Tag Archives: cloves

Mulled Wine

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When I think of mulled wine, I think of my daughter and I visiting my other daughter in December of 2010 in London. Everything was Christmassy, and it was cold, as expected. The first thing she did when we met up at her flat was to prepare mulled wine. It was so charming and thoughtful.

But I had no idea that mulled wine is so popular in London, at least during the cold months I presume. In fact, every single pub we visited, which was daily, served mulled wine.

Here is a special photo of us three gals at The Marylebone, after warming our spirits with mulled wine.

Those memories, of the beautiful quaint pubs, the Christmas markets, the mulled wine, fabulous meals, but mostly of being with my two daughters at a special time of year, were so important to me, that once home, I haven’t wanted to make mulled wine. I needed to preserve those memories some how. Until now.

Out of curiosity, I sought out recipes for mulled wine online, and they’re basically all straight forward. In fact, you can simply mull wine with purchased mulling spices! If you don’t know, the act of mulling is simmering or steeping the wine or cider.

I found a recipe on Epicurious along with a blurb written by Katherine Sachs that offered a bit more information when proceeding with mulled wine, with more options.

Katherine writes that “In Germany it’s called Glühwein and it’s occasionally made with with fruit wine; it’s Glögg in Scandinavia, and usually served with a spiced cookie or cake; in Quebec they mix in maple syrup and hard liquor and call it Caribou.”

I need to look into a Caribou. But on to mulled wine…

For a stronger pot, add some liquor, such as brandy or spiced rum. Mulled wine can also be made with white wine, such as a Riesling or Grüner Veltliner, if you prefer that style.

Mulled Wine
Serves 2, 3, 4…

1 bottle of good red wine, like a pinot noir
2 cups apple cider
1 cup ruby port
A couple slices of orange rind
4 cinnamon sticks
20 whole cloves
2 crushed allspice
Star anise and cinnamon sticks and orange slices for serving

Pour the wine, cider, and port into an enamel pot. Add the orange rinds, cinnamon sticks, cloves, and allspice.

Start heating slowly on a low-to-medium setting. You want to steep the wine, not boil or reduce it.

After about 30-40 minutes it will be done. Sieve the mixture if you don’t want the little spice bits.

Serve in cups with a cinnamon stick, star anise, and slices of orange.

I purposely didn’t shake the bottle of apple cider. I didn’t want the mulled wine to look murky.

This is especially important if you chose to serve the mulled wine in a glass cup. You want it pretty and burgundy, not brown and murky.

The mulled wine would work well in a carafe, so you don’t have to keep it on the stove. Just serve!

Hope you enjoy this recipe.


I have prepared mulled port before and that is slightly sweeter than mulled wine, but definitely still warming and flavorful. It was mulled with clementines.

Pipián Rojo

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The story behind my discovery of Pipián Rojo is an interesting one, because my husband told me about it. His massage therapist is of Mexican descent, and obviously they were discussing food during his massage. That in itself is interesting. I mean, I’d do that, but I didn’t think my husband would! In any case, she told him about this sauce, Pipián Rojo, and he asked me to find a recipe for it.

Before going to my Mexican cookbooks, I looked online and found a recipe by Mely Martinez, whose blog, Mexico in My Kitchen, I already follow. It sounded exactly how my husband described it, with peanuts, pepitas, sesame seeds, chile peppers, all combined in a red sauce.

Here’s a photo from Mely’s blog post on Pipián Rojo, and one that shows her lovely face!


Turns out this sauce belongs to the family of sauces called mole, (pronounced mo-lay), which means sauce. Here’s an explanation from Wikipedia: Mole (/ˈmoʊleɪ/, /ˈmoʊli/ Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmole]; from Nahuatl mōlli, “sauce”) is a traditional sauce originally used in Mexican cuisine, as well as for dishes based on these sauces. Outside Mexico, it often refers specifically to mole poblano. In contemporary Mexico, the term is used for a number of sauces, some quite dissimilar, including black, red/colorado, yellow, green, almendrado, de olla, huaxmole, guacamole and pipián. Generally, a mole sauce contains a fruit, chili pepper, nut and such spices as black pepper, cinnamon, cumin, and chocolate.

Mely writes that this classic sauce originates from her home town of Tampico, Tamaulipas, and although she’s been blogging for years, she only posted on Pipián Rojo in 2016. It just didn’t seem so “fancy” to her I’m guessing!

