A CHRISTMAS ORIGINAL: EGGNOG

Finally, the weather has level down the temperature and I can finally say that it is cold. In these circumstances, as I have already mentioned in my previous posts, movies, a cozy fireplace and a pleasant company are on top of my to-do-list. Today, I would like to add “eggnog” to the list. This winter beverage often served at Christmas dinners (in the States, definitely not in Greece) is an original drink that everyone should try at least once.

When I first heard about eggnog I was shocked and disgusted by the idea. In fact, my father introduced me to the term which apparently has been popular for quite a while back in the fifties in London, and has been going on since then. At one point, even Mac Donald's (again, in the States) had readymade eggnog! 

No people. It’s not eggs scrambled enough to make it liquid, and you don’t find pieces of fried eggs floating in your mug. No, No. Eggnog is creamy, steamy, and tasty; it is not that bad after all as long as it is made at home as the carton eggnog sold are disgusting (i.e: liking eggs obviously is an important prerequisite). What is cool about it is that one can drink it in the morning or in the evening with a touch of whiskey, bourbon or rum. 

George W. Washington, the first president of the United States, had eggnog as his primary beverage and we even know his own recipe: “One quart cream, one quart milk, one dozen tablespoons sugar, one pint brandy, 1/2 pint rye whiskey, 1/2 pint Jamaica rum, 1/4 pint sherry, eggs—mix liquor first, then separate yolks and whites of eggs, add sugar to beaten yolks, mix well. Add milk and cream, slowly beating. Beat whites of eggs until stiff and fold slowly into mixture. Let set in cool place for several days. Taste frequently.”

The best recipe I found, and which worked just fine is the one below. Unfortunately, it is not diet-friendly but again, what is during Christmas?  Enjoy!

EGGNOG

Yield: 4 servings

GlasswearGlass mugs

ToolsStand mixer

Ingredients

4 eggs, whites and yolks separated
1/3 cup (78 ml) sugar

2 cups (475 ml) whole milk

1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream

5 ounces (150 ml) bourbon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

Instructions1. Beat the egg yolks in the bowl of a stand mixer for approximately one minute, or until they lighten in color.  Slowly mix in the sugar and continue to mix until dissolved.
2. Slowly pour in the milk and cream.  Add the bourbon and nutmeg and stir to combine.  Transfer mixture to a large serving bowl.
3. Clean out the bowl of the stand mixer.
4. Beat the egg whites in the bowl of the stand mixer until soft peaks form.  While the mixer is still on, slowly add another tablespoon of sugar and beat to form stiff peaks.
5. Add the egg whites to the cream mixture and whisk to combine.
6. Serve in glass mugs with a sprinkle of freshly grated nutmeg on top.

Note: There is a risk of salmonella and other food-borne illnesses when consuming uncooked eggs.  It is recommended that when preparing this recipe, you use grade A or AA eggs that have been refrigerated.

Dear Santa,

2011 was a rough, rough year for most of us. Christmas time has finally come and everyone is trying to embrace the festive spirit and plan to have a good time.

Many things have made this year disappointing but the most essential one for me is the chaos occurring in Syria, my country of origin. It kills me seeing that all these patriots of mine are getting killed, their children taken away and their houses falling apart. It is unfair and I would want to see it stop because this conflict is turning into a civil war. Syria is a beautiful country with a large history and its citizens should be alive and healthy in the year to come to see it rise again with the help of its historical sites and loveable people. Thus, at night, after your scheduled trip around the chimneys of the world, please spend some more time in Syria for spreading some common sense into the local political leaders; make this one person provoking all of it fly far away.

