Your Holiday Home Bar

 With home parties comes the promise of heady drinks. However the last time most home bartenders checked their liquor cabinets since the last end of summer parties. It's time to check to see what you have and what 's needed.

What you may not need is the hard liquors.Opened brandy can last anywhere from six months to two years and even longer if it's a better brand. The same goes for whiskey. Vodka is one of the alcohols with the highest level of longevity. Once opened it can last anywhere from ten to twenty years.Any flavor of schnapps can last indefinitely. If you do need new bottles here;s the question - do you go with the highly expensive brands or cheaper ones, knowing that it will be gone by the night's end.Most mixologists or bartenders tend to go with a mix of high and low end , while many prefer a mid range selection of spirits.It really depends on your budget. If you'd rather spend it on food , then have a good variety of low end brands with maybe one or two mid range ones. Check out groceries like Lidl and Shop Rite that offer budget based ones.LIdl has an excellent selection and you can always find what you're looking for there.There are also liquor stores that are having sales right now. Check those out to see if you can score a few deals.

Is champagne a must for holiday parties? The bubbly works for New Year's Eve  however it doesn't really fit in to a holiday party.(unless it'sa  double celebration like an engagement or an accomplishment). wine is the best glass here and make sure you have a selection of whites and reds to go with the food you'll be serving. If it's more a chicken, fish and veal menu then have more whites than reds. If the party features beef Wellington and filet mignons, then serve a medium bodied dry red wine with them, Keep in mind that you'll also need sodas and juices Some guests would rather have a spritzer made with wine and seltzer. Flavored seltzers add a kick of flavor and elevate the mixed drinks to another level. Three or four bottles with one plain and three flavored should be part of the home bar. Orange juice should be on hand for those who want screwdrivers and have a bottle or two of cranberry juice for making Cape Codders. Keep in mind that fruit juice and seltzer make for a lovely mocktail for non drinkers too.Fresh lemons, limes and oranges should also be on the ready for garnishing along with green olives and pearl onions for any dry martinis.

Is your home bar fully stocked for your holiday parties? Do inventory and get what you have to. THis makes for a stress free night of fun bartending.

A Truly North American Whiskey

 As Scottish as whiskey is, it does thrive on the grains of North America. Now an ancient Mexican corn is shaking up the traditional Highland recipe, giving a unique blend of Old and New Worlds,

Author of Single Malt: A Guide To the whiskies of Scotland and TImes obituary (!!!!???) writer Clay Risen wrote about this blend in yesterday's New York Times Food section.Mr. Risen writes about one of the Yucatan Peninsula's oldest corn breeds  the nal t'teel or rooster corn so ninknamed because it grows quickly and is unobthered by heavy rains or drought.It emerged f0ur thousand yars ago and gtows in a variety of colors.It almost died out thanks to the influx of high yield hybrds developed in the US. This older breed was given a lifeline fo sorts when the Gran Maizal Distillery in Merida used t and other indigenoius corn breeds to make whsikey. This boosted the local economy.Now there are more than a dozen disterlleries across Mexico using corn native to their regions. Half of them are already exporting ro are planning to export to America to create a new market.

There are differences in the way Mexican whiskey is made. First the corn goes through the ancient process of nixtamalization in which the dry  kernals are steeped in an alkaline solution. This maks them not only easier to work with  but better tasting too. Gran Maizal whsikey is not produced in the traditional column still. This cna cause the liquid to lose character however ti gains in effeciency.It's made in a pot still which allows the grains' flavor to come through. Gran Maizal's owner Gonzalo de la Pezuala along with Cesar Alaya also worked with a research lab to create a proprietary yeast strain to ferment the corn. The company combines four varieties to make their whiskey, chalaqueno, bolita,tepecintle and olotillo, each taken from a different subregion around Oaxaca. Chalaqueno grows in the far highlands while olotillo gows in the coastal plains along the Pacific Ocean.The four types produce a colorful harvest but more imprtantly produce a whiskey with a nuanced blend of flavors. GRan Maizal has high hopes for the US, a country now known for its'c raft whiskies.

Combining millennia old  New world corn breeds wih centuries old Old world whiskey recipes could be the next bing thing. These ancient breeds will give the liquor new spark and fire. It should be an interesting mix.