Well I’m glad she did, because it was fantastic. The first time I made it I cooked chicken in the sauce. Next time it might be beef, or pork, or shrimp…

Pipián Rojo Sauce
by Mely Martinez
printable recipe below

2 Ancho peppers
2 guajillo peppers
1 chipotle pepper
1/4 cup peanuts
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1″ stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small tomato
1/3 medium white onion
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper

Have a pot with 2 cups of water standing by the stove.

Begin by toasting the peppers in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Notice I was so excited to start making this that I forgot to de-stem the peppers! So I did it after they cooled down. Then place in the water.


Then toast the nuts and seeds. The peanuts will take about 90 seconds, the pumpkin seeds toast fairly quickly; get them out as soon as they brown and start wanting to jump.


The sesame seeds take a few seconds. I actually used my seed toaster for them because I’ve experienced them popping out of a hot skillet all over the kitchen!


Place all of the toasted nuts and seeds in the water.
Next, slightly toast the cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves, and allspice berries. Also place them in the water.

Finally, roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic, turning occasionally to obtain even roasting. Place these in the water as well.


Place the pot on the stove and cook over a medium-high heat. Simmer for about 8 minutes, then set aside to let the ingredients soften.


Place the sauce ingredients in a blender and process just enough to blend the ingredients. Then pour into a skillet.


When the sauce is hot, add pieces of meat, pork or chicken, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.


If the sauce seems to thick, thin with water or broth. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve the meat with the sauce with rice and warm corn tortillas.

The only mistake I made with this recipe was not to make a quadruple recipe. This sauce is so good I could drink it.

 

Pipián Rojo Sauce

2 Ancho peppers
2 guajillo peppers
1 chipotle pepper
1/4 cup peanuts
1/3 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1″ stick cinnamon
2 cloves
2 allspice berries
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 small tomato
1/3 medium white onion
2 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper

Have a bowl with 2 cups of water standing by the stove.

Begin by toasting the peppers in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds per side. Then place in the water.
Lightly toast the seeds in the same skillet. The peanuts will take about 90 seconds, the pumpkin seeds toast fairly quickly; get them out as soon as they brown and start wanting to jump. The sesame seeds take a few seconds. I actually used my seed toaster for them because I’ve experienced them popping out of a hot skillet all over the kitchen!
Place all of the toasted nuts and seeds in the bowl with the water.
Next, slightly toast the cinnamon, cumin seeds, cloves, and allspice berries. Also place them in the water.
Finally, roast the tomatoes, onion and garlic, turning occasionally to obtain even roasting. Place these in the water as well.
Pour the contents of the bowl into a saucepan and cook over a medium-high heat. Simmer for about 8 minutes, then set aside to let the ingredients soften.
Place the sauce ingredients in a blender and process just enough to blend the ingredients.
To serve with meat, pour the sauce into a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the sauce is hot, add pieces of meat, pork or chicken, and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
If the sauce seems to thick, thin with water or broth.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve the meat with the sauce with rice and warm corn tortillas.

 

Holiday Potpourri

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I started making this stove-top citrus and spice potpourri when my daughters were young. And a Christmas doesn’t go by to this day that I don’t make it.

My older daughter and I are severely addicted to Christmas. We are both very enamored with the smell of this potpourri, and every year she makes sure I make it!

When she had her first apartment, I gave this potpourri to her as an early Christmas gift, so she could make it, put on Christmas carols, and study. Or party. I simply bought a cheap pot, filled it with the ingredients, and included the recipe. That’s pretty creative for me, actually.

There is no hard and fast recipe, but here are the general ingredients. You can adjust according to your taste smell!

Christmas Potpourri

1 large can pineapple juice
1 large can orange juice
1 cup sugar
3 oranges, sliced
2 lemons, sliced
Handful of cinnamon sticks
Handful of whole cloves
Handful of allspice berries, slightly crushed

So, when I was at the grocery store, I couldn’t find large cans of orange juice, probably because it’s pretty terrible. So I decided to use cans of frozen, concentrated juices instead. But that didn’t really affect the recipe. I just added some water, and still included all of the ingredients. But following is what you’d do if you actually found both canned o.j. and pineapple juice.

