Junior Member
Registered: 12-22-07
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A YULTIDE GREETING
I’m happy the wintry episodes of Zurich and Vienna inspired the grizzled Captain to send out his holiday wishes of a promising new year. And as he does with all his expressive letters, he did so here with remarkable charm and discerning insight into Samantha’s work. In return, I also wish everyone a joyous holiday season and may the future bring good health, happiness, and peaceful prosperity.
The gears that turn to make this forum work would not allow my AOL application to be submitted after allowing my Anemone Arbor screen name to expire a suitable and quick death. I thank cruiseluver for her comment, which reminded me to keep my mawkishness in check. I’m glad I did because Beyond Words is better. Anemone Arbor sounds nice to paint on a wood sign to post above an arbor for entering into a REAL garden and I may do that in my backyard someday, but it looks pusillanimous as a screen name here. In whatever way, I just installed verizon high speed Internet to my old 1997 AcerView 56c computer, which I brought used in 2002, and it finally submitted from a new address. This time I won’t forget my password. I’m glad we can now use capital letters with an empty space between words in our screen names. Perhaps this is just one improvement so far to come from the change, but it is nothing to dance about, and certainly not worth what we have lost.
Intldoc has my sympathy for missing out to be at home with his family during the holidays. I too will be alone on Christmas day and have the unfortunate plan to attend my own mucus membrane choir of applauding tissues and don’t feel up for the long drive to visit family. My nostril performance has been going on like a long drawn out Woodstock concert with my nose thinking its Jimi Hendrix. At least I have a backup plan to be with a friend on New Year’s Eve and we’ll go out celebrating nearby among people.
I just watched an episode from Alton Brown's Good Eats called "School of Hard Nogs" that takes a look at the cocktail world with this famed, holiday quaff called eggnog. I found it interesting that he said drinking eggnog could help offset a hangover, but I’m sure it would probably have the opposite effect on my cold. Regardless, to give myself some yuletide entertainment, I might try out his recipe without the 3 ounces of bourbon to see if it helps with the hangover I hope to have on January 1st.
In a piece of writing appearing on screen just before a commercial break it is written, "The word 'nog' was an Old English term for ale and a 'noggin' was the cup from whence it was drunk. Modern eggnog descends from 'sack posset' a strong, thick, English beverage of old. In 1964 Congress granted bourbon the honor of being the official alcoholic beverage of the United States."
Because this cocktail is popular during the holiday season, I thought it would be ideal to include the recipe here as an act of raising my glass and drinking together in honor of everyone here. For those concerned about salmonella, two recipes are provided. The first with uncooked eggs and the second is with cooked eggs, and I use granulated splenda in place of real sugar. In the conclusion of the episode, Alton said the cooked version is thicker like a shake and almost like cooked custard. He said the thickness is not quite as refreshing and recommends the original uncooked version being better.
Courtesy of Alton Brown, here’s the recipes for those curious like me with little to do.
Cheers and Happy New Year!
4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pint whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
3 ounces bourbon
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
4 egg whites
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Add the milk, cream, bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.
Place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat to soft peaks. With the mixer still running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form.
Whisk the egg whites into the mixture. Chill and serve.
Cook's Note: For cooked eggnog, follow procedure below.
In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the egg yolks until they lighten in color. Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar and continue to beat until it is completely dissolved. Set aside.
In a medium saucepan, over high heat, combine the milk, heavy cream and nutmeg and bring just to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat and gradually temper the hot mixture into the egg and sugar mixture with a ladle. Then return everything to the pot and cook until the mixture reaches 160 degrees F. Remove from the heat, stir in the bourbon, and pour mixture into a medium mixing bowl, and set in the refrigerator to chill.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to soft peaks. With the mixer running gradually add the 1 tablespoon of sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. Whisk the egg whites into the chilled mixture.
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