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December 23, 2005
Nog, Nog, Noggin' on Heaven's Door
The holidays are filled with wonderful culinary pleasures, but none (to me at least) more beloved than a license to drink eggnog! I dearly, truly, and wholeheartedly love eggnog. I love my own homemade custard variety most of all, but I confess that I would even drink the kind in the green carton from the store if that were all you could get. Fortunately, it's not. The big problem with it, though, is the awful truth that despite its many carb friendly ingredients (cream, eggs, Wild Turkey, Brandy) it's also chock full of granulated crack--by which, of course, I mean table sugar. Made the traditional way (with a cup of sugar per batch) it's the epitome of the high everything beverage, just bursting at the seams with carbs, calories, and fat. Fill up on that and you'll be bursting at the seams, too.
However, with a little substituting, it becomes at least a carb friendlier treat. What follows is our recipe for the low-carb eggnog that we've already made (and consumed) two batches of at an early Christmas visit with our grand angels in Texas. You'll find a slightly different incarnation of this recipe, along with many more carb friendly holiday recipes in our newest book The Low Carb CookwoRx Cookbook
Homemade Custard-Style EggNog
2 cups organic heavy cream (plus 1/2 cup to whip)
2 cups organic half and half
8 whole eggs
3/4 cup granular Splenda
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup bourbon
1/4 cup brandy
1 teaspoon nutmeg (freshly grated if possible)
1. Heat 2 cups of the cream and the half and half over medium low heat in a heavy pan.
2. Separate the whites from 2 of the eggs and refrigerate and reserve to whip later.
3. Beat the 2 yolks and 6 whole eggs with the granular Splenda until pale yellow.
4. Temper the egg mixture (to prevent curdling) with about 1 cup of the hot cream, dribbling in a bit at a time as you beat with a whisk.
5. Pour the tempered egg mixture into the remaining hot cream and stir continuously over medium low heat for about 4 or 5 minutes until the mixture begins to thicken very slightly and will just coat the back of a spoon.
6. Strain through a mesh seive to remove any lumps or clumps.
7. Stir in the nutmeg, the vanilla, and the liquors.
8. Pour into a gallon zip closure bag, seal tightly, and quick chill by placing the bag flat in the bottom of a shallow pan (a broiler pan works well) and covering with ice and water.
9. Once cool, place zip bag in refrigerator and chill eggnog base for at least 1 hour--longer if you have time.
10. Just at serving time, whip the reserved egg whites and 1 packet Splenda to soft peaks. Whip the remaining 1/2 cup cream with 1 packet Splenda to stiff peaks.
11. Pour the chilled nog mixture into a serving bowl, gently fold in the beaten egg whites and then the whipped cream, leaving some chunks of meringue or whipped cream visible in the mixture.
12. Grate or sprinkle a bit more nutmeg on top.
Now, ladle into a cup and drink a toast to your health and happiness this holiday season and in the coming year!
Posted by mdeades at 12:42 AM | Comments (2)
December 19, 2005
No flames for the foodloop, please!
I posted a blog back before Thanksgiving about having seen an article for the foodloop, a new reusable silicon loop to secure all kinds of food for cooking. I ordered a set and absolutely loved them--I used the loop to secure my turkey legs when I roasted a bird for Thanksgiving and it worked like a charm! I mentioned in the blog that it would be great to use to secure the herbs and lemon slices in whole fish on the grill, which I had never done before. That blog prompted a comment from Anna Stewart, who wanted to be sure that I and my readers understood that thefoodloop cannot withstand exposure to direct flames on the grill or burners on the stove. Here's her comment:
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm for thefoodloop. It is greatly appreciated. From your blog it sounds like you used thefoodloop on the grill. Well, unfortunetely the silicone foodloop is NOT flame proof. In fact, there is NO silicone which is flame proof and food safe to the best of my knowledge. Thefoodloop will not hold up to any open flame or direct contact with a burner. If there is a barrier between the silicone and an open flame it will work great as long as the temp. does not go over 675 degrees F. But stay-tuned to thefoodloop.com and soon you will have one for your open grill. I would hate to see a great fish get away due to thefoodloop and an open flame.
May we all use our loops with care, so they'll last for many Thanksgivings and Christmases to come!
Posted by mdeades at 10:37 AM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2005
Tapas, Anyone?
With the holidays on us and holiday gatherings abounding, I was intrigued to read an article by Tina Danze in the Dallas Morning News about a tapas party.
Tapas, if you're unfamiliar with the term, are the delictible appetizer tidbits indigenous to Spain that have taken American wine bars by storm. Because the Spanish custom is to take a siesta break after lunch and to dine very late in the evening (10 pm is an early seating) a body needs something to sustain it in the early evening hours over a glass of wine. Thus, the necessity of the ubiquitous tapas bar on every street corner.
We've travelled extensively in Spain and, trust me, we've eaten our fair share of tapas and done it pretty much guilt free, because a great portion of traditional tapas fare is naturally low in carb. As the article by Ms. Danze shows us, it's all about fish, seafood, and sausage, cheeses, nuts, olives, caperberries, roasted and marinated veggies. Mmm mmm mmmmm!
What could be a more appropriate or delicious offering at a low carb holiday gathering than a spread of tapas and some good red Spanish wine? Good fats, good antioxidants, and great taste! And what, during this hectic time could be easier for that matter, since such delicacies as marinated mushsrooms, olives, smoked sardines, olive oil marinated calamari, pickled mussels, and sausages are waiting, ready to eat, on grocery store shelves?
Posted by mdeades at 10:54 AM | Comments (0)