Place the pineapple and orange juices in a large, not fancy pot. If you forget about this stuff on the stove, it will burn your pot, so use something inexpensive. In fact, go buy a cheap pot just for this potpourri. Then you can just throw the pot away after Christmas if you can’t clean it.
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Add the sugar and begin heating the juices over medium heat.

Squeeze the oranges and lemons into the juice, then throw in the rinds as well.
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Add the spices.
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Let the potpourri lightly simmer to fill the house with the smell of the holidays. Turn off when you don’t want it on, because the mixture will thicken and burn.
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Occasionally refresh the potpourri with more juice and spices, if necessary.

Pear Liqueur Verdict

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I’m a terrible bartender. I have no idea why, but I am. So I was stumped when my pear liqueur I began last month was “done.” because I wasn’t sure what the heck to do with it. Although I love a cocktail, I don’t like strong drinks, so a pear martini was out of the question.

I checked out cocktails made with Poire William, and only found really complicated recipes that didn’t sound any good at all.

Then champagne came to mind. It’s a fabulous mixer, and bubbles are always festive and fun.

So I decided to try out the pear liqueur three ways. One with champagne, one with Amaretto (almond liqueur) and champagne, and one with Pama (pomegranate liqueur) and champagne.

The pear liqueur took on a beautiful amber color, by the way, perhaps from the cinnamon and cloves.
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No recipe is really needed for these cocktails, because to me it’s all about how sweet you want the drink. My pear liqueur recipe was made with vodka. But it’s definitely more a liqueur than an infused vodka, because vodka is strong and I wanted something more flavorful and sweeter.

So for the pear and champagne fizz, I used about 1 part pear liqueur to 3 parts champagne. Prosecco would work just as well.


The champagne I used was Sofia. I happened to have a carton of the mini champagne cans that come with a straw. I love to put these out for parties year round, and I much preferred opening up a couple of these than a whole bottle of champagne in the middle of the day for testing purposes.
SOFIA_Champagne_Francis_Ford_Coppola

For the pear and Amaretto fizz, I used about equal parts of each, then topped it off with champagne. It’s just a little more amber in color.
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Same for the Pama version, which not surprisingly came out a little more red.
pearr
so, the verdict? terrible. I might have waited too long on the liqueur, because there is a strong bitterness that is probably from the cinnamon and cloves. I can’t even taste the pear. So I’m going to let my husband drink this, and go back to gin and tonics for now.

Spiced Pear Liqueur

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I’ve been making liqueurs for years, especially in the fall so that they are ready for gift giving at Christmas time. Initially inspired by this adorable book, I began by following recipes, and have since realized that recipes aren’t really critical at all when making a liqueur.
download

This book is still available on Amazon. The author is Mary Aurea Morris, and it was published in 1999.

You have to decide on the spirit you want to use, decide on the sweetness level, and then the flavor. Vodka is my go-to spirit for most all of my liqueurs, because of its “neutral” flavor. When I refer to the sweetness of the liqueur, I’m of course referring to the amount of sugar. A simply infused vodka, for example, is to me a liquor, not a liqueur. A liqueur is sweeter, and much more to my liking.

Fruits are fabulous in home-made liqueurs. Since I started my blog, I’ve posted on black cherry vodka, and strawberry vodka. Hands down, my favorite of all time is the strawberry version.

But besides berries and cranberries, citrus fruits, pomegranates, and just about all tree fruits can be used. (note to self – peach vodka next summer!)

So this fall I decided to make a pear variety. The recipe is quite simple, and is definitely less expensive than the popular Poire William. But it will be about 6 weeks before the big reveal.

Spiced Pear Liqueur

1/2 cup sugar
Small handful whole cloves
Small handful whole allspice
2 cinnamon sticks
1 ripe pear, I used red D’anjou
Few pieces of orange peel
Vodka, approximately 3 cups

Place the sugar, cloves, allspice and cinnamon sticks in a large, clean bottling jar with a lid. Slice up the pear, avoiding the core, and place wedges into the jar. Add the orange peel.

Using a funnel, pour vodka until it reaches the top. I used approximately 3 cups. Shake well until the sugar dissolves. Then store away.