Your Holiday Home Bar

 Drinks are a big part of the holiday scene. There is wine to accompany a Christmas ham or turkey. Champagne to ring in the New Year/ A nice Irish coffee to finish a quiet night in. A home bar should be well stocked and ready for any kind of drink. whether alcoholic or -nonalcoholic.

What should any well stocked home bar have? Corkscrews are always a must  along with bottle openers.There will always be bottles to be uncorked and you don;t want to use a dinmer fork to do this.A couple of jiggers or small measuring cups are also handy ,expecially when you're creating mixed cocktails and even mocktails. Of course yo'll eed a good cocktail shakers for those holiday martinis along with strainers for making sure ice or pulp doesn't drop into the finished drink. Most professional bartenders use what's called a Boston shaker but you can buy a cobbler one that has a built in strainer. For the perfectly mixed drink make sure you have bar spoons which long handled spoons with small bowls. Also have mixing glasses for making multi ingrdient libaions. You can. find these at any store from Amazon to Wal-mart. You should alreay have champagne glasses and tumblers too. If you are dealing with a big crowd, then buy the plastic versions and keep the good stuff locked away.

What about the types of alcohol? A good gin such as Beefeater's is a must. It can serve as a base for many cocktails. Whiskey is another must have.  Keep in mind it and bourbon are sort of alike. Bourbon has fifty-one percent of a corn mixutre in it while whiskry has just an equal amount of mashed grains in it. Another home bar staple is rum. The best for cocktails is Flor di Cana, which has aromas, of white chocolate, and orange along with sweet almonds and vanilla. As for rumfor punches then have Bacardi Superior rum for a fun fruity punch, A good tequila rounds out the bar. Try to find a good blanco or silver one . it has a relatively mild flavor and clear color.It's the best for cocktails. Sodas play an important role in a home bar too, epsecially for mocktails. Yes, you should have cola for makeing rum and Coke along with ginger ale for non drinkers)Both drinkers and non drinkers like a good fizzy cocktail. Have various seltzers around. One of the best is Waterloo which comes in such flavors as grape , spiced apple, watermelon and peach. Also have plain sletzer for mixing as well.

Make sure your home holiday bar is well stocked for the dinners and parties ahead. This will ensure tasty cocktails and mocktails for yourself and guests. There's nothing like the perfect sip for the holidays.

A Boozy Thanksgiving

 Alcohols seems to make everyting and everyone feel better. Imagine adding it to your Thanksgiving menu . A basting or a cup of bourbon, whiskey or whatever can add to the recipe. It can liven up dinner or dessert.

Bourbon is  perfect for any Thanksgiving dish. Thanks to its' sweet and spicy flavor it can be used in both main and dessert recipes. A bourbon maple glaze is a great addition to  a turkey and will make for a memorable bite.It's taking aquarter cup of the drink and mixing it with a quarter cup of maple syrup. The glaze is cooked with a stick of unsalted butter and ahalf cup of apple juice along with a quarter teaspoon of ground black pepper. it'sten brished on the cooked turkey slices . You  can also sub in whiskey for the bourbon. Another idea is a cognac gravy This is combining veggies like leeks, onions and celery witflour and  four cups of chicken broth. A cup of cognac is added to this and the already cooked turkey parts are added to this.If you feel that a bourbon or whiskey glazed tur

key may be too much, then simply add the alcohol to the gravy.It 's mixing a cup of Sauvignon Blamc with a quarter cup of bourbon and then stirring it into heavy cream based roux .This will alsohave turkey giblets, neck and drippings. it whisked together to form a tasty gravy that would also be good over mashed potatoes.

What about those sides? Can they get boozed up too? Yes . Sweet potatoes are another great pairing with bourbon. Both have a sweetness that can bounce off each other. Think a sweet potato casserole made with warm fall spices like cinnamon, and clove. Vanilla and light brown sugar also compliment the yam's flavor.Eggs give it body and texture. It's topped with a sweety crunchy crumble of, raw pecans, brown sugar,c cinnamon and melted butter. You could also makea brown butter bourbon cauliflower side too. This is roasting cauliflower florets in olive oil. While this is roasting make the butter sauce.It's cooking the butter until it's brown. Two tablespoons of bourbon and one tablespoon of maple syrup are added to this along with half a cup of walnuts. Of course bourbon is a great addition to pecan pie.It's almost mandatory in this Southern classic. It's a simple recipe that also involves bot light and dark corn syrup mixed with three eggs and half a cup fo melted butter. One and three quarter cups of pecans gives the pie its' nuttiness and crunch.

