pop’s eggnog

she’s back! my very first guest blogger, queen of the cocktail and winner of the 2009 tapas bonanza. this time, with a recipe for holiday cheer… from grampa. because seriously, isn’t that what grampas are for? (mine had his own bottle of champagne to celebrate my birthday, even though he’s miles and miles away. i love it. hi grampy!)

a blizzard was upon DC and a pile of gifts had accumulated under the tree, needing to be wrapped. carols were playing, the yule log was on tv and a cup of eggnog, i thought, was in store. while i was tempted to run to the store and grab a carton of ‘nog, i thought better and called my pop to freshen up on the old family recipe.

during the prohibition, my pop told me, whiskey was made in a basement distillery in my great-great grandfather’s home in annapolis.  this homemade whiskey was the staple of his eggnog.  i’m the 5th generation to drink this tasty recipe which is still enjoyed during the christmas season on miller road.

this recipe makes a vat.  it can easily be halved, which i recommend, if you’re making for just a few.

here’s what you need:

6 eggs, 1/2 cup sugar, 1 cup whiskey (jack daniel’s is my pick), 1/2 cup dark rum, 2 cups whipping cream, 2 cups milk, nutmeg (optional)

here’s how it’s done:

in a large bowl, put egg yolks.  in a smaller bowl, keep egg whites.

beat yolks until they look lemony with some air bubbles.  add sugar and beat.

SLOWLY add whiskey and stir in with spatula.  SLOWLY add rum and stir in with spatula.

SLOWLY should be emphasized; if added too quickly, whiskey will cook eggs. [editor’s note: really??!?!]

beat egg whites in separate bowl until very frothy and stir into larger bowl.

beat whipping cream in separate bowl until very frothy and stir into large bowl.

stir in milk.

pour yourself a cup and add a sprinkle of nutmeg. get snowed in and enjoy!

“bread machine”

as you know, i love challenges, crazy recipes and trying new things in the kitchen. so when i saw this on the box of our (early) christmas present:

(long, long ago in a galaxy far, far away…)

i, of course, had to give the “bread baking function” a try immediately.

did i mention the present was a rice cooker?

…how intriguing…

(also, please note here that i have never used a bread machine. my mother would die. she makes bread the old fashioned way. i promise to show you someday.)

so really more as a lark than anything else, one rainy sunday afternoon i decided to give it a whirl. uncharacteristically, i started by reading the instructions. i thought i should stick to them fairly closely because i didn’t want the newest member of our kitchen family to explode or anything.

first, you scald your milk. this means get it to bubble, but not quite boil.

(it’s not there yet…) then add honey (we’re making “honey wheat” apparently), vegetable oil and salt.

since i obviously can’t stick to a recipe TOO closely, i didn’t think it would hurt to use molasses instead. of course, this will mean a darker, slightly bitter bread. okay by me. (also, i had no honey…)

you let this cool to lukewarm, and add half a packet of yeast. if you add the yeasties when it’s too hot you will scald and kill them. much like yogurt.

when they are dissolved, start adding your flour one cup at a time.

i didn’t think two cups would be enough, but… maybe i should trust the recipe.

it was. turn this sticky ball of dough out on a floured surface, and with floured hands, kneed for 10 minutes. that’s a long time. really a workout.

do you know how to knead dough? start by pushing the ball with the heel of your palm.

(both palms, of course, but someone had to take the picture, right?!)

then turn the dough 90 degrees

be careful to not in any way pull or tear the fibers you are creating in the dough!

fold it over

and repeat from the beginning

for 10 minutes. it’s harder than it looks!

[a note on baking in acrylics. as part of my kick-ass halloween costume – and possibly because of some secret fantasy – yes, those are acrylic nails. while i was a little concerned about how kneading would go, this is actually a great lesson for beginning bakers: you should really not ever be using your fingertips when you knead. therefore, proceed in your fake nails. in case you were worried.]

once the dough is kneaded, you put it in the rice cooker and set to “bake.”

40 minutes later, a nice little  buzzer goes off to tell you it’s done rising. doubled in size – perfect.

take the dough out, punch it down and… here, again, the rebel in me came out. instead of a single loaf, i’m going for rolls, so i cut the dough into four pieces

and put them back in the rice cooker. (i was hoping they’d sort of fuse while baking, but break apart like rolls at the end.)

40 minutes later and the buzzer sounds again… it’s almost done.

flip the loaf over – be careful it’s HOT – and let it brown the other side for the last 10 minutes.

check it out!

delicious bread in a rice cooker. what will they think of next?

so my tear-apart-rolls idea didn’t really work, but no one seemed to mind!

