Jaymes

Hummmm.....interesting. It's starting to sound to me like there are several dishes involving the concept of eggs, prepared simply, then sugared and flamed. I think that the French cafes in Saigon during that time had come up with a sort of 'quicky,' even easier version that could be prepared and flamed tableside.

First of all, let me say that I LIKE my guac 'limey.' At restaurants, I often squeeze a little extra lemon or lime over it. And really, my favorite guac of all is just avocado, salt and lime. That said, I lived for a time in Tucson, where many folks stirred cottage cheese into their guac. I never got accustomed to that, but even in little restaurants in Mexico in Nogales, I saw that done. So, you could have tried that.

These recipes look just wonderful. And easy to do. Thank you so much for taking the time to post them!

Read that description. Sounds exactly like it. It was made in a chafing dish tableside, so it probably was just a simple omelette, sprinkled with the raw sugar and flamed with the brandy. Perhaps the "name" I'm looking for was just something simple, like the obvious perhaps? Omelette Flambe?

One can just imagine the conversation with immigration: "And the purpose for your visit, Sir?" "Well," sniff sniff wheeze cough, "I have a code....."

Ah yes, Boxing Day... That traditional day when the aristocracy and other lords and ladies of the manor must give one day off to the poor servants who have run themselves ragged during the Christmas hullaballoo. And the day when said aristocracy and lords and ladies 'box up' a few gifts for the servants. Odd it never caught on down here.

This description makes me almost want to get sick. Almost.

Marlene... I just want to comment upon how spectacularly well you are doing this. Even if Martha weren't spending the holidays at Camp Cupcake, she'd have some damn stiff competition. Your description of Christmas in Canada makes me want to don a flannel shirt and break out the waffle iron and maple syrup myself. And, also I want to thank you for your incredible generosity. It's obvious from reading this blog that you are extremely busy. But yet you find time to come here and share this warm and wonderful family time with us. If it were me, I'd be dead on my feet, locked in a bathroom somewhere, lounging in a soothing tub of hot bubbly water, music blasting to drown out the noise of my family pounding on the door, and slugging down the last of the eggnog (extra bourbon please). But here you are. Caring and sharing with us. Thank you. Friend.

You know....this is a really interesting conundrum in every area where it's been tried. Austin, Texas, where I lived, also instituted a very strict smoking ban. At first, there was a huge howl and outcry. But here's the thing....the smokers have run all of the nonsmokers out of the bars and restaurants. So when those folks that make a business of sampling public opinion go to those same bars and restaurants, all that's there to query are the smokers, and their long-suffering relatives and friends. Likewise, when the bar and restaurant owners attempt to predict the effect the ban is going to have on their business, all they can see when they look around are the smokers. After these bans are passed, the nonsmokers begin to show up. Slowly at first, untrusting. But when the bans are enforced, and the air is clean, the nonsmokers arrive in droves. In Austin, back before the smoking bans were put in place, a local nightclub had Etta James come for a series of concerts one weekend. In addition to the usual Friday night and Saturday night concerts, one was scheduled one for Sunday evening. Nonsmoking. All of the concerts sold out (this was Etta James after all), but according to the newspaper, the Sunday one sold out fastest, by far. The owner said that if the smoking ban hadn't passed as law, he planned many more of these no-smoking concerts. He said that although he was initially nervous about offering it, fearing no one would show up, it turned out that much to his surprise, the smoke had kept away far more folks than anyone realized. The bottom line, frankly, is that strict smoking bans allow everyone to come and enjoy the venue....the restaurant, the bar, the concert, whatever. Smokers may not want to have that cigarette or cigar in the car before or after, or out on the patio, or at home, but the absolute, uncontrovertible fact of the matter is that they CAN. On the other hand, people with respiratory illnesses, such as emphysema, or asthma, or other allergies, or for whom inhaling smoke means headaches and watery eyes and burning nasal passages and sore throats, or a trip to the dry cleaners with their brand new cashmere coat, or merely a shower and shampoo before they can get to sleep, are PROHIBITED from being likewise able to enjoy those restaurants, bars and concerts. As the parent of a son with severe asthma who for many years could never even find a place for our family to enjoy a pizza, I'm sorry, but I just don't feel any sympathy.

Exquisite.

Yes. Go get some whiskey.

