The home cooking thread

[Fionnualla]

Since Samhain is coming up fast, I am in search of a really good mead recipe. Alcoholic or non-alcoholic. I'd really rather not have to engage in any fermentation procedure as I no doubt would blow up the kitchen. Anyone have a suggestion?

[Wilhelm]

As the fermentation process of mead takes several months(I have one small badge still fermenting after 11 months) you might want to just buy a couple of bottles of ready-made mead.

Try, if it's for sale in your area, some Hydromel. This is French mead. I enjoy putting it in sealed weck jars with some added raisins, peach slices and cinnamon. Let it age for about a month in your fridge and drink it. It is good!

[Fionnualla]

I've looked everywhere in my city for Hydromel and can't find anything at all. So I just decided to make some myself. I used apple juice, water, orange slices, cinnamon, and honey. Let it simmer for about 30 min., let it cool, strained it, and put it in the fridge. It tasted wonderful just after it was made and I'm sure it's better after it's aged a bit. Sweet, though. I'll bet it would give you a helluva sugar high if you drank a lot of it. I'm going to have to call around some more and maybe try asking the alcoholic beverage stores here if they know where I can get some Hydromel, or honey wine, or something similar.

[BriarRose Kildare]

Does any one have any good autumn recipes they would like to share?

[Arya Kalarathri]

This is a very simple, but delicious way to have sweet potatoes. I must warn you, though: the butter content puts Paula Dean in the light butter zone. The recipe has Indian influences, but is simple and easily adaptable for what is commonly had during autumn.

INGREDIENTS

* 10 sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
* 1 cup orange juice
* 1 cup butter
* 3 tablespoons white sugar
* 2 cups marshmallows

DIRECTIONS

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes and cook until tender but still firm, about 15 minutes. Drain, cool and mash.
2. Preheat oven broiler.
3. Mix mashed potatoes with orange juice, butter and sugar until smooth. Spread in a 9×13 inch baking dish. Cover with marshmallows.
4. Place dish under preheated broiler until marshmallows melt and turn brown, 5 to 10 minutes.

Sincerely,
Arya Kalarathri

[BriarRose Kildare]

Thank you, Arya Kalarathri, for this recipe. I will give it a try.

[Ravnos]

Here's one I like to make it's called chicken nimmas.
You first make a pocket in a chicken breast,
stuff with a few sliced strawberries,
then cook in oven about 15mins or so.
To make the sauce, mix cream, strawberries & chicken stock together, simmer 2mins.
serve with new potatoes & veg.

[BriarRose Kildare]

Ravnos, that sounds very good too.

Sigh, having another salad and trying to enjoy it.

[BriarRose Kildare]

For our New Year's Day dinner I made sweet corn, sweet potatoes with cinnamon and brown sugar, apple slices baked with sugar and cinnamon, and a slice of ham baked as well. To drink we had cranberry juice and apple cider.

The wee lad wasn't so keen on the sweet potatoes, but he ate the rest all gone. Yeah....