SPRING CELEBRATIONS Tasty Sandwiches Perfect for Special Occasion Brunches

Spring Celebrations

Tasty Sandwiches Perfect for Special Occasion Brunches

Spring is synonymous with special events worthy of celebration. From Mother’s Day to graduations to communions and confirmations, spring provides a host of opportunities for families and friends to come together and show their love for one another.

The right food can make any party that much more spectacular. Lunch and brunch parties, whether they’re at home or in a restaurant, provide great opportunities to enjoy fun, budget-friendly food with loved ones. For those who will be celebrating at home or attending a potluck-style gathering, this Brandied Baked Ham with Mustard Butter, courtesy of Denise Gee’s Southern Appetizers (Chronicle Books) can make for the perfect dish to serve or bring along. The decadent ham can be served as fashionable tea sandwiches, either in soft biscuits or rolls. edm

Br an died Baked Ham wit h Must ar d Butt er

Serves 16 to 20; makes about 2 cups mustard butter

For the ham: 1-1/2 cups packed dark brown sugar 1/4 cup brandy 2 tablespoons grainy mustard 1 (5-pound) bone-in, half ham, fully cooked 1-1/2 teaspoons whole cloves

In a small saucepan, stir to combine the brown sugar, brandy, and mustard. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat and, stirring constantly, cook until the glaze is thick and syrupy, about 3 minutes. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days or use immediately.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a shallow roasting pan with heavy-duty aluminum foil and place a wire rack on top.

Score the fat on top of the ham by making diagonal cuts in a diamond pattern. Insert the cloves into the intersections of each diamond. Place the ham on the rack. Insert a meat thermometer, making sure it doesn’t touch the bone. Bake the ham for about 1 hour, or until the thermometer registers 125 degrees F.

Remove the ham and brush on the brandy glaze. Return the ham to the oven and cook for 20 to 30 minutes more, or until the thermometer registers 135 degrees F. Let it stand for 15 minutes. (The meat temperature will rise to 140 degrees F).

For the mustard butter: 2 cups butter, softened 1/4 cup grated sweet onion 1/4 cup Dijon or Creole mustard

Denise Gee, a native of Natchez, has written for “Southern Living” and “Better Homes and Gardens.” She and her husband, Robert M. Peacock, live in Dallas and have authored together the cookbooks “Southern Cocktails,” “Porch Parties,” “Southern Appetizers,” and “Southern Casseroles.”

In a medium bowl, stir to combine the butter, sweet onion, and mustard. Scrape it into a serving bowl.

Cut the ham into thin slices and build your sandwiches (or serve slices on their own on a platter). Offer with accompanied bowl of mustard butter.

Alexandra Minton Earns National Honor as Level-Two Sommelier

by Susan Marquez

While growing up in Ocean Springs, Alexandra Minton had a passion for music. Yet, she was named one of Wine Enthusiast’s “40 Under 40” for 2019. According to Wine Enthusiast’s editors, the 40 trendsetters under the age of 40 are the most influential in the nation in determining what we drink. So how did a young woman from Mississippi end up on such a prestigious list?

Minton’s parents, B.B. and Cindi Minton, have run their mom-and-pop po-boy shop on Bienville Boulevard in Ocean Springs for as long as she can remember. “When you grow up around the restaurant business, I suppose it gets in your blood,” she says. But when the time came for Minton to go to college, she chose the University of Southern Mississippi for its outstanding music department. She originally studied music for orchestral percussion.

“I love playing, but I never liked the spotlight,” says Minton. “I like behind-the-scenes work. That’s why I wanted to be a grant writer for orchestras.” She did just that while at Southern Miss for the University’s orchestra. “Near the end of college, I was in an internship where I had a nine-to-five job sitting in an office. It was dreadful! I knew then that was not what I wanted to do,” she says.

Throughout college, Minton worked part-time for New South Restaurant Group, owned by Robert St. John. “I started out working at Crescent City Grill then moved my way over to the Purple Parrot Café, which is the fine dining restaurant in the group. At the time, Dusty Frierson was the general manager at the Purple Parrot, and he became my mentor. He did wine tastings for the staff, and he cultivated my interest in food and wine pairings. I realized that music and arts were not what I wanted for a career. Instead, I turned my focus to wine.”

