Classic Cajun Eggnog

It's an interesting phenomenon among serious to Chefs that Cookbooks become anthropological documents, not just cheat sheets for recipes. One of my favorites is Talk About Good! Le Livre de la Cuisine de Lafayette, which was passed on to me by my mom when I moved to China. It was published by the Junior League of Lafayette, Louisiana, in 1967. Here's their recipe for Eggnog - a pure and unadulterated classic!

COLD EGGNOG
(Sufficient for Ten People)

6 fresh eggs
1/2 lb. granulated sugar
1 1/2 oz. rum
1 pint bourbon
1 pint heavy cream
1 pint [whole] milk

Beat yolks of 6 eggs. Beat whites separately adding 1/2 pound sugar to the whites. Add well-beaten yolks to whites and beat both thoroughly together. Stir in 1 1/2 ounces rum. Add 1 pint whiskey, 1 pint heavy cream, 1 pint milk. Stir all ingredients well. Sprinkle nutmeg over top.

contributed by Mrs. Ronald Andrus

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Eggnog is one of the oldest "cocktails" popular in America. George Washington was famous for his secret recipe, which included whole barrels of rum, whiskey and brandy - a good bracer for invading New Jersey! Originally, it appears to be made with beer in the medieval Europe, and used as a way to keep healthy through the lean months of winter.

Where exactly the name came from is open for debate. It appears to have been "Egg and Grog in a Nog" (earliest recorded American usage, attributed to Benjamin Franklin if I'm not mistaken...) Grog was navy slang for rum, which was the alcohol of choice in the colonies thanks to Triangle Trade, which you no doubt learned about in High School. A nog is a small wooden mug that the drink would be served in.

Either way, don't tell my cardiologist, but drink up and have fun!
Happy holidays!

Introducing In The Kitchen

...the rituals of cooking have transpired in the kitchen more or less unchanged since the begining of civilization. Although we have invented space stations and helicopters, computers, and giant machines of industry, the way we cook, and even more so the way we eat, remains more or less unchanged. In our recipies, we find our heritage, a lineage of cullinary ancestors stretching back to the begining of time. This blog will explore recipies and the experience of cooking.