I’ve marked my calendar for 4 weeks to test out the liqueur, but I’m pretty sure another 2 weeks after that will be necessary.

note: The only disaster liqueur I’ve made is one with hazelnuts, and I’d even followed an exact recipe. I ended up with a bunch of soggy drunk bit of hazelnuts, and nothing to speak of as far as the liquid. Don’t bother.
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Pickled Salmon

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I adore salmon, in just about every way. Hot smoked, cold smoked, raw, grilled – you name it. And I’ve always wanted to make my own gravlax. But then I came across this recipe for pickled salmon recently, and I knew I had to make it first.

It’s from one of my favorite series of cookbooks that I still refer to – the Foods of the World series by Time Life. This recipe is from American Cooking: The Northwest. Sorry for the blurriness.

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Now, this recipe can’t replace gravlax, which is cured salmon. This recipe is pickled salmon, so I’m still promising myself to still make gravlax soon.

I’m typing up the recipe as it is in the recipe book, and I did pretty much follow the recipe. However, instead of a large side of salmon, I used a smaller, frozen filet (thawed first) that was barely over a pound, and crudely adjusted the other ingredients accordingly. I mean, what’s 2 bay leaves divided by 5?

This salmon is super easy to make, and can be enjoyed within one week when it’s stored in the refrigerator, which it must be. I served mine with crackers, quite simply. If you love anything that’s pickled, you’ll love this pickled salmon!

Pickled Salmon
To serve 12 as a first course

2 cups white distilled vinegar
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 small onions, peeled, sliced into 1/4-inch thick rings
2 medium-sized bay leaves, crumbled
2 teaspoons mustard seeds
2 teaspoons whole cloves
2 teaspoon whole white peppercorns
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
5 pounds fresh salmon, boned, skinned and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 tablespoon salt

Combine the vinegar, water, olive oil, onions, bay leaves, mustard seeds, cloves, and white and black peppercorns in a 2-3 quart enameled saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low, and simmer partially covered for 45 minutes.
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Meanwhile, spread the salmon pieces in one layer on a strip of wax paper. Sprinkle the fish evenly with the salt and let it rest at room temperature for about 30 minutes.
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Then drop the salmon into a colander and run cold water over it to rinse off the excess salt.
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Pat the fish dry with paper towels and pack the pieces tightly into a glass jar.


Pour the hot vinegar-and-spice mixture over the salmon, a little at a time, allowing the liquid to seep down slowly to the bottom of the jar before adding more.
sal1
Cool to room temperature, tightly cover with foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate the salmon for at least 24 hours before serving. Tightly covered, it can be safely kept in the refrigerator for about a week.

Before serving, I poured off the liquid. I didn’t want the salmon to be watery.

I added a little marscapone to the crackers before topping them with the salmon, and it was really nice. The marscapone toned down the vinegary flavor, but the salmon was good.

note: I kept the salmon in one piece to do the salting part, rinsed it and dried it, and then sliced it up. Way easier. I also decided to include a few of the pickled onion rings along with the salmon.

Tablescape

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I am not Martha Stewart. Nor do I want to be. Because people would hate me. I really like having friends who like me, and I especially like having daughters who aren’t doing a TV show making fun of me. So I’m totally okay with not being a wannabe Martha Stewart.

She’s been in the news lately because of her hateful comments towards bloggers – regarding our non-professionalism in the kitchen – even though it doesn’t seem that Ms. Stewart herself attended cooking school of any kind. So that’s a bit hypocritical of her. Many of us are self-taught, including you, Ms. Stewart.

And, let’s face a major biographical fact – this woman has been to prison. I haven’t.

But with all that being said, Ms. Stewart must be revered to some extent, at least I feel this way, for the fact that she really has good taste. She has fabulous resources, of course we would all as well if we were zillionaires, and is extremely creative and crafty.

I’m not sure if Ms. Stewart herself coined the term “tablescape,” however it’s become a commonplace appellation for the design of the party table. And if you look at her magazines or her entertaining books, Ms. Stewart is very talented at designing tablescapes. Or maybe her people are. I’m not sure.

I’m really envious of anyone who is creative in this way. Just look at Pinterest and you’ll know what I mean, just in case you’re one of the millions who hasn’t looked at Pinterest.

So I had a Christmas party a few days before Christmas in 2013. Normally I would have put clipped poinsettias and placed them in three or five vases along the middle of the buffet table and called it done. I probably would have used a green tablecloth, because that’s festive. My dining room is painted red, so the red and green would make things really festive, right? You can tell by my blog that I love colors, but I especially love red and green.