Minton’s interest in wine led her to learn more about how to become a sommelier. “While working at the Purple Parrot, I took my first and second level tests in New Orleans without telling anyone,” she recalls. “I didn’t want anyone to know I was doing it, in case I failed!” After she passed the second level, she drove back to Hattiesburg and went to the bar. “Someone asked what I had been up to that day, and I pulled out my certificate. Everyone was

shocked! It was a cool moment to know I did something on my own.” Minton worked her way into managerial positions with New South Restaurant Group and during her five years there, she began organizing wine classes for the staff, planned an annual Wine Expo, and expanded the group’s 1,500+ label list.

After leaving the Purple Parrot in 2012, Alexandra became the sommelier and general manager of Stella! restaurant in New Orleans. “I commuted from Hattiesburg every day for two years,” she says. “I had a house I loved in Hattiesburg, but I realized that I was spending four hours a day on the road and often driving home very late at night.” She made the move to New Orleans around the time she changed restaurants. She went to work as the sommelier and front-of-house manager for Square Root, where she was responsible for the ever-evolving wine list and working closely with the chefs to craft unique and creative pairings for tasting menus, in addition to her managerial duties.

Since 2018, Alexandra joined QED Hospitality where she has been the sommelier of Jack Rose, in New Orleans’ historic Pontchartrain Hotel, where she oversees all aspects of the wine program. In her current role, she is challenged with highlighting unique wines and makers from underthe-radar regions, with a large focus on domestic sourcing. She takes a great deal of pride in surprising her guests with purposeful, eco-friendly selections that are readily accessible to help further their personal educations and palates.

The recognition by Wine Enthusiast is just confirmation for Minton that she is doing the right thing. “It was such a big honor for me.”

Today, Minton is responsible for the entire beverage program at the Pontchartrain, which includes Jack Rose, Hot Tin, Bayou Bar, and the Silver Whistle Café. When she’s not working, she enjoys riding her bike and exploring in New Orleans. “I really love it here.”

Minton knows more than just wine. She is also a Certified Beer Server through the Certified Cicerone Program. One of her passions is her Instagram page, where she enjoys featuring wines she loves in ways that can appeal to even non-wine drinkers. The Instagram page can be found at www.instagram.com/winewithalex/. edm

Alexandra’s Spring Wine Picks

by a exandra minton

Ahh, the spring–the time when we hang our winter coats, praise the sunshine, and vow to spend more time outdoors. It’s a time for renewal and rebirth, a time to reset and refresh, almost as if a second New Year. It’s the opportunity for spring cleaning and yes, spring drinking. Although the days have not grown as long as they will, you are still going to need some session wines to carry you through your late afternoon picnics into your outdoor concert series. While spring may be the official kick-off of “rosé season” (can we all finally agree that rosé is acceptable all season long?), there are some great alternatives to be explored.

Skin-contact whites: White wines made in the style of red wines (i.e. the juice is coming into contact with its skins) can be that perfect transition from your heavy winter wines into your barely-there summer wines. Also known as “orange wines,” this style of winemaking is nothing new but has seen a resurgence in the last few years. Graduate-level, intense versions of orange wine certainly exist. So, if this is your first foray into the category, look for wines with a small amount of skin contact (and thus a lighter “orange” tint). These wines will give you just enough umph when those chilly spring nights appear and just enough brightness when the sun is blazing.

Recommendations

Tiberi ‘Il Tribulato, “Bianco Frizzante,” Umbria, Italy: Not only does this wine drink like spring, it looks like spring. While you should never judge a wine by its label, the wine-chugging grasshopper on this label just beckons you to drink up! Bright, slightly salty, and unmistakably Trebbiano, this pèt-nat is the perfect way to welcome warmer weather and greener landscapes.

Gönc Winery, “Grape Abduction,” Slovenia, 2018 (Orange Wine): Grape Abduction is a new collaboration between the Slovenian winery Gönc and import company J.P. Bourgeois. I like to think of this as a “gateway” orange wine, being that the grapes only see a small amount of skin-contact, translating to a

perfect wine to drink in the early days of the transition from winter to spring. The wine is bottled in liter bottles and has a low A.B.V., which allows you to session this wine all day long.

Forlorn Hope, “Queen of the Sierra,” California, 2018: You can’t have spring without rosé! This rosé, made from the very fun mix of Barbera and Zinfandel, is rich and juicy! It tastes like sour watermelon candy and will have you embracing every bit of sunshine before the summer months approach.