Add some das to your holiday meal. A few tablespoons of bourbon, whiskey or cognac can elevate any dish. Try it for a fun , boozy Thanksgiving Day.

Ultimate Veg The Best Vegetarian Cookbook Ever!

It is still hard to cook for vegetarians, despite the explosion of the Beyond Meat and Impossible Burgers phenomena. You can't serve these for every meal. You have to come up with different dishes with different flavors  Thankfully Jamie Oliver comes to our rescue with a new cookbook. There's nothing but meat free dishes in it.

Ultimate Veg: Easy and Delicious Meals For Everyone (Flatiron Books 2020) is the must have recipe book for those home chefs cooking in a vegan and vegetarian household. The book is written in Oliver's in your face style and it's refreshing to see the first pages begin with recipes. There are help pages and guides but they're at the end of the book, not at the beginning. Chef Oliver gives good hints and tips as well as urging to grow our own veggies. Vegetables lose their nutritional values as soon as they're picked. Having a garden, whether it 's a plot of land, bucket, pot or even a grow bag.He also delves into what is a portion along with how much should we eat.(about five portions of fruit and veg per day according to UK standards.) he also urges to eat the rainbow which is reflected in all his recipes. He explains why  as in eating purple veg and fruit is good for maintaining healthy blood pressure and muscle function. why, purple produce  is full of  life saving potassium. There's also a section on fats and Chef Oliver explains the differences between the various oils. He also recommends using organic butter and staying away from margarine because it is hydrogenated.

The recipes are divided such sections as soup and sandwiches, salads,,pasta, and the very fun Friday night nibbles to name a few. I love this book and plan on using it a lot. What is great is that that there will be leftovers which can be served the next day or later on in the week. There are so many recipes I want to try.I especially love the curries and stews section because it has such mouth watering dishes , perfect for the cold days - and nights ahead. The super comforting gumbo is on my radar. This is melange of chickpeas , and plum tomatoes cooked with celery , peppers and cayenne pepper. Another must cook  is his mushroom stroganoff, spiked with whiskey and made creamy with the addition of sour cream or creme fraiche. I do like the Friday night nibbles which can easily also make for a weekend supper. His polenta chips look heavenly , These can easily be made with leftover pulse too. it's roasting polenta pieces for fifty minutes in a 350 degree F oven. There's also a tasty tortilla dip that has cherry tomatoes and red chili mixed with cream cheese. The ploughman's nachos are another must make.It's sliced bread like sourdough, slathered with a mix of butter and HP sauce baked with sharp cheddar on top  and topped with pickled onions. Yum!!! There's also simple pickle recipes I want to try too. Every recipe from the pastas to pies parcels and bakes , along with soups, sandwiches and salads will be created in my kitchen.

Vegetarian home chefs must get Ultimate Veg :Easy And Delicious Meals For Everyone. There are dozens of delicious and fun recipes to make and try. There's no need to have faux beef every night once you have this book.

New Irish Cuisine

Tomorrow is Saint Patrick's Day and Irish-Americans will be overdoing the whole corned beef and cabbage thing.However these really aren't indicative of Celtic cooking. Real Emerald  Isle cooking can  be a mix of hearty and delicate, of land and sea, of old traditions and new methods.

The early Irish relied on a variety of grains and it's still evident in some of their foods today.Oat wheat and barley have been grown since Gaelic Ireland ,around the early 1000's. Oat cakes and oat breads were baked then and ancient households had such new fangled equipment as a kneading trough(?) a kneading slab along with a griddle and griddle turner.Twenty-first century bakers , throughout the island make oatmeal bread, a hearty, nubby loaf that makes for excellent toast and sandwiches.Of course there is Irish soda bread, which would have been for the very wealthy centuries ago. This is made with white flour and baking soda, the last used for leavening. It's one of Irish American bakers go to recipes and it's been amped up with raisins and sometimes currants or orange zest. Porridge is one of the most ancient of all Gaelic recipes and it is still being cooked today. Then, as it is now, drizzles of honey or melted butter is added for some oomph. Some even add a drop of whiskey or chocolate for fun.