However, I have been saving this Pinterest pin on my Christmas “board” forever. Here it is:
wine-bottle-candlestick-centerpiece

This photo comes from this blog. The photo was from a wedding sit-down dinner; the white candles really add the wedding “feel” of the celebration. Beautiful.

So many years ago, because of this photographic inspiration, I forced myself to drink 13 bottles of Clean Slate Riesling, because I thought the bottles would be perfect for a buffet table. I didn’t know when I’d use them, I just knew I would…some day.

They’re fairly clear bottles – not aqua, and not dark green. Then I removed the labels, washed the bottles, and stored them in our basement. Until recently.

I decided to use the wine bottle-candle idea for my Christmas party! I really got excited, because for once I wanted to try my hand at a creative tablescape. Something beyond red and green.

I decided to go the non-color route, and started gathering goodies. More in natural tones, and a lot about nature. And then, it all just fell into place.

I found these beautiful carved wooden birds at my local florist shop.

party

Aren’t they really adorable?
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I purchased the dried clove-studded oranges and lemons, and included some pinecones my husband scavenged on a walk with the dogs.

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I then found some faux cherries, added faux walnuts, and threw in some raw cranberries for a little more color, at the last minute, of course.

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Right after the food was placed on the table, my husband lit the candles, and it all came to life.

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Since this is a cooking blog, I will tell you what I served for my Christmas party:

Smoked Scottish salmon with pumpernickel triangles
Cranberry Wensleydale and Cambazola with assorted crackers
Maple Pecan Baked brie
Pâté de foie and onion confit with cranberries, served with baguette slices
Roasted beef tenderloin sandwiches with apple-butter mustard
plus a variety of sweets, including Sugarplums, which were a huge hit

This may not be your style, but I am very proud of myself for getting out of my comfort zone a bit and trying my hand at holiday creativity. I was very pleased at the subdued, natural look of the goodies strewn along the center of the table, and candle light just can’t be beat.

Happy New Year to all of you!

Gingerbread Liqueur Verdict

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Let me start out with my verdict for home-made gingerbread liqueur: Fabulous, Delicious, and Magnificent!

I first strained the liqueur to remove the ginger and the other goodies.
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It’s very brown.
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To test it out, I decided to make two drinks. First, a room temperature cocktail, although ice can be added, and a hot toddy using coffee.

1. Creamy Gingerbread Cocktail

To make one:
3 ounces gingerbread liqueur
1 teaspoon vanilla syrup
4 ounces 1/2 and 1/2
Sparkling water

Place the liqueur, vanilla syrup and the 1/2 and 1/2 in a cocktail glass.

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Then add the sparkling water, about 4 ounces at least, depending how strong you want the drink.
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It’s kind of like an alcoholic gingerbread-flavored Italian soda.
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You can really taste the gingerbread flavors. And I don’t even love gingerbread! My husband said it was the best drink he’s ever had.

I especially like the addition of the vanilla. In fact, I’m now wondering why I didn’t include a vanilla bean in the gingerbread liqueur.

note: You could also add some vodka to this cocktail; I just don’t like really strong drinks.

2. Café Liégeois on Crack

To make one:
1 teaspoon good espresso powder, or 1 cup good, hot coffee, freshly brewed
3 ounces gingerbread liqueur
Vanilla ice cream

Place the espresso powder in a heat-proof cup and add hot water. Give it a stir, then stir in the liqueur. Using a scoop, add ice cream.
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I was quite generous with the ice cream. And boy, did it start melting fast.
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And, almost completely melted.
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What a fabulous, creamy hot toddy. The addition of the coffee with the gingerbread liqueur is outstanding. Creme de cacao would also be a wonderful addition to either of these drinks. So many drink ideas, so little time….

Gingerbread Liqueur

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Well, it is that time of year after all. With pumpkins, cranberries and sugar plums dancing in my head. So many fabulous flavors to enjoy during the holidays. Eggnog is another favorite of mine. Less favorite is gingerbread. I don’t dislike it, it’s just not part of the top ten on my holiday favorite foods and flavors.

