
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup chilled solid vegetable shortening, cut into small pieces
½ cup (1 stick) butter, cut into small pieces
1 large egg
3 tablespoons (or more) ice water

Combine flour, sugar and salt in processor. Using on/off button, cut in shortening and butter until mixture resembles coarse meal.

Beat egg and 3 tablespoons water in small bowl to blend. Add egg to flour mixture.

Process until moist crumbs form, adding water, 1 teaspoon at a time, if dough is dry. On a light floured service, divide dough into 2 balls.

Flatten balls into disk and chill for 1 hour.
Let dough soften to room temperature before rolling.

To make a lattice top:

Before starting the lattice top, roll out half of your pie dough and line your pie dish with it. The dough should extend beyond the rim of the pie dish by about half an inch. Put it in the refrigerator to chill while you work on the lattice. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the other half of your pie dough to the same extent as the first half (about 3 inches beyond the diameter of your pie dish). It's easier to work with the dough if it is chilled, so if it the dough has softened too much, put the rolled-out piece on a flat cookie sheet and chill it in the refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes.

Cut the dough into even strips, ½-inch to ¾-inch wide, depending on how thick you want your lattice strips. You can use a blunt knife with or without a ruler or straight edge to guide you, or you can use a pizza wheel or a pastry wheel if you have one.

Fill your pie shell with the pie filling. Lay out 4 to 7 parallel strips of the pie dough, depending on how thick your strips are, on top of the filling, with about ½-inch to ¾-inch space between them. Fold back every other strip.

Place one long strip of dough perpendicular to the parallel strips as shown. Unfold the folded strips over the perpendicular strip.

Now take the parallel strips that are running underneath the perpendicular strip and fold them back over the perpendicular strip, as shown. Lay down a second perpendicular strip of dough next to the first strip, with some space between the strips. Unfold the folded parallel strips over the second strip.

Continue this process until the weave is complete over the top of the pie.

Trim the edges of the strips flush with the dough of the underlying pie dish, which should be about half an inch over the sides. Fold back the rim of the shell over the edge of the lattice strips, and crimp to secure.

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George’s notes:

• Mincemeat developed as a way of preserving meat without salting or smoking some 500 years ago in England, where mince pies are still considered an essential accompaniment to holiday dinners just like the traditional plum pudding. This pie is a remnant of a medieval tradition of spiced meat dishes, usually minced mutton, that have survived because of its association with Christmas. This pies have also been known as Christmas Pies. Mince pie as part of the Christmas table had long been an English custom.
• Today, we are accustomed to eating mince pie as a dessert, but actually "minced" pie and its follow-up "mincemeat pie" began as a main course dish with with more meat than fruit (a mixture of meat, dried fruits, and spices). As fruits and spices became more plentiful in the 17th century, the spiciness of the pies increased accordingly.

Cheese Straws...

There is something about nibbles that add to entertaining. They sometimes get a conversation going or by passing them around gives an opportunity to interrupt a friend in need to escape a dull moment. One of my favorite cocktail nibbles is Cheese Straws ~ a rich and buttery bite, flavored with sharp cheddar cheese.

Growing up in Augusta, Georgia, there was a local bakery ~Smokes, that had the absolutely best cheese straws. Just the right size to pop into ones mouth, yet loaded with buttery goodness. They sold them by the pound and you got quite a lot that way. Every home you went to during any holiday ~ The Masters included ~ there was Sam Smokes’ cheese straws. Well after some 65 years, old Sam retired and his staff of ladies who had been there since Probation, all retired too. No more Smokes, not more cheese straws.

So what to do, but winkle the recipe out of one of the old pastry chefs. Being a Southern, does have its advantages ~ a wink here, a nod there and telling stories about past parties of old and events you know this sweet little lady catered. It was probably easier for “the gate crushers” to get into that State Dinner recently at The White House; but my winking & nodding worked ~ here is old Sam Smokes’ Cheese Straw recipe. Enjoy this classic, quick, and easy appetizer that can be served with drinks at any occasion!

