December
My house smells fabulously of the holiday season, today. I baked a delicious something that a very lucky and patient someone is going to have mailed to her or him in time for flaming cats Chanukah, and I made Nigella Lawson's spiced peaches. The latter is supposedly excellent eaten with ham, hot or cold, and so when I saw the recipe I immediately thought of my father-in-law (he loves spiced/spicy things, and is rather fond of ham.) The recipe made 2 pint-jars, so I'll be giving one to the in-laws and one to another pig enthusiast, as we don't have ham in my house. (Aside from the fact that I'm trying to wean myself back into Kashrut, I find ham too dry and too salty.)
Nigella is a generous soul, so I'm going to share the recipe for the peaches. She won't mind.
2 14oz. cans peach halves in syrup (note: I could only find the halves in juice, for whatever reason. Peaches slices work fine. Syrup is essential!)
1 T rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 short cinnemon sticks
1.5 inch piece fresh ginger, pealed and sliced into thin coins
1/2 t. crushed dried chiles
1/2 t. kosher salt (or 1/4 t. table salt)
1/4 t. whole peppercorns
3 cloves
Empty cans into a saucepan, and then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, let cook a minute or so.
"Serve the [warm] peaches with hot ham, letting people take a peach half each and some of the spiced juice. Any leftovers can (and should) be stored in a jar and then eaten cold with cold ham."
Nigella is a generous soul, so I'm going to share the recipe for the peaches. She won't mind.
2 14oz. cans peach halves in syrup (note: I could only find the halves in juice, for whatever reason. Peaches slices work fine. Syrup is essential!)
1 T rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
2 short cinnemon sticks
1.5 inch piece fresh ginger, pealed and sliced into thin coins
1/2 t. crushed dried chiles
1/2 t. kosher salt (or 1/4 t. table salt)
1/4 t. whole peppercorns
3 cloves
Empty cans into a saucepan, and then add the remaining ingredients. Bring to boil, let cook a minute or so.
"Serve the [warm] peaches with hot ham, letting people take a peach half each and some of the spiced juice. Any leftovers can (and should) be stored in a jar and then eaten cold with cold ham."