Publisher's Desk...
Hi
from Linda in Michigan! "Gee this is good. Who made it?" "I dunno. Maybe Aunt
Shirley." "What is in it?" " I dunno. Ask Aunt Shirley." "Is it spiked?' "Well,
one more cup can't hurt." How many times have you heard similar conversations at
the punch bowl? Almost every gathering over 20 people will include a punch bowl.
The ingredients range from sugar free, to sickening sweet, to spiked with enough
liquor to embalm the whole crowd. I have tried to include a variety of recipes
to please everyone. The great thing about punch recipes is that they are not set
in stone. You can easily add or subtract the liquor. (Except for the recipe from
the Sunjet AirCal group of employees They really know how to fly.) You can also
substitute juices and fruits to your liking. Just keep the bowl full and icy
cold. Pick a good recipe for your next holiday gathering and be sure to label
the bowl spiked or unspiked. "Has anyone seen Aunt Shirley?"
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Enjoy!
Ramblings...
Is punch too prom-night to serve your urban-sophisticate party guests? Not
according to Nick Mautone, Gramercy Tavern's resident mixologist, who's likely
to break out a ladle or two at his own holiday bashes. "It's a subliminal way to
get everyone in the mood the moment they walk through the door," he says. The
punch bowl exerts some kind of magnetic pull on partygoers, who cluster around
to serve themselves and each other, sparing you the trouble of mixing drinks or
hiring a bartender. "You want to give your guests something homemade," says
Aquavit chef Marcus Samuelsson. "That's the whole gift and essence of the
holidays."
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Over 400 Ways to Celebrate the Season - Southern Living Style
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Did You Know?...
Punch Bowls And Punches
(Originally Published Early 1900's)
THERE is no individual piece of china around which shines such a glowing halo of
warm hospitality, of good-fellowship, of good cheer, as around the jolly
punch-bowl. A plate, a mug, a pitcher, is absolutely devoid of any interest or
sentiment save what may come from knowledge of past ownership, or from beauty or
quaintness of decoration ; a teapot conveys a sense of coziness and homeliness ;
but a punch-bowl, even a common, ugly, cracked crockery punch-bowl-visions of
good company and good companions rise at the very sight, even at the very name
Punch, an Eastern drink, is from the Hindi word panch, meaning "five," for its
five basic ingredients of rum, water, sugar, juice and spice. Punch was
introduced to the West in the late seventeenth century. By the eighteenth
century it had become the drink of choice in England and the American colonies
where punch making was considered a social accomplishment.
Albany newspapers from the late eighteenth century, when punch was at its
heyday, ran front page advertisements from local merchants offering consumers a
host of choices for their favorite punch recipe: hogsheads and puncheons of
Antigua, Jamaica, and St. Croix rums, pipes of French and Spanish brandies,
casks of sherry, Malaga, and Tenerife wines, loaf and lump sugars, chests of
Hyson, Souchong, Bohea, and Gunpowder teas, boxes of nutmeg, cloves, and pepper,
raisins, Seville oranges, lemons, and even "fresh lime juice in bottles." Local
eggs, milk, and cream were also standard punch ingredients. Depending upon the
season, punch was served either hot or cold.
Documentary evidence suggests that punch cannot be associated with a vessel of a
specific size and shape, but the most common serving piece was a punch bowl,
ranging from two quarts to eight gallons in capacity. The earliest punch bowls
were made from English and Dutch delftware. In the mid-eighteenth century
Chinese export porcelain became fashionable among the wealthy. By the end of the
century English transfer-printed earthenware was available to the lower and
middle classes. Cut glass punch bowls of American manufacture were rare until
the late nineteenth century when mass-production techniques increased their
availability to working class Americans. Ceramic, glass, and plastic punch bowls
are used today, especially during festive gatherings. Punch was also served in
ceramic cider or punch pitchers. From these larger containers, the beverage was
either poured or ladled into glass wines, tumblers, cups, or mugs. Smaller punch
bowls were used as drinking vessels. In this country, larger bowls were also
passed around the table for each guest to drink from, a custom associated with
the Albany Dutch who communally drank brandewijnskom (a mixture of brandy and
raisins) from two-handled silver bowls at gatherings for baptisms, wedding, and
funerals.
