Eggnog To and Fro

What the heck is a nog anyway? According to the dictionary:
nog1 [nog] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–noun
1. any beverage made with beaten eggs, usually with alcoholic liquor; eggnog.
2. a strong ale formerly brewed in Norfolk, England.

Ever heard of aged eggnog? I hadn't. A friend of mine called with a terrible hangover he got from having what he called fermented eggnog. I'd never heard of such an animal. I started to research it and found that the actual term is Aged Eggnog and some people let it sit for a year before drinking. I found one intriguing recipe that was first tasted at an expat party in Shanghai in the 1920s. In this recipe the author suggests letting the nog sit for 3 weeks but many think a year makes it better. There is another recipe on NPR's website that sounds delish and has a delightful story behind it. This one suggests letting the nog age from Thanksgiving to Christmas. I may attempt one of these next year!

Finally, I tried the newest Limited Edition Haagen-Dazs flavor, simply called "Eggnog". It smells just like a carton of fresh eggnog and has a rich, sweet, cream flavor. There are caramelly ribbons throughout and very light hints of nutmeg and cinnamon. Now eggnog is something for me I can have a small cup of each year. It's so rich, so distinct and so fatty that it coats my mouth and throat and really I'm sated very quickly. I did not find the icecream to be as thickly creamy? but perhaps more sweet than liquid eggnog. In my opinion, if you are using it as a tiny scoop to accompany a hot dessert, or the cranberry chocolate cookies, it would be festive. But I wouldn't want more than a spoonful or three :) because there is no counterbalance. There is no crunch or savory or spicy anything. Only the caramelly sugary swirls that add nutmeg but rarely anything else to the palate.

Our Christmas Eve At the Village Jester and Christmas Dinner -- Y U M!

I had a great holiday with my sister and some of my closest friends. Our Christmas Eve was delicious and somewhat harrowing, all at once. I wrote my account of it here, on the Ojai Post. Meanwhile for Christmas Dinner I went less traditional and made: maple glazed, garlic clove studded pork roast, fresh chestnut and brussels sprouts with a hint of butter and nutmeg and crispy, salty, sweet potato fries. The combination of the caramelized, crisp, sweet potato fries, the richness of the brussels, the nuttiness of the chestnuts with the sweet of the nutmeg combined so beautifully with the maple glazed, thinly slice garlic pork roast. Just incredible. I hope you had a fabulous holiday and I can't wait to hear about your culinary adventures!!