Pork is another staple of the Irish diet. The use of it goes back to Neolithic times when it , beef and venison were eaten regularly. Modern descendants still enjoy it in the form of trotters, pigs feet or a dish called coddle.This is a soup laden with bacon, sausage , potatoes and onions, perfect for a cold St. Paddy's Day. Ireland has always been associated with the potato, yet it was the English who introduced the South American tuber to the country around the late 1600's. It was a good source of vitamins, especially Vitamin C and was widely cultivated up until the Great Famine of 1848, It was the potato that caused the migration too, along with introducing Gaelic food to America. A true dish that is made on both sides of the Atlantic is boxtie. This Irish potato pancake is flavored with onion and nutmeg.Unlike German  potato pancakes and latkes , they're fried in butter until they're crisp and golden.It can be served as a side or main dish but always plain without the usual accompanying sour cream or applesauce.

Modern Irish cuisine takes ancient ingredients and turns them into delicious , hearty dishes.It is not just corned beef and cabbage. It's grains and pork, potatoes and oatmeal, refashioned into easy to make recipes.It is Ireland, then and now.

The Joy Of Canadian Cooking

Mexican cuisine usually gets all the attention when it comes to North American cuisine. Yet Canada also has a varied and interesting culinary heritage that marries native with European traditions. The result is a  meld  that  should make Canadian cuisine interesting and exciting.

Today's New York Times Food section is devoted to all things Canadian. One of the most interesting articles came from Dan Bilefsky, a long time Times writer and native Canadian living in Montreal. He interviewed First Nation chefs, Cezin Nottaway and George Lenser, both responsible for taking back an important part of their heritage. For centuries the Canadian government tried to erase the various tribal customs and languages. They were successful in that but not in taking away foods the Kitgan Zibi and Nisga'a nation that the two chefs represent. Chef Nottaway not only cooks native meat such as moose and beaver , she also hunts them too. She believes what her grandmothers taught her. - that animals will become lonely and suffer if they're not hunted. She does give a prayer of thanks to their spirits. There has been some uproar when to comes to seals. Even though the indigenous have special hunting licences to obtain their meat, the seal killing has rightly brought about protest from animal rights groups. The killings were very violent and traumatic, drawing six thousand names on a petition.Still Canadians are embracing the native dishes, as food trucks featuring them pop up in the major cities.

Another Canadian tradition, the butter tart was also featured. Sara Bonisteel,a freelance writer and first time contributor to the Food section wrote about these treats. They are the most simplest of bake goods to make. The filling is nothing more than brown sugar,butter and egg. Raisins are added along with vanilla extract.Other Canadian bakers ave tossed in toasted coconut , chocolate chips and nuts.It's orgins are murky,It could have evolved from the Scottish border, Bakewell tarts and the Quebec sugar pie.It's a pretty easy bake. with a simple butter crust and a custard filling.Maple syrup can be drizzled over them after baking. Canadians love their whiskey and there is also an article on it along with wines from the Lake Ontario region. For a while Canadian whiskies were dismissed as being bland and bottom shelf. That's all changing thanks to Davin de Kergommeaux, a whiskey writer from Ottawa.His articles are  introducing a new generation to peppery one hundred percent rye grain or ones finished in port and rum barrels. As far as the wine, Ontario was once known for ice wines, wines made from frozen on the vine grapes. It is changing thanks to vingerons such as Francois Morrisette who guide the grapes from infancy to fermentation.

Canada is a country  full of interesting cultures and cuisines. It's time for them to be acknowledged and tried. The Great North is full of great food and drinks.

Spicing Up Your Meats

Want to zing up that chicken or pork. Add spice - and yes, you can add  some of the ones that make pumpkin spice what it is. It's a nice way to add some flavorful heat on a nippy fall day. Best of all it give home chefs the chance to be creative.

Spiced meats are nothing new. Before refrigeration and salt, adding spices to various meals to preserve them and take away their rancid flavor. Pepper, cinnamon, cumin and cloves were the ones of choice and they still are today. What should today's cooks use?It depends on the meat. If you're having qualms about using anything more than rosemary or oregano - which are herbs, then just use a light hand. Start off with a roast chicken , flavored with ground pepper and  the Indian classic, garam masala. This last can easily be made at home  by blending cumin, coriander, and cinnamon with cardamom, cloves and nutmeg.It's then marinating the chicken for fifteen minutes before roasting and then roasting in an oven. Pair  the smoky sweet allspice and nutmeg with cayenne  in a fiery jerk rub . Cinnamon on its' own can flavor a chicken. For a Moroccan vibe mix the spice with cumin and ginger  and then fricassee it. Add almonds and couscous for more authenticity. Allspice and cumin can be turned into a paste along with paprika, onion and garlic powders  to rub over chicken . it's then roasted , producing a crispy, spicy skin.

