COOKING WITH BRITT
Spicing Up Winter By Britt Allgood
T
he Christmas holidays are right around the corner and I’m already making my lists - grocery lists that are, for our celebration and the cold winter nights to follow. It’s time to take stock of your blessings and your spice cabinet. If you are like me, you break out the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves for those wonderful holiday treats. Did you know that all these are warming spices? They help the body generate a bit of warmth like the black pepper, cayenne, mustard, and cumin. It’s no wonder they are used to flavor food at the colder times of the year.
I use more cinnamon, nutmeg, and clove during the holiday season than I do the rest of the year. So, it’s a good time to clean out those old ground spices. You know the ones I’m talking about - the mace that was a wedding gift from your prior marriage. Or the star anise that you thought looked pretty but couldn’t for your life figure out what to make with it. Money might be tight this year with all the inflation and supply chain issues, so you may want to be a bit more judicious and only cull the spices you know you will need for the holidays. Spices like most things fall in that category of “you get what you pay for”. I like using good quality vanilla but will buy the less expensive ground cinnamon. The extraction technique that’s used with the cheaper vanilla or imitation vanilla diminishes the flavors or gives them a more pronounced aftertaste.
Chutney & Pickle
One of my earliest preparations for the holidays is making cranberry chutney and walnut pickle. They both use spices but must be made a few weeks ahead to allow the flavors to mature. We like them as sides for the holiday meal, but they are great to jazz up a leftover roast turkey sandwich or a bit of roast beef. Christmas cookies, cakes, and mince pies are next on the hit parade. Anyone who knows me recognizes that I have a bit of a baking obsession around the holidays. It’s a tradition I picked up from my mother and as she passed this year, it’s even more special to me. This starts around December 10 to 15 so I can give them to my friends and family before people head off to their holiday destinations. It’s always been a great way to get to know our neighbors. Christmas Eve and Christmas day are filled with delicacies that we don’t indulge in most of the year. Roast turkey, dressing, green bean casserole (no I don’t mean the one with canned mushroom soup), pumpkin bourbon tarts, and apple cranberry bread puddings are almost always on the menu. Spices are in all those. This year I will be adding a new tradition inspired by some of my in-laws in England, mulled wine (thanks Jim and Xani for the inspiration). This recipe makes a lot of mulled wine, so make a small test batch before investing in all these ingredients. I’ve shared a few of these recipes. I hope you enjoy them and have a safe and happy holiday – with a little added spice!
28
DECEMBER 2021 - JANUARY 2022
Purchase Area Family Magazine
Read online! issuu.com/purchasefamilymag