[MH: thank you so much for the fabulous early christmas addition to our kitchen!]

mama cooks

as i’ve mentioned before here at icf, my mom is a superior cook. she can handle the i’ve-got-a-hungry-family-no-recipe-and-30-minutes-to-get-dinner-on-the-table style cooking, as well as extensively planned out multi-course dinner parties. she is also a fabulous baker. oh, and she makes a wicked cocktail.

since she occasionally sends me pictures of what she makes, i thought i’d share them with you too, dear readers. just pictures, no recipes, but they surely deserve documentation.

strawberry-rhubarb shortcake

homemade grilled fish banh mi

banana muffins – some with chocolate chips, some with walnuts

savory rhubarb pasta

grilled shrimp and veggies

morning glory-esque muffins

salmon with my favorite asparagus and lentil salad

cinnamon buns – ready for the oven

triple ginger cookies with dried apricots and candied ginger

cranberry-orange breakfast goodies

cranberry-oat bars

cranberry-apple rustic pie

apple-prune yum

brown ale braised chicken

salad of grilled figs (locally grown!) with feta and arugula, balsamic vinaigrette

special edition: grandma cooks! grilled striped bass with butter caper sauce

st. germain sangria

grilled bronzinos

cinnamon-raisin swirl bread

the best citrus chicken

thai-style fried rice with chicken, pineapple, and cashews

german chocolate cake

mushroom barley soup packed for a soup swap

cranberry tartlets with honeyed goat cheese rosettes

raddichio and cauliflower salad

cinnamon pull-apart bread

plum cake

more orange tomatoes – this time, in a savory tart

st. germain sangria

orange tomato pizza

new hampshire blueberry jam

rustic blueberry pie with crumble topping

salad of arugula, watermelon and feta, with dressing of lime, fresh thyme, shallot and thin slices of serrano pepper

lillet, st. germaine, orange bitters, a splash of champagne and a homemade maraschino cherry!

le gateau basque

supper al fresco – beet salad, lentil salad and onion & blue cheese salad

rice salad with asparagus and cashews

unidentified dinner!

boston college screaming eagle cheese-steak subs

vanilla ice cream with chambord

new york-style crumb coffee cake with jam filling

coconut layer cake

poached eggs with brussels sprout ribbons and bacon crumbles

cod in a thai red curry sauce with banana, cilantro and peanuts on jasmine rice

banana-ginger scones

authentic british currant scones

2010 christmas stollen – one with almonds, one without

mini chocolate stout cakes, for holiday giving

baked apples

roasted sweet potato & beets with sauteed beet greens & leeks, and quinoa hash with a fried egg

the “hayride” – bourbon, cider and a little lemon juice

swiss chard tart with roasted baby carrots

corn relish – in the pot, then in the jar

almost-vegan sno cap cupcakes

slow roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic and mint (yes, mint!)

mama cooks on vacation – bread salad, shrimp and corn on the cob

mussel and corn boil

quinoa salad from a new york times recipe

icicle radish and butter on farmer’s market bread

georgetown cupcakes’ chocolate with cream cheese frosting, dressed for a graduation party

cherry almond coffee cake

tom sietsema’s favorite quick dessert*

* details here.

thumb print cookies with marmalade and rosemary

seeded whole wheat loaf

molasses ginger muffins

hot cross bun (bread) pudding with whiskey sauce

hot cross bun throwdown

pignoli macaroons

fried brown rice with an egg, crunchy garlic and ginger

quinoa salad with avocado, almonds, apricots and raisins

homemade pork and shrimp dumplings

martha stewart’s meyer lemon sour cream coffee cake

walnut whole wheat baguette with raisins

slice of pecan chocolate torte

christmas stollen, pre-oven

marinated goat cheese

whiskey tart

chocolate almond biscotti packed for gift-giving

apple-blackberry tea cake

apple crisp in a pool of brandy-infused creme anglais

coconut impossible pie

sweet-sour chicken with currants and peperoncini

banana bread with chocolate chips and candied ginger

mini pumpkin spice cupcakes with raisins and pecans and a frosting of brown sugar, molasses, orange zest and cream cheese

grass-fed beef sliders on multi-grain bread with caramelized onions

peach and blueberry rustic fruit pie

slow oven-roasted herbed tomatoes on a roll with parmesan shavings

julia child’s gateau a l’orange et aux amandes

mark bittman’s pad thai style rice salad with chicken and shrimp