Pork is another meat that can be zinged up with spice. Pork roast on its' own is delicious, but add cinnamon to bring out the meat's sweet flavor. It's combining the spice with salt, pepper, onion, sugar and garlic,. Soy sauce is added to make it a paste and then the mixture is rubbed onto the meat. It does need three to  twenty-four hours to marinate. Cinnamon can be combined with ground pepper for a tasty rub, sweetened with brown sugar and zinged up with dried mustard.Pair the spice with its' fellow sweet spices of nutmeg and allspice for a different kind of dry rub. Red pepper and garlic powder are also added to balance out the sweetness.it's then rubbed onto the pork and left to stand for twenty minutes to let the flavors soak in. Ham can also be improved with a variety of fall spices. A cinnamon glaze is a nice change of pace for a Sunday or holiday ham. It's combining it with maple syrup and dark brown sugar for a spicy sweet foil to the meat's saltiness. Allspice can also be used for ham as well. Mix it with cloves and a jolt of whiskey along with brown sugar and garlic powder. for a memorable glaze that will give the meat a nice bacon like crust

Consider spiced meat this fall. It's a nice alternative and will give chicken, pork or ham a smoky, warm sweetness. Add autumn's flavors to your main meal for a tasty change.

The Rosh Hashanah Feast

The fall holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are arriving in the upcoming week. It's a  time of celebrating the new year as well as atoning and fasting.. The first holy day is a day of feasting , and wishing prosperity to others.Families and friends get together to enjoy a meal as they welcome in another year

A must for the holiday is having something sweet at the table. One of the most traditional dishes is apples dipped in honey. This was taken from 12th Century Ashkenazi Jews of Eastern Europe and is widely accepted worldwide.Pears could be used too, as they're in harvest right now. Many first courses combine the savory and sweet. Melissa Clark marries chicken with figs for her holiday main course as seen in her A Good Appetite column in Wednesday's New York Times Food section.She also gives it bite thanks to Serrano chiles added for color and heat. Many home chefs pair chicken with pomegranates. The last represents fertility and prosperity as well.Fish heads are also served. This symbolizes the prayer "Let us be the head and not the tail." Gefilte or stuffed fish can be served however the tradition can be bent. Try pesce al Ebraica, fish cooked in the Jewish tradition.It''s taking any white fleshed fish such as cod and haddock, Sole could be used too.It's making a marinade out of olive oil, honey and vinegar along with salt.Raisins and pine nuts are then scattered over the fish and its' baked for only twenty minutes. Parsley is then sprinkled on it.

The holiday meal is also about sides as well. Honey glazed carrots are always a Rosh Hashanah staple. They're  the easiest to make,it's first simmering the roots in water and then cooking them in a glaze of honey , butter and brown sugar. Cinnamon is added for spice as are raisins.Carrots can also be turned into tzimmes,This stew also highlights yams and sweet potatoes along with  dried apples and cranberries Chopped pitted prunes are another ingredient that gives the dish color., Black eyed peas are also traditional and add a nice nuttiness to the holiday feast. Serve these just with melted butter or margarine. Spinach is another new year's food. Served just boiled with salt and margarine.A more refreshing way is having it fresh in  a salad, along with eggs, pomegranate seeds, and walnuts. Dessert plays an important part too. Regular contributor to the New York Times Food section, Joan Nathan lent an  apple cider honey cake recipe, coming from Chef Alex Levin of Washington's Osteria Morini. It's his grandmother's who was Craig Claiborne's expert on Jewish cuisine,It's made with apple cider butter, a homemade mix of butter, Granny Smith apples, apple cider, butter and brown sugar. The cake recipe has the extra filip of whiskey. The finished product is simply dusted with confectioner's sugar and served.

Rosh Hashanah is the new year coming in. Celebrate it with traditional and symbolic foods. Enjoy with family and friends.