Sam Smokes’ Cheese Straws

Ingredients:
14 tablespoons butter, room temperature
3 cups sharp Cheddar cheese
1¾ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for rolling
⅛ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper, more or less
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce


Put the butter and cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the flour, salt, cayenne, and Worcestershire; and blend thoroughly. If a stand mixer is not used, put the flour, salt and cayenne in a bowl. Add the butter, cheese, and Worcestershire, and using two knives or a pastry blender, thoroughly blending together. Wrap in waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for at least 1 hour..

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Roll small amounts of dough into a long tube about the width of a straw and cut in desired lengths. Or, roll dough out on a floured surface to about ⅛ -inch to ¼ -inch thickness, cut into strips, and gently twist. Arrange the strips on 1 or 2 un-greased baking sheets.

Bake in preheated 300 degree F oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the straws are crisp and lightly browned. Remove and let cool.

Makes about 5 to 6 dozen

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George’s notes:

• You can roll out the dough and cut them into shapes with cookie/biscuit cutters, which I general do.
• These make a great gift to take with you, when you are feeling a gift is required.
• For anyone who wants to make these cheese straws in advance, they freeze extremely well. Just bring them out about an hour or so before you plan to serve them.

Christmas Fruitcake...

Fruitcake at Christmas time is an old holiday tradition. It's one of those foods that you either love or hate. Those who hate fruitcake can't imagine why anyone would want to eat it. Another holiday tradition is fruitcake jokes. Fruitcake bashers often refer to them as bricks or door stops.

But...People really do eat fruitcake! Some people ~ like me ~ REALLY love fruitcake. It's our passion and the highlight of the Christmas season.

While the practice of making cakes with dried fruits, honey and nuts may be traced back to ancient times, food historians generally agree that fruitcake ~ as we know it today ~ dates back to the Middle ages. Early versions of the rich fruit cake, such as Scottish Black Bun dating from the Middle Ages, were luxuries for special occasions. Fruitcakes have been used for celebrations ever since, in the early 18th century the bride cakes and plumb cakes, descended from these enriched bread recipes.

My love of fruitcake comes from my Scottish ancestors. For me, it's impossible to imagine a Christmas without fruitcake. Every year in late summer, my great- Aunt Lillian would make her Fruitcake using her great- grandmother's recipe, wrapped it in several layers of cheesecloth and safely stored them on the top shelf in the pantry -- beyond anyone’s reach. Weekly she would bring all of them down and pour a generous amount of her homemade peach brandy over them ~ letting it soak deeply into each cake.

Aunt Lillian loved her Christmas cakes; because they were fruit-filled, moist, and absolutely delicious. The first week of December, she would wrap them up and mail them out to all her relatives. It became a daily question when I got home from school, “Has the fruitcake arrived?”

So, throughout the holidays, whenever visitors came, they could never leave without first sampling a piece or two of Aunt Lillian’s fruitcake. Now you can use the same old-fashioned Christmas Fruitcake recipe to make your own delicious memories.


Dark Christmas Fruitcake

Ingredients:
4 cups raisins
1 cup candied cherries - halved
1 cup candied pineapple
1 cup diced candied mixed fruit
1 cup pecan halves
1 cup thinly sliced almonds
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 cup brown sugar
6 eggs - separated
1 cup vegetable shortening
1½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1½ teaspoon ground cloves
½ square unsweetened baking chocolate (melted)
¼ cup lemon juice
¼ cup orange juice

Preheat oven to 300 degree F.

Thoroughly grease a 4 x 10 -inch cake pan or 2 large loaf pans. Line the bottom and sides with aluminum foil. Lightly spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the fruit and nuts. Toss the mixture with 1 cup flour to coat. In a second bowl, sift the remaining flour with the baking soda and spices.

In a very large bowl, at medium speed, beat the shortening and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the melted chocolate & mix well. At low speed, alternately beat in the flour/spice mixture and the fruit juices.

In a separate bowl, with clean beaters, beat the egg whites until stiff. Fold the beaten egg whites into the batter. Add the fruit and nut mixture and stir in by hand until all the ingredients are well mixed. Turn the batter into the prepared pan (1 tube pan or 2 large loaf pans or 3 small loaf pans).

Bake in a preheated oven at 300 degree F – If using a tube cake pan for 2 hours and 20 minutes; or if you are using 2 large loaf pans for 1 hour and 45 minutes. Cool completely in the pan, on a wire rack. Remove the cooled cake from the pan and wrap it well in cheesecloth.

