Before my readership mistakes Modest Bounty for an Italian food blog, I’d like to set the record straight. I’m not Italian by birth or heritage, my husband is. I certainly enjoy cooking Italian cuisine and spent time with his grandmother learning the family recipes, however I am half Irish and half French by birth and my father, Pierre, instilled in me a curiosity about my heritage as he spent his last years tracing his family history through French Canada, la Prairie. So, as I turn my attention toward Christmas, you’ll see a change in the “menu” of posts.
Every year around the holidays I make a booze run to stock up on the stuff we don’t ordinarily keep in the cabinet, but for this time of year. For some reason the holidays prompt me to try new things and this year is no exception. The following is a list I started just before Thanksgiving.
- Château d’Yquem — inspired by Julia Child’s biography of her years in France, for Christmas or New Years Day with souffle, of course
- St. James Xtra Old Rum — inspired by Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast
- Dartigalongue XO 10 Armagnac — a family favorite
- Apple Brandy — inspired by a recent article about the dwindling apple orchards in Napa, featured in NYTimes, Germain-Robin?
- Bourbon — needs no explanation, a winter favorite, but will try a new label (drank Knob Creek last year) am open to suggestions
- Dumante Verdanoche Pistachio Liqueur — my husband loves pistachios and I think I’ll put this under the tree for him
On a cold winter’s night, any of the above would make a fine, slow sip.
I’m looking forward to developing a wine list as well and will attempt that in my next post, although I’m not terribly knowledgeable. We generally have fish on Christmas Eve and then something special for Christmas Dinner. Menus to come for our holiday meals as well as our annual baking spree!