The second thing I would want to see change is all of the Greek government. Really, I don’t understand how corrupt can a European country be. Nothing is right. Greece could be the world’s number one destination for all kinds of tourists: rich or poor, young or old, party animals or couples. Unfortunately, this country’s assets are not being put forward by the relevant people. At the point where we are today, I am afraid the wait for a better life is going to be very, very long. The funny thing is that all of the young generation says the same thing: “we should be more aware, spend less, save more, care more, work, reconsider our priorities etc.” but in practice, most of them are still lazy, scared to take responsibilities and comfortably seated in Business class, traveling towards bankruptcy. Santa, this country has adopted me, taught me how to live and socially exist; don’t let the 300 parliament losers drown it along with their self esteem.

Another thing I would want to see not disappear per se, but at least have less impact on some people’s lives: Facebook. It is a problem and a sin in itself. I have an account, you have an account (I can’t find it but I am sure it is there somewhere) but we all hate it; yet, we can’t seem to get away from it. I have had lots of shocks since the creation of facebook but learned to live with it and moreover, mock the blocks, the likes, the unlikes, the requests and all this jargon people mention in conversations (e.g.: Oh-my-God, he blocked me but then he sent a friend request to his ex he had deleted last year who added him back and even liked his picture and now their status is “in a relationship”!). Get over it, shit happens. Even so, let me say this: Dear Mr. Mark Zuckerberg, despite the fact that you are a Jewish, redhead and awkward, you happen to be a genius, a billionaire and an “ex - nothing” who has managed to change a whole planet’s routine. Please marry me.

Oh Santa, if only you knew how irritated I am not only on a large scale perspective but also in my every day interaction with people. The past year, I have noticed more hypocrisy, selfishness and lies around me than never before. I believe that mankind has reached a point where it became God’s major disappointment. Every one lives for themselves and altruism has become an endangered term. I wish we could all give a little bit more, even if it is a simple smile or just an innocent advice. Let me be a little bit more specific (please consider my age and sex):

• Friends lie to each other because of a conflict of interest (e.g.: An ex friend talked trash behind my back so I stopped talking to her; she is throwing a party; my best friend went and never told me).  
• Friends (badly) lie about how good and happy they are in the hope of believing it themselves
• Men lie because they are cowards, insecure and can’t embrace the idea of having a perfectly good relationship with a woman: They have to mess it up somehow.
• Women, especially those married to wealthy men are getting into depression and put themselves in a miserable position for no reason at all leading them to cheat on a good husband.
• Husbands, wives, fiancées, fiancés, girlfriends, boyfriends: they all cheat more and seek for sexual satisfaction elsewhere than in the bed of their (supposedly) loved ones (The number of marriages that took place in the EU in 2009 was around 2.3 million, while around 1.0 million divorces recorded in 2010, according to Eurostat).
• Women going out are more slutty (yet, attractive) than ever trying to impress and act like they own it when in real life it is not the persona they should be attributed with.
• All of us acting enthusiastic when we bump into a random acquaintance while doing our Christmas shopping and emphasizing on how necessary it is to go for coffee and share each other’s news when in reality, we had forgotten this person still existed.
• Childhood friends who after becoming successful business partners stabbing each others’ backs for money.

These are few of the things that bother me in a small - scale perspective and that I would love to see change in the next year to come or at least make them less obvious.

Santa, I know it’s been a long letter and loads of complex requests that you will have to spend a lot of time on but I have a final one: I would like to find a generous man and establish a healthy relationship that will have more joy than sadness, more affection than jealousy and more laughs than fights. I am not looking for “Lord Perfect” but rather, I someone who respects me and who has an idea about where I come from and where I am going. It may not be my future husband, but at least, I would know that there are some men out there that have self esteem and that have heard of the word “honesty”.

If you have time, please find such a man for all of my single girlfriends because they all deserve someone good that can make them wake up in the morning with a big smile on their face.

On what concerns my single male friends, I see them very happy with celibacy and would not include them in my Santa Claus letter.

Thank you Santa for the time you took in reading and processing the elements of my letter. I also have a list with material goods that you can procure from the Galeries Lafayette in Paris, Bloomingdales in New York and Harrods’ in London (at your own convenience).

Give my regards to the elves, the reindeers and of course Mrs. Claus.

Best Regards,

Tamara.