Celebrating Outlander

As any Outlander fan can tell you the Scots know how to throw a party. The internationally loved series starts its' second season on Starz Chanell tonight at nine EST. .It's a wild ride through the French court and Scottish countryside.  What better way to celebrate than with a viewing party!

To be honest Scottish food doesn't really lend itself to parties.Luckily the two main characters, the ruggedly handsome and sharply witty Jamie and the smart, time travelling Claire start Season Two in  mid 18th Century Paris. This is where canapes come in . There can be a nod to Jamie's homeland by topping cocktail rye bread slices (these are the smaller loaves sometimes sold at deli counters) with smoked salmon and a sprig of dill.This can also take a French turn by switching the salmon for ham or French sausage . Another idea is making mini Croque Monsiuers for fellow fans . This is just making  sandwiches with ham and Gruyere cheese, quartering them and  then a quick fry in melted butter. If this is too rich , then think veggies and a simple vinaigrette dip. Jamie and Claire never traveled to the South of France  but they missed out on that Provencale treat pissaladiere, a kind of miniature  pizza topped with anchovies,pitted  olives  and onions.The onion puree takes about half an hour to forty minutes to cook up but the pies only take twenty minutes to bake. Wash it down with Jamie's beloved whiskey or better yet whiskey cocktails. End the evening with an Irish coffee, loaded with whipped cream (and make sure your fellow Outlanders don;t reach for a second).

If you still want to celebrate the Highlander way, you can with modified versions. Not many groceries in the States sell haggis,It has to be either homemade or mail ordered.It's made with sheeps offal or internal organs. A better take on it  is lamb burgers with neep chips. Neeps is the Scott vernacular for turnips which are the perfect root veggie for chips. These can be sliced wafer thin , drizzled with olive oil and sea salt and  then baked for twenty minutes. The same can be done with another Highland staple parsnips however the baking time is forty five minutes.Now for the bold culinary  move that even the Jacobites would have cheered on - add a few drops of whiskey to ketchup to create a  Highlander inspired condiment. Of course there can be sweets. You can  go with the light and airy macaroons , similar to the ones that the French royals munched on .These can be bought or made. The basic  recipe requires egg whites and almonds along with powdered and granulated sugar. These can be accompanied by that Scottish must have  - shortbread. Buy the buttery rich Walker's brand or make your own. You can even make the shortbread rounds , fork pricked with J's C's and F's - for the couple's last name Frasier, This last is from the French fraise, or strawberry. You can serve chocolate covered ones as  the episode ends.

If you;re a diehard Outlander fan, then celebrate the beginning of Season Two with a theme party. Knock back the whiskey, eat a few lamb burgers and cheer the Jacobites Go Team Frasier with good food and loyal fans.

A Better Ham

Ham is a holiday must have, especially for Easter. It's always the highlight of the meal, with its' tender pink flesh and crispy outer skin. Yet it can be dangerous to those with health problems or for those on a diet. There are ways to create a better, ham without sacrificing the rich flavor.


Surprisingly the meat is considered healthy on its' own.It's considered a lean meat with only 190 calories a slice along with being almost fat Free.. Yet what you put on a whole ham can dramatically make it not only taste good but also turn it into a health hazard.Most cooks glaze it with a variety of sweet toppings from ginger ale to brown sugar. Let's face it ,it does add a nice contrast to the meat's inherent saltiness. Instead try glazing it with whiskey or brandy. Ninety per cent of the alcohol burns off, leaving a smoky interesting flavor. Either that or cut down on the fruit juice , honey or brown sugar.

Another way to make your Easter ham better for you is cutting down on the salt.Don't soak it with high sodium chicken broth.Presoak in water instead to leech out the excess salt. Also dont' serve it with Worcestershire salt.Think a light mayonnaise or even a low calorie mustard on the side. Serving a smaller ham where everyone receives smaller portions is another way of making a meal more nutrition friendly. That way everyone can concentrate on the yummy spring vegetables like asparagus and greens.

A holiday ham doesn;t have to be unhealthy. It can be a nutritous part of your Easter dinner along with still being the jewel of the table.It willbe not only good for you but still the alluring centerpiece everyone looks forward to eating.