Make sure to make about two month before you plan to serve. That way, you can soak it in the brandy of your choice several times ~ allowing the brandy to penetrate through out the fruitcake.

Serves 12


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George’s notes:

• The Society for the Protection & Preservation of Fruitcake wants to defend this cake's reputation and make sure it's part of every Christmas season for generations of future fruit cake lovers.
• One of the classic phrases regarding the longevity of fruitcake was coined in 1983 by Russell Baker: "Fruitcake is forever."
• Another goes… "Thirty-four years ago, I inherited the family fruitcake. Fruitcake is the only food durable enough to become a family heirloom. It had been in my grandmother's possession since 1880, and she passed it to a niece in 1933."
• Here's a good one... "When my great- grandmother inherited it, it was already 86 years old, having been baked by her great-grandfather in 1794 as a Christmas gift for President George Washington. Washington, with his high-flown view of ethical standards for Government workers, sent it back with thanks, explaining that he thought it unseemly for Presidents to accept gifts weighing more than 80 pounds, even though they were only eight inches in diameter...There is no doubt...about the fruitcake's great age. Sawing into it six Christmas ago, I came across a fragment of a 1794 newspaper with an account of the lynching of a real-estate speculator in New York City."
• "Take the story of the travelling fruitcake, years on the road like the Flying Dutchman or the Man Without A Country. One family received it on some long ago Christmas from distant friends. On the following Christmas, they wrapped it in elaborate packaging and sent it back to the givers. On the next holiday, it returned. And so on and so on - the gift that keeps on giving." --- Let Them Eat Fruitcake, by Mary Lou Healy
• Just in case you were interested...The oldest fruitcake company in the United States is the Collin Street Bakery, Corsicana Texas [1896]

My Secret Eggnog...

Served from a punch bowl, this popular holiday beverage deserves a toast for surviving the taste test of time.

As a child growing up, I looked forward to the Christmas Season when the milkman would deliver milk and cream to our home. For many southern families, it wouldn't be Christmas without whipping up Grandma's eggnog recipe. Eggnog is no longer confined to the punch bowl, as evidenced by the recent recipes for eggnog cupcakes, ice cream, truffles and French toast. Even though, eggnog's origins are somewhat obscure, it's long been a Gaston holiday staple.

Christmas is fast approaching and with it the time for those wonderful holiday drinks - hot toddies, mulled wine, and of course, Southern Eggnog. Now it happens that I make quite possibly the best eggnog in the South. If you have any doubts as to the veracity of my seemingly extravagant claim, ask anyone who has experienced it and they will, no doubt, tell you that it is unlike any eggnog you have ever tasted.

In the spirit of the season and because I have a noble spirit and generous heart, I am going to share my secret Southern Eggnog recipe with my loyal readers and anyone else that stops by.

I've always loved eggnog and have tried many variations over the years. At one point I decided to trace eggnog back to its roots. I wanted to find how it was first made, the “Mother of all Eggnogs”. This recipe dates from the mid-1700s, and while it may not be the first eggnog, it's old enough for me. I've adjusted the amount to a reasonable quantity (the original recipe made about five gallons) and adapted it to modern ingredients ~ not easy to find 18th century style loaf sugar.

The most important thing about this eggnog is that it should age at least two weeks - longer if possible - so if you're going to try it, now's the time to start. I usually mix up mine around now.

You'll need a 2 gallon crock. If you don't have or can't find one, a couple of 1 gallon jars will do ~ but they lack the authenticity of a 18th century crock. The recipe makes about a gallon of eggnog base, but you need sloshing room to stir the mixture.

My Secret Eggnog Base

Ingredients:
3 quarts Rum
~ I use a dark Cuban rum, but you can use any rum you like. You can also vary the flavor by using 2 quarts Rum and 1 quart Brandy, or 2 quarts Rum and 1 quart Captain Morgan's, or whatever strikes your fancy. I've done an interesting variation by adding a pint of Southern Comfort. But, it is probably best to stick to the original all-rum version the first time you make it.

1 quart whole milk (not 2%)

24 fresh egg yolks - I get my eggs from a local farm, but at least use fresh organic veggie-fed free range eggs – like Eggland’s Best. Use the leftover whites to make an angel food cake or something with lots of meringue.