Indeed, most important rites of passage were graced by the punch bowl. Many were
decorated as commemorative or presentation pieces for private and public
individuals which featured monograms, coats-of-arms, and crests, or the emblems
and insignia of fraternal organizations like the Society of the Cincinnati and
Masonic lodges. Most of the punch bowls in this exhibition have documented
histories and are associated with prominent local families such as the Van
Rensselaers, Ten Eycks, Gansevoorts, Schuylers, and Douws. Punch recipes used by
these families and tales about the owners and the events at which these
concoctions were consumed, complement the punch bowls and related serving
vessels.
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HELPFUL TOOLS
These are helpful tools; sites (not downloads) that you could add to your desk top.
Cooking Measurements
Here is a great site for help with cooking measurements:
http://www.baking911.com/howto_measure.htm
Cooking Units Converter
Converts metric, imperial, etc. units:
http://www.unitsconverter.net/
Recipe Quantity Calculator
This is a WONDERFUL tool, especially for those who cook for one or two:
http://www.fruitfromwashington.com/Recipes/scale/recipeconversions.asp
Great conversion tools on one website
Convert measurements, calculator, you name it FREE:
ConvertIt.com
Internet Acronym Finder
Ever see folks using abbreviations in emails and messaging and wonder what the heck they
are saying? This site will let you search for them by the actual acronym or definition:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/
Here is a huge list of internet acronyms (some are naughty!) on our web site:
http://www.a2zrecipes.net/Acronyms.html
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Our discussion forum at QuickTopic is where a2z'ers go to meet others, swap recipes and give feedback about what is going on in A to Z Recipes. It is expected that opinions, suggestions, etc. posted there be done with kindness and respect for all involved*. To join in at QT (or just to read) use your web browser to go to:
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NOTE:
Maybe once you get to the site using the above link, you could add it to favorites. Links that are easy to find are more likely to be used again.
*Offensive postings will be deleted by the publisher.
Special Occasions : Holiday Entertaining All Year Round
Next Monthly Theme...
Making Recipes Special with Additions
Here's the scoop on the current theme:
Is there a recipe that you make extra special by using an unusual additional ingredient? As an example, I add evaporated milk and Velveeta to boxed macaroni to make it really tasty. Also, to my tuna and chicken salads, I add finely grated onions and jalapeno peppers. Yummy! Please send the entire recipe for each you would like to share. Also, add notes about which ingredient you feel makes it extra special!
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last Friday of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in TWO of your favorite theme recipes and in ONE email. If the number of recipes exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules are as follows:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only recipes that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Recipes that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up or use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Recipes without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. There will be NO recipes posted that are from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:
A to Z Recipes Theme Issues
The theme issue for Making Recipes Special with Additions has a deadline of December 31, 2004, and will be posted on January 2, 2005.
As usual, only recipes are to be sent to: A to Z Recipes Inbox
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Kraft Best-Ever Holiday Recipe Collection
Crazy Corner...
I couldn't find any jokes about punch bowls, so I thought I would just
give you a couple of my favorites.
Dear Friends,
Let me know your sizes. Christmas is tight this year. I've learned to make
bedroom slippers out of maxi pads: You need four maxis to make a pair.
Two of them get laid out flat, for the foot part. The other two wrap around
the toe area to form the top. Tape or glue each side of the top pieces to the
bottom of the foot part. Decorate the tops with whatever you desire, silk
flowers, etc.
These slippers are soft and Hygienic; Non-slip grip strips on the soles;
Built in deodorant feature keeps feet smelling fresh; No more bending
over to mop up spills; Disposable and biodegradable; Environmentally safe;
Three convenient sizes: Regular, Light day, and Get out the Sand Bags.
Happiest of holidays........
Martha Stewart
Inmate 55170-054
Subject: IN-FLIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS
All too rarely, airline attendants make an effort to make the in-flight safety
lecture" and announcements a bit more entertaining. Here are some real examples
that have been heard or reported:
1. On a Southwest flight (SW has no assigned seating, you just sit where you
want) passengers were apparently having a hard time choosing, when a flight
attendant announced, "People, people we're not picking out furniture here, find
a seat and get in it!"
