You know it’s a going to be fun cooking when you have to buy bourbon, Scotch, and Irish whiskey for the recipes. This Thanksgiving, I am still thankful for whiskey and have kept some of my favorite whiskey recipes from last year – bourbon cranberries, butterscotch pumpkin pie, and Scotch whipped cream (recipes available In the Kitchen). I will also be welcoming guests to my apartment with a mug of whiskey cider (recipe available In a Cocktail). But there’s always room for some new traditions. This year, my whiskey additions to the menu are: baked sweet potatoes with a bourbon and maple sauce and a whiskey chocolate tart for dessert. _ Sometimes new packaging can go a little too far. Like when you take a Scotch label and put it on a can. And then put whisk(e)y in the can. But that’s what the Panama-based company, Scottish Spirits, is trying, without the approval of the Scotch Whisky Association, which is trying to stop it. According to an article by Mark Howarth in the MailOnline, chief executive of Scottish Spirits, Manish Panshal, said this will make whiskey a “part of every lifestyle.” He goes on to say, “The can is the perfect size to be shared between three people who can mix it with other things like cola. It’s lightweight and portable and entirely recyclable, which is good news. It will be one of the hot picks for any outdoor activities.” _ Whisky and homemade macaroni and cheese could be on my list for last suppers if I was going to be executed. So an evening of whiskey and cheese pairing at Char No. 4 on Smith Street sounded perfect – no dying involved. A whiskey and cheese tasting is exactly what it sounds like – 5 whiskeys lined up in a flight next to a plate of six cheeses. We got treated to one of the whiskeys twice. They were already paired, which Patrick from Stinky Brklyn (delightful cheese shop on Smith Street), assured us was a torturous afternoon of tasting whiskey and cheese. Sounds just awful – how do I sign up? The whiskey (or whisky since it was actually Scotch) was provided by Compass Box Whisky Co., which was apparently started by an American who wanted to get into winemaking, but got sidetracked by the deliciousness of whisky. Understandable. I'm thankful for many things this year - and whiskey is one of them. It's easy to incorporate whiskey into your Thanksgiving table. I don't just mean setting down a bottle and grabbing some glasses. I mean actually adding it to some common dishes and desserts. It gives a special taste without altering the traditional menu too much. The recipes below, from bonappetit.com, gave me a chance to cook with both bourbon and Scotch. The kitchen smells delicious. Bourbon Cranberry sauce - I've never been much for cranberries, either fresh or from a can. However, adding a little whiskey has a way of turning me in favor. This is a simple recipe that sweetens up the dish and can be made up to a week ahead of time. You mix the cranberries, sugar, and cinnamon in a 9x13 inch pan for 30 minutes, stir and bake another 30 minutes. Add the bourbon, stir, and stick in the fridge until you need it. For this recipe, you will need: 4 cups cranberries 2 cups sugar 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/4 cup bourbon (I used Maker's Mark) For full instructions on preparing this recipe, please visit: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/1991/11/bourbon-cranberry-sauce#ixzz1esQO1QkQ Pumpkin Butterscotch Pie - This seems obvious now, but I did not realize that the way to get butterscotch flavor is to literally mix butter and Scotch. And a little sugar and cream. It's a bubbling, caramelized pot o' goodness that is then mixed with the pumpkin, eggs, and spices. It creates a lighter pumpkin filling, which is soft, creamy and smooth. It is also incorporates a lot of different spices without favoring any of them too much. According to Mom, we are not going to be going back to the regular pumpkin pie anytime soon. http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2008/11/pumpkin_butterscotch_pie#ixzz1esR8kWyM And here's the topper - Scotch whipped cream. Why use vanilla in homemade whipped cream if Scotch is on hand? I will be trying it fresh tomorrow when I make it for Thanksgiving, but whipping cream with either brown or white sugar (I've seen recipes with both) and some Scotch seems like it can't go too wrong. Apple Pie with Whiskey-Soaked Cherries - This one follows a pretty basic recipe for an apple pie except for the dried cherries soaked in Scotch. They are little flavor bursts that make the pie come alive and add a richness. Don't worry if you soak the cherries longer than the recipe calls for - it does't hurt them a bit. For the filling, you will need: 1 cup dried tart cherries 2 tablespoons Scotch whisky 3 to 3 1/2 pounds medium-size Golden Delicious apples (about 8), peeled, halved, cored, thinly sliced (For a variation, mix in Granny Smith apples) 1/2 cup (packed) golden brown sugar 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon *For the pie crust, I use the Martha Stewart recipe, then put the filling in raw dough and follow cooking instructions according to: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2005/10/apple_pie_with_whisky_soaked_cherries#ixzz1ese24PmY Aisling started to notice something peculiar while doing legal work at The Hague. She shared an open office with investigators, most of them men, and every Wednesday at 6 p.m., they would sneak off with little glasses. What is this – some kind of boys club? She asked them. They insisted it wasn’t a boys club, it was a whiskey club, but that girls don’t drink whiskey. Aisling sized up the Aussies, Kiwis, and Fins in the group, wondering what exactly they would know about whiskey.
“If we could find a girl who likes whiskey, she can join,” they said. |
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