And if you'll double the salt, and add about ten drops of iodine to kill those germs, and start gargling as soon as you feel the first tickle, you won't even GET the cold.

About this cornbread dressing thing.... I've been making cornbread dressing for Yankees for nigh onto some forty years. I always stuff the turkey with about half of the dressing (which, I'm sorry folks, but is MUCH better, having baked for a couple of hours in that turkey cavity with all of the turkey fat and juices seeping down through it; and as well, it also contains plenty of "aromatics" to flavor the turkey), and bake the other half in a separate casserole dish. We usually go through all of the stuffed dressing, and a few bites of the separately-baked dressing at the table. And then finish off the last of the unstuffed dressing during leftover sessions the next day. And I've never had the comments that Marlene had. Usually those that you can tell are not going to be big fans of cornbread dressing say a combination of things, such as: "It's really good, but kinda, I don't know...weird." Or, "The flavor is great but the texture is odd." Or, "It tastes great, and I love it, and I'll have seconds, but I do think I prefer my mama's bread stuffing." The fact that Marlene's crowd said it was "bland" tells me that there was something else going on other than that some folks are just not destined to be cornbread converts.

Well, see...richere's where you went so horribly wrong, Sugar Pot. Us Southern gals always have bourbon. In fact, I think I'll have some right now.

Well! I cannot believe I JUST found this thread. But I've zipped my way through it tonight. One comment....Marlene, Darlin', you said you made Rum Balls. As any good ol' southern gal will tell you, you should have made Bourbon Balls! Other than that, great thread. I do feel a little worried about the cornbread dressing, though. You said no one liked it.... Maybe I need to come up there.

Yeah, you won't find a recipe by southern cooks that doesn't have a "generous dose" of bourbon. Our family recipe, which also adds some rum and a little brandy, certainly features bourbon as the predominate booze flavor. In fact, no matter what time of year it is, when I inhale the aroma of bourbon, I briefly, but inevitably, think "Yum, eggnog."

That's absolutely true. My elderly father very much wants to travel to Europe, but won't go because one simply cannot avoid that smoke. So, I'm sure it will even out....some folks won't go because they can't smoke in some venues, and others (like us) WILL go for precisely that very exact reason.

I imagine most people did. Sadly, I remembered every last thing. Just like you'd make a strawberry daiquiri, except substitute broccoli for strawberries. Blender, sugar (we weren't refined enough to have simply syrup), rum, ice, give it a whirl, end up with something truly bilious. Everyone "of a certain age" has similar stories to this. In those days, the latest in stylish entertaining was the "Daiquiri Party." The deal was that the host/hostess would arrange to have at least three or four blenders at the ready. And then each guest would bring cans of frozen limeade and a fifth or so of rum and whatever fruit one preferred. Folks would show up with strawberries, pineapple, mangoes, cans of fruit cocktail....whatever. And then you'd whip up your Daiquiris....banana daiquiris, peach daiquiris...and on and on into the night, sampling and tasting and trying and getting drunk on your ass. Inevitably, the time would come when you'd run out of fruit. By then, the game had taken on a sort of high hysteria, and you'd start digging through the fridge, freezer, pantry....trying to find something else, anything else, to put in. Not only have I also had Broccoli Daiquiris, I've had Potato Daiquiris, and the truly most vile of all...Brussels Sprout Daiquiris. Ah....memories.

Papadulzes?

Dad says that they made it tableside. And basically did just scramble the egg. Then tossed the raw sugar on top and flamed the whole thing. He's not sure if they put anything else in with the egg, except for a little cream right at the end to stop the cooking process. But he's not positive. After all, it's been nearly 50 years. But he does remember that they just started with the egg at the table. The way he describes it, it wouldn't have had time to bake, like a flan.

All right....that's two votes for trifle pudding. That must be what it is. Thanks to all of you that offered your thoughts.

But of course.

I serve it on a glossy black square tray/platter which sets off the pink and white with flecks of green onions and the topping of a tiny dab of caviar? Exquisite! Okay. So now I've got to get me one of those. I can tell it'd be just sensational.

Wow. What great ideas and recipes. This is rapidly turning into one of my favorite threads of all time!!! Stuffed mushrooms, cucumber shooters!, fireballs, beef cigars, crostini, and more.... Terrific thread. Thanks to you all!