The $3600 antique punch bowl set is not mine…yet. Need about 7200 more sales of Miss Missy’s School for that.
For the record, I hate cold weather. Puts me in a bad mood and no one wants to be in a foul mood at Christmastime. So this week I’ve been collecting hot drink recipes and posting them at Bigfoodetc.com. Monday was cocoa-type day, and included a couple of Mexican hot chocolates, a Brazilian mocha, and Master Chef Louis P. De Gouy’s “Spiced Cocoa” from his The Gold Cook Book (1947). That’s a sampling only–we’ve decided to try Jeff Smith’s “Hot Chocolate to Die For” white chocolate & peppermint schnapps variation.
Teas were Tuesday. Four or five Russian teas, including one featured in the childhoods of those of a certain age–Instant Russian Tea made with various spices added to Tang™! And many more serious recipes.
Coffee drinks begin Wednesday and will end Thursday. So many coffee drinks–coffees from the Quarter, Italian dessert coffee, a couple from our old friend Clementine Paddleford (with stories), to say nothing of the Turkish, Syrian, and other Middle Eastern recipes and methods.
Friday–the day we will all have been driven to drink by the cold–with be hot punches–gluggs, wassails, a smoking bishop.
All of the hot holiday drink recipes come from old cookbooks that John has culled in his efforts to preserve America’s cooking heritage. He’s collected them in The Big Food Manual and Survivalist Flourishing Guide. (Read Aristotelian flourishing.) I am not kidding when I report that each and every recipe is an individual WordDoc.
If you’re looking for delicious hot beverage recipes, head over to Bigfoodetc.com and give them a look. (I’m happy to email Word Docs if you’d like several .)
“Hot Chocolate to Die For” is aptly named with that recipe! 🤣
Lol. I wish I could purchase the 7200 copies of Miss Missy’s School so you could serve me a spicy Gluehwein from that beautiful punch bowl.