3 cups sugar, approximately ~ here's another item that has a lot of flexibility. I usually use light brown sugar, but I've also used dark brown sugar, white sugar and a mixture thereof.

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste. You can also add a bit of cinnamon and/or cloves, but be careful - a little goes a long way and too much of either will overpower the other flavors. My personal preference is for nuttin' but nutmeg.


Making the base…

Separate the eggs ~ I usually break each egg into a small bowl and remove the white stuff before I put them all together ~ Beat the eggs well till they're a bit frothy. Pour the bottles of rum into the crock, add the eggs, sugar, and nutmeg, and stir well. Cover the crock and put it in a cool place and let it age until Christmas. Give it a stir every three or four days. I suppose you could put it in the fridge, but it's not necessary unless you live somewhere that doesn't have cool places.

For those of you, who worry about such things, let me reassure you that there's no danger of spoilage with the raw eggs and milk - the amount of alcohol takes care of everything. I've been making this eggnog for more than 25 years and no one's ever gotten sick from it. I've kept bottles of previous years' aged base in the fridge for 5 or 6 months and it was still just fine.

To finish the recipe…

Once the base has aged, it's not for drinking yet. It's just the base.
Just before serving, whip heavy cream until it is thick but still pourable. Gently fold an equal volume of the whipped cream into the base, top with a grating of fresh nutmeg and serve. If I'm only doing a couple of servings, I mix the base and the cream individually in the mugs. If it's for serving to a group, I mix the whole batch in a punchbowl.

CAUTION: Once it has aged and is mixed with cream, it's very smooth and mellow and doesn't taste like it has as much alcohol as it does. It's also very, very rich, so approach it with the sensibility you would exercise with fine cream pastries.

I usually make a double batch so I have enough for Christmas giving to friends. I bottle the base in Grolsch beer bottles - the kind with the wire bale lid - and give it together with a pint of heavy cream and a whole nutmeg.

I can hardly wait until this year's batch is ready...

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Now for those folks who aren’t quite adventurous, here is my “modern-day” simpler eggnog recipe, which is just as good ~ some say better ~ but not so out there in “crock & bottle” land.

Classic Southern Eggnog

Ingredients:
1 cup brandy
½ cup sherry wine
½ cup Jamaican rum
½ cup good bourbon whiskey
12 eggs, separated
¾ cup white sugar
1 quart whole milk
1 quart heavy cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream, soupy soft
1 tablespoon freshly ground nutmeg as garnish

Pour the brandy, sherry, rum, and whiskey into a bowl.

Place the egg yolks and egg whites into two separate, large mixing bowls. Set the egg whites aside. Beat the egg yolks until light and frothy. Gradually beat in the sugar until the egg mixture is light colored. Slowly beat in the liquor mixture. With the mixer still running, pour in the milk and heavy cream until blended.

Using clean beaters, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the milk mixture. Pour into two clean, gallon-size plastic milk containers. Refrigerate at least 5 days, or 10 days for an even smoother taste. Shake the container occasionally to keep the alcohol from separating.

To serve, pour the eggnog into a punch bowl. Whisk to blend milk mixture, add the quart of vanilla ice cream, and garnish with nutmeg.

Enjoy with as many friends as possible!

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George’s notes:

• Most theories behind the origin of eggnog center on Europe and colonial America. One theory is that Europeans first created eggnog by adding wine or sherry to the drinks they made out of eggs and milk to make their dairy products last longer in the absence of refrigeration. Most theories about the name, however, claim that colonial Americans were the first to coin the term "eggnog." One such theory is that colonial Americans added rum to their eggnog, which was then called "grog." The theory is that the drink was originally called "egg-and-grog," which became "egg-n-grog," which became "eggnog." Another theory comes from the fact that small wooden mugs used in taverns were called "noggins" and that putting an egg drink into a noggin soon gave way to the name "eggnog." Another interesting history tidbit: George Washington concocted his own recipe for eggnog that included rye whiskey, brandy, rum and sherry.
• A true eggnog is highly alcoholic and not very sweet. Those accustomed to the unctuous qualities of so-called eggnog mixes from the commercial dairy are usually taken aback at the robust flavors of the true drink. The proper texture is achieved through time; the eggs are set, or cooked gently, by the alcohol of the whiskey.