However, I happened to have come across a gingerbread liqueur from a blog last year, and I’ve been saving it until now. For once, I actually know from whose blog this recipe came – it’s from Boozed and Infused!

As always, since you’d have to point a gun at me to follow a recipe to the letter, I changed things up slightly. I just can’t help myself.

So here’s what I did; you can check out the original recipe on Alicia’s blog!

Gingerbread Liqueur

1 large piece of ginger, enough to provide about 1/2 cup diced ginger
1 cinnamon stick, broken in half
6 whole allspice, broken
5 cloves
Good sprinkle fresh nutmeg
1/4 cup molasses
1 heaping tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup coffee-infused vodka
1/2 cup brandy
1/4 cup spiced rum

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Trim the ginger of its peel. Finely chop the ginger.
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In a microwaveable bowl, add the ginger, cinnamon, allspice, cloves, and nutmeg.
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Then pour in the molasses and add the brown sugar. Give it a stir, then heat in the microwave for just a minute.
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I would have actually added all of the just-used ingredients to a mini blender and emulsified them, but my stupid Magic Bullet wasn’t working properly. It should still work out just fine, however. Although the liqueur might have been “done” after only one week instead of two…

Make sure the sugar has completely dissolved. Let the mixture cool somewhat, then add the vodka, brandy, and rum.
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Stir well, then pour into a pint jar and seal. Store in a dark place for two weeks.

Verdict? Tomorrow!

Pickled Beets

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Fresh beets don’t usually last long in my house. I typically roast them, remove the peels, and add them to salads. I eat salads pretty much every day in the summer.

But I decided it was time to actually make my fresh beets last by pickling them.

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I just started canning last summer, and canning is the perfect way to make these pickled beets last even longer. Normally, pickled beets would only last in the refrigerator for a few weeks, and that’s just not enough time. Especially if you want them during the winter months. So, pickling plus canning equals a winning combination!

I won’t do a canning tutorial just yet, but stay tuned. And if you haven’t canned, try it. It’s incredible what varieties of foods and condiments you can create, and trust me – no one will get botulism if you just follow the rules.

So the recipe is in two parts – one is the pickling water, and the other, the beets.

Pickled Beets

The Beets:

6 beets, scrubbed, ends removed
A 3″ long piece of fresh horseradish, quartered
Bay leaves, about 6-8
Few peppercorns
Few whole cloves

scrubbed and rinsed beets

scrubbed and rinsed beets

Place the beets in a large pot on the stove. Don’t peel them, otherwise you’ll lose too much beet juice.

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To the pot add all of the remaining ingredients, then add purified water until the beets are fully covered by at least 1″ of water.

Bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water boils, count 1 hour on the clock.

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If you want to make sure the beets are fully cooked, pierce the largest one with a cake tester or point of a knife.

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Immediately drain the beets into a colander and let them cool.

The Pickling Water:

2 cups purified water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 smashed garlic clove
A 1″ piece of garlic, sliced into quarters
Few peppercorns

Combine everything in a medium pot. Place over high heat, and stir to dissolve the sugar. As soon as it’s dissolved, remove the water from the stove and set aside to cool.

When the beets are cool enough to handle, gently peel them, and trim away any hard, woody parts with a sharp knife.

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If you’ve never worked with beets before, be aware that they stain everything. Skin included.

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Have jars and lids available that have been washed through a dishwasher cycle or sterilized.

Slice or cube the peeled and trimmed beets and place them in the jars. Today I cubed mine.

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When you’re all done, add the strained pickling water to the jars; the beets should be completely covered. Alternatively, you could include the pickled onions.

I placed a couple of horseradish pieces in two jars, and the star anise in a third. The fourth I left alone.

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I then covered the jars with clean and dry lids, and stored them in the refrigerator. I wasn’t quite ready to begin the canning process, but when I do, I will bring the tightly sealed jars to room temperature before proceeding.

Pickled beets are one of my favorite additions to salad, which I eat often. the one in the featured photo includes avocado, mushrooms, and tomatoes.

Beets, pickled or not, go well in salads with salmon, steak, or grilled chicken. They’re also wonderful with red bell peppers, grated carrots, and cucumbers. And don’t forget the goat cheese!

verdict: These beets are delicious. I’m glad I didn’t add any more sugar to the pickling water. The horseradish isn’t very strong. And I love the addition of the star anise. Will make these again.