A Warm Relaxing Drink

Modern life can be so stressful.  There's running here and there along with daily problems and chores.It makes relaxing almost impossible. Thank heavens there is a nice hot cup of something to help soothe frazzled nerves and overactive minds. It can have a shot of booze or just  be something as plain as steamed milk. Either way they can help melt away all the problems of the day.

Some people  reach for a hot toddy for comfort. This is a classic that is a great comfort on a cold rainy night.(or right at home in any ski lodge).A hot toddy is basically whiskey mixed with warm  or hot milk. Sugar or honey along with cloves,  lemon or cinnamon are also added for taste. The ratio of alcohol to milk can depend on the person.If; it's been a bad day , then add more whiskey , if not , half a shot glass can do it. Hot buttered rum is another classic , perfect for a winter's night. It;'s only rum with the addition of hot but not  boiling water. A pat of plain or cinnamon spiced butter is added along with a cinnamon stick. Again how strong it's made is up to the individual.

For those who want just a simple cup of something hot, think about herbal teas. Chamomile tea is not only soothing it's good for an upset stomach.Another tea to try peppermint. Even its' aroma is decidedly comforting comforting .Teas can also come in a variety of combos too with different herbs and flowers mixed in. An alternative is a decaf  flavored coffee . Just  remember don't pour in any sugary creamers otherwise this could lead to sleeplessness. The most classic drink is hot milk. Warm up a cup of milk. Some add vanilla and nutmeg  along with just the tiniest bit of  sugar to amp up the taste. Just keeping it plain actually is the best bet.


A hot drink is the best way to end a busy day.Curl up with any  mug or cup of something warm and tasty right before going to bed. Try something with a kick or not to soothe those frazzled nerves.

Hogmanay -A Nae Year

It's time to celebrate Hogmanay, the Scottish version of New Year's . This is the time when children go from house to house and ask for small presents. it's also the time to take a wee nip of whiskey to toast the New Year's and ring out the old. Shortbread is served as well along with other traditional foods.

The Scottish run high with their traditions and Hogmanay is a great example of that. it's a leftover of the Viking celebration of the shortest day of the year . Christmas was really not a big holiday until the 1950's . New Year's was the time for feasting and merriment (and the Scots know how to rock a holiday). There was always a toast for the first footers or the first people to cross over your doorstep in the New Year. A handsome dark hand man crossing the threshold meant good luck. He would be promptly given a dram to get down along with some shortbread and a black bun, (a fruitcake wrapped in puff pastry). Guests would also settle down to the Scottish version of bubble and squeak or rumbledethumps. This was a fry up of cabbage , kale turnips and mashed potatoes. This could be served with fine Scottish salmon.

The Scots know how to do a New Year's celebration justice. They welcome in the New Year with open arms, good whiskey and good food.Being part Scottish myself (my Dad's ancestors left Inverness in 1745 after the Battle of Culloden Field) I'll try to do my part to ring in 2009.

A good New Year to all my readers here. Think of Robert Burns (who is a distant cousin of mine) tonight when the clock strikes twelve.

A Southern Christmas

The American South is known for its' variety of different dishes. This also means Southerners have a large choice of what they eat for Christmas. There are all sorts of meats , sides and of course desserts. The cuisine is a mix of African, Creole, English, Cajun and Spanish cooking. It is full of down home love with local ingredients. All this makes Christmas a special holiday a true feast for the senses.

Most Southerners appreciate a good ham to cook. This tradition has gone back to Colonial times when farms had plenty of pigs and hogs to spare. Fried turkey is another meat that;s on everyone;s dish on Christmas Day. There;s also that odd and bizarre creation of turducken where a chicken is stuffed inside a duck that in turn is stuffed inside a turkey. Of course there are home made biscuits to either dip in gravy or spread with butter. Sides usually consist of yams , okra, collard greens and green beans.

For Christmas parties there's always egg nog and non alcoholic punches.With this come a variety of sweets from pecan pies to snowflake pudding, a vanilla pudding riddled with coconut flakes. There is also the usual fruitcake. soaked in bourbon or whiskey as well as small butter cookies. Thanks to the French traditions. Louisianians have buche de Noel, a traditional holiday cake baked in the shape of the Yule log. There are also pralines for the kids to nibble on as they play with their new toys.

Christmas in the South is a unique experience, full of native foods and centuries old recipes. They make Christmas not only fun but full of tasty treats.