Nov-Dec-2015_Pg 11_no bleed

ENTERTAINING

Cornbread for Gold This is a tradition that I picked up from some Texas friends, partially because I like any excuse