An evil drink!
Lithuanian in origin, this stuff will knock your socks off and it tastes great, something like pumpkin pie apparently. I have heard various names for this sweet nectar. We know it as Evil but Krupnikas seems to be it’s most common name.
- 2 teaspoons caraway seed
- 10 whole cloves
- 10 whole allspice
- 4 sticks cinnamon
- 2 sticks vanilla
- 2 pieces yellow ginger
- 2 pieces white ginger
- 10 cardamom seeds
- 1/2 nutmeg
- 3 strips orange rind
- 3 strips lemon rind
- 1 pinch saffron
- 4 cups water
- 2 lbs honey
- 1 quart grain alcohol
Crack the cardamom seeds and nutmeg. Boil the spices, rind and water in a covered pot until liquid is reduced to about 2 cups. Strain.
In a pot large enough to hold the spiced liquid, alcohol and honey, bring honey to a boil. Skim off the foam.
Pour spiced liquid into honey and stir.
Remove from heat. Place far away from heat to prevent flare-up or explosion of alcohol. Slowly, and very carefully, pour in alcohol.
Replace pot on LOW heat. Heat, being careful not to simmer or boil, for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat and let cool in the same covered pot overnight. Following day, pour into bottles and allow to settle for a week. Pour off the clear liquid into a separate bottle, being careful not to disturb the sediment. Filter the sedimented portion (through a coffee filter) into a separate bottle. Do this several times over the next month. You will end up with a clear liqueur that is akin to the nectar of the gods.
The longer it sits, the clearer it becomes and the better it tastes.
Good Luck and Enjoy!
Comment [2]Sandwich Spread!
With the U.K being the focus for many right no, I was real pleased to get a package full of British flavour yesterday. Six jars of Heinz Sandwich Spread arrived. Not having had any since I moved here, I jumped in and had 4 large slices of toast with a generous covering of butter and the aforementioned spread. Kickass and still five and a half jars left!
Different people miss different things when living away from where they grew up, not just food either. Many Brits here miss British Bacon (which mostly comes from Denmark as I recall!) and proper Baked Beans oftem get mentioned.
The first food that I found I couldn’t find a substitute for was Branston which I had to learn to make myself. Robin gets me occasional treats of crisps (potato chips) in all manner of interesting flavours that the USA couldn’t comprehend. I have acquired numerous jars of Marmite and Hersheys do a reasonable job of recreating Cadburys Chocolate. I have still to find a decent Banger substitute. Overall I miss very little food-wise these days but do thoroughly enjoy and occasional treat from Blighty. By coincidence I happened to move to an area in the US that tries to claim the Cornish Pastie as it’s own. Apparently some tin miners came here way back when and brought them along. Scrumptious!
My question is: What food do you miss, or would if you moved elsewhere and to what lengths would you go to acquire that ‘not to be lived without’ foodstuff?
Add to the grocery list! [6]Scrum-diddly-umptious!
Today, after a long and hard day, toiling for beer tokens, I returned to the olde homestead to find it awash with beguiling aromas. For a birthday treat, my wonderful better half had spent the day preparing a feast. Curry!
Robin’s first attempt at cooking Indian style was a great success and the best present I could have imagined.
A decent curry is just about the only thing I miss after moving to Wisconsin. Indian food is available in Madison and Milwaukee, but up here in the Northwoods it is practically unheard of. I cook it occasionally but rarely have enough time to do it well and there never seems much point in rushing it. A rushed and poorly executed curry is a sad thing to taste and behold. Do it right or don’t do it at all!
Robin performed a culinary miracle. She worked from a British recipe book, so many of the ingredients had unfamiliar names and all the measures were foreign to her.
I am not worthy of this woman! For me, the best birthday present of all will be proudly entering our local bar with her at my side. Every moment of her company is a joy and since meeting her I have been at peace and wanted for nothing.
Thank you my love, you make my life worthwhile.
Spice me up!Sweet Baby Ray's
I was just given a bottle of Sweet Baby Ray’s barbecue sauce. It is said to be the best selling barbecue sauce in Chicago and is ranked very highly in national sales and is growing in popularity very nicely.
“So what?” I hear you exclaim across the electronic ether. “Acouple of bucks worth of sauce ain’t nothin’ special!”
You are right, the sauce may be one of the best but shouldn’t be worth an entry on these esteemed pages. I just thought it was cool to be given a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays by Chef Larry, the originator of the sauce, the same guy who named it after his Brother Ray.
Larry, many thanks for introducing me to another piece of the American puzzle. I hope that all goes well for you and look forward to meeting you again sometime.
Now, wheres that grill?