2. On a Continental Flight with a very "senior" flight attendant crew, the pilot
said, "Ladies and gentlemen, we've reached cruising altitude and will be turning
down the cabin lights. This is for your comfort and to enhance the appearance of
your flight attendants."
3. On landing, the stewardess said, "Please be sure to take all of your
belongings. If you're going to leave anything, please make sure it's something
we'd like to have."
4. There may be 50 ways to leave your lover, but there are only 4 ways out of
this airplane"
5. "Thank you for flying Delta Business Express. We hope you enjoyed giving us
the business as much as we enjoyed taking you for a ride."
6. As the plane landed and was coming to a stop at Ronald Reagan, a lone voice
came over the loudspeaker: "Whoa, big fella. WHOA!"
7. After a particularly rough landing during thunderstorms in Memphis, a flight
attendant on a Northwest flight announced, "Please take care when opening the
overhead compartments because, after a landing like that, sure as hell
everything has shifted."
8. From a Southwest Airlines employee: "Welcome aboard Southwest Flight 245 to
Tampa. To operate your seat belt, insert the metal tab into the buckle, and pull
tight. It works just like every other seat belt; and, if you don't know how to
operate one, you probably shouldn't be out in public unsupervised."
9. "In the event of a sudden loss of cabin pressure, masks will descend from the
ceiling. Stop screaming, grab the mask, and pull it over your face If you have a
small child traveling with you, secure your mask before assisting with theirs.
If you are traveling with more than one small child, pick your favorite."
10. Weather at our destination is 50 degrees with some broken clouds, but we'll
try to have them fixed before we arrive. Thank you, and remember, nobody loves
you, or your money, more than Southwest Airlines."
11. "Your seat cushions can be used for flotation; and, in the event of an
emergency water landing, please paddle to shore and take them with our
compliments."
12. "As you exit the plane, make sure to gather all of your belongings. Anything
left behind will be distributed evenly among the flight attendants. Please do
not leave children or spouses."
13. And from the pilot during his welcome message: "Delta Airlines is pleased to
have some of the best flight attendants in the industry. Unfortunately, none of
them are on this flight!"
14. Heard on Southwest Airlines just after a very hard landing in Salt Lake
City: The flight attendant came on the intercom and said, "That was quite a
bump, and I know what y'all are thinking. I'm here to tell you it wasn't the
airline's fault, it wasn't the pilot's fault, it wasn't the flight attendant's
fault, it was the asphalt."
15. Overheard on an American Airlines flight into Amarillo, Texas, on a
particularly windy and bumpy day: During the final approach, the Captain was
really having to fight it. After an extremely hard landing, the Flight Attendant
said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to Amarillo. Please remain in your seats
with your seat belts fastened while the Captain taxis what's left of our
airplane to the gate!"
16. Another flight attendant's comment on a less than perfect landing: "We ask
you to please remain seated as Captain Kangaroo bounces us to the terminal."
17. An airline pilot wrote that on this particular flight he had hammered his
ship into the runway really hard. The airline had a policy which required the
first officer to stand at the door while the passengers exited, smile, and give
them a "Thanks for flying our airline." He said that, in light of his bad
landing, he had a hard time looking the passengers in the eye, thinking that
someone would have a smart comment. Finally everyone had gotten off except for a
little old lady walking with a cane. She said, "Sir do you mind if I ask you a
question?" "Why, no, Ma'am," said the pilot. What is it?" The little old lady
said, "Did we land, or were we shot down?"
18. After a real crusher of a landing in Phoenix, the attendant came on with,
"Ladies and Gentlemen, please remain in your seats until Capt. Crash and the
Crew have brought the aircraft to a screeching halt against the gate And, once
the tire smoke has cleared and the warning bells are silenced, we'll open the
door and you can pick your way through the wreckage to the terminal."
19. Part of a flight attendant's arrival announcement: "We'd like to thank you
folks for flying with us today. And, the next time you get the insane urge to go
blasting through the skies in a pressurized metal tube, we hope you'll think of
US Airways."
