The Flight Deck

On the way home from work, yesterday, I called the Darling Wife and asked if she needed anything from our local market. She said, “buy some egg nog!” I might add that I’m very happy I bought a bottle of bourbon, too.

The eggnog container said “organic” and all the good buzz words known to man these days. Something was missing when I made some this morning. The taste just wasn’t there – I couldn’t stand the stuff. Back into time I went, when folks were allowed to get hammered during Christmas parties at the workplace, circa late 1970s.

 The 1978 edtion of “The Joy of Cooking” has a recipe that damn near got me fired that year, and I have to share it with all of you.

Don’t question it. Just make it and drink it. I got the whole company blasted that year. The president of the company was so p!ssed he DID fire me but re-hired me following the Christmas break.

As a WarHoover NFO friend says: 

Drink as much eggnog as you can. And quickly. It’s rare.. You cannot find it any other time of year but now. So drink up! Who cares that it has 10,000 calories in every sip? It’s not as if you’re going to turn into an eggnog-alcoholic or something. It’s a treat. Enjoy it. Have one for me. Have two. It’s later than you think. It’s Christmas!

EGGNOG IN QUANTITY

1. A rich and extravagant version that is correspondingly good. Some people like to add a little more spirit to the following recipes, remembering Mark Twain’s observation that “too much of anything is bad, but too much whisky is is just enough.”

Beat sparingly until light in color:

12 egg yolks

Beat in gradually:

1 lb confectioners’ sugar

Add very slowly, beating constantly:

2 cups dark rum, brandy, bourbon or rye

These liquors may each form the basic ingredient of the nog or may be combined to taste. Let mixture stand covered to disoel the “eggy” taste. Add, beating contastantly:

2 to 4 cups of liquor chosen
2 quarts whipping cream
(1 cup peach brandy)

Refrigerate covered for 3 hours. Beat until stiff but not dry:

8 to 12 egg whites

Fold them lightly into the other ingreadients. Serve the eggnog sprinkled with:

Freshly ground nutmeg

Deviating from the recipe just a bit, (1.) use Knob Creek Bourbon Whiskey, and flavor the mix with just a bit of Fee Brothers’ Old Fashioned Aromatic Bitters, followed by the fresh gound nutmeg.

After four of these, I’m flowing, well, I might add.

I hope all you Lexlings have a wonderful Christmas. Enjoy!

Update
SJSal and I made a half batch, just for the two of us, making a very substantial quantity. Did I mention it is vastly superior to any store bought egg nog product?