christmas recipes

I was feeling a little festive last week, finally getting into the swing of the season, and decided to tackle an eggnog recipe in advance of the SacFoodies holiday party. I stumbled upon Nana’s Eggnog recipe, courtesy of Nugget Markets, which seemed fabulously festive and easy on the prep and cook time.
First things first, I needed to stock the bar with some serious alcohol to brew up this homemade nog – rum, whiskey and brandy – go, Nana, go! I also purchased two glass bottles (33.75 oz each) with an easy-to-latch swing top – each simple enough to fill and dress up for a hostess gift or to add to any holiday bar.

Nana’s Eggnog
Yield 1.5 gallons
Prep Time 20-25 minutes
Cook Time 8-10 minutes
Ingredients
1 dozen eggs
I cup sugar
5 cups whole milk
12 ounces (1 can) evaporated milk
1 fifth of whiskey (3.2 cups)
1 cup rum (dark)
1 cup brandy
Sprinkle and mix in Nutmeg before chilling
Directions
Beat eggs and sugar in a mixer at high speed about 4-6 minutes, until thickened, light and frothy. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat whole milk and evaporated milk to 200°F (use a candy thermometer). Put mixer on low speed and slowly add hot milk. Transfer mixture to a double boiler and heat, whisking slowly, to 165°F or until thick. Remove from heat. Finish by adding whiskey, rum and brandy slowly, one at a time. Chill and then transfer to glass bottles.
A few notes: I made a last-minute decision to cut back on the whiskey only adding 1 cup versus more than 3 cups, because (wow) it was getting very strong. While the flavor was more pleasing to my palate, it changed the consistency after cooling, making it a bit thicker than one would want their eggnog to be … but mixed with a little milk once chilled, it was back on track. Lastly, the directions seemed easy at the onset, but I wish I would have made sure I had all the items I needed on hand before starting the process: a candy/oil thermometer, double boiler and several mixing bowls. With simultaneous mixing and heating to the perfect temperatures, it would have been helpful to have everything out on the countertop in advance. Don’t be afraid. Try it!

When I was in high school, as the Christmas break was winding down and just before we had to get back to our normal schedules, the last act of the season was the removal of the Christmas tree. This always involved my friend Mike coming over to help me take it out. Mom would give him a big bowl of her Steak Soup, left over from our Christmas Eve tree-trimming party. Then Mike and I would go to a movie. I miss the days when you could bribe a friend with soup.
Mom got the recipe from a restaurant in my hometown of Kansas City, Missouri, called 100 West, which was in KC’s famous shopping district, The Plaza. Mom was accompanied by three girlfriends. The soup was accompanied by slaw, sourdough rolls and cold beer. (Mom keeps meticulous notes on such things.)
Steak Soup became a family favorite, in part because it keeps so well and the leftovers taste even better than the fresh servings. It’s quick and easy and tastes fantastic. The recipe is vintage 70s, including the reference to “oleo.” Does anyone call margarine that anymore? I say go ahead, use butter anyway …
Millie Armato’s Christmas Eve-and-After Steak Soup
Ingredients
1 stick oleo
1 cup flour
2 quarts hot water
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cubed celery
1 cup cubed carrots
1 package (10 ounce to 2 cups) frozen mixed vegetables
1 can tomatoes, squished (yeah, mom’s recipe says “squished”)
2 pounds ground beef, browned and drained
2 tablespoons beef flavor base
1 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
Cook oleo and flour in large soup pot on a slow fire until the paste becomes almost a liquid. Add hot water, slowly stirring with a wire whisk to make a smooth gravy. Add onion, celery, carrots, mixed frozen veggies, tomatoes, ground beef, beef flavor base, and black pepper. Cook slowly until vegetables are tender. (If you use liquid flavor base you may need more; adjust to taste.)
Now, go see if you can bribe a friend with this.