20. Heard on a Southwest Airline flight. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you wish to
smoke, the smoking section on this airplane is on the wing and if you can light
'em, you can smoke 'em."
21. A plane was taking off from Kennedy Airport. After it reached a comfortable
cruising altitude, the captain made an announcement over the intercom, "Ladies
and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome to Flight Number 293,
nonstop from New York to Los Angeles. The weather ahead is good and, therefore,
we should have a smooth and uneventful flight. Now sit back and relax... OH, MY
GOD!" ----- Silence ----- followed, and after a few minutes, the captain came
back on the intercom and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so sorry if I scared
you earlier. While I was talking to you, the flight attendant accidentally
spilled a cup of hot coffee in my lap You should see the front of my pants!" A
passenger in Coach yelled, "That s nothing. You should see the back of mine!"
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This is the most famous of holiday punches.
WASSAIL PUNCH
1 gal. apple cider
1 qt. orange juice
1 qt. pineapple juice, unsweetened
1 c. lemon juice, fresh
1 c. sugar
24 whole cloves
4 sticks cinnamon
Don't boil; let simmer until hot. Makes 1 1/2 gallons.
G.M.G.L. PUNCH
Source: The Sunjet's Golden Gallery Cookbook
1 quart Yukon Jack
1 quart cheap vodka (80 proof)
1 fifth Sloe-Gin (70 proof)
1 bottle of Almaden white wine (12% semi-dry and fruity)
2 gallons orange juice
Ice
Mix liquid ingredients Pour as needed into punch bowls and add ice.
Yields five gallons.
RAINBOW PUNCH
Source: McKenzie Memorial Hospital Employee's Cookbook
1 large can unsweetened pineapple juice
1 large can orange juice
1 pint lime sherbet
1 pint orange sherbet
1 pint raspberry sherbet
1 large bottle ginger ale (Vernor's…if you can purchase it where you live)
Add juices in punchbowl. Add scoops of all three sherbets. Pour ginger ale over
the top.
OPEN HOUSE PUNCH
Source: Sacred Heart Centennial Cookbook
1 fifth Southern Comfort
3 quarts of 7-Up
6 ounces of fresh lemon juice
1 6 ounce can of frozen orange juice
1 6 ounce can of frozen lemonade
Chill ingredients. Mix in punch bowl, adding 7-Up last. Add drops of red food
coloring if desired. Stir. Add ice. Float orange and lemon slices if desired.
PARTY PUNCH
Source: Recipes To Warm The Heart
1 quart cranberry juice
1 quart 7-Up
1 quart Squirt
1 small can frozen orange juice
Mix all together in a large punch bowl and enjoy.
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Heart Healthy...
SUGAR FREE PUNCH
One container crystal lite lemonade mix
One liter Fresca soda (or diet 7-Up), chilled
6 strawberries
One orange, sliced
Ice
Prepare sugar free lemonade according to label directions. Pour into a punch
bowl. Garnish with fruit. 0 calories!
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For Two...
PEANUT PUNCH
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup water
2 cups milk
6 tablespoons peanut butter
Sugar to taste
Mix cornstarch and water in a small saucepan, add milk, peanut butter, and sugar
to taste. Cook over moderate heat, stirring with a whisk until thoroughly smooth
and thick. Cool and refrigerate before serving. Serve in tumblers or goblets
with or without ice.
Serves 2.
Source: House & Garden
PLANTER'S PUNCH
Serves 1
1 teaspoon sugar
2 ounces orange juice
1 ounce lemon juice
2 ounces Jamaican rum
dash or two of grenadine
Garnish: lemon, lime and orange slices
Shake well with fine ice and pour unstrained into tall glass. Garnish with the
fruit slices.
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Publisher's Choice...
WEDDING RECEPTION PUNCH
Source: Northern Country Kitchens Cookbook
6 packages Kool-Aid
4 cups sugar
8 quarts water
2 (46 ounce) cans of Hawaiian Punch
1 (46 ounce) can pineapple juice
2 large cans frozen orange juice
1 small can frozen lemonade
1 large bottle 7-Up
Mix all ingredients. Chill before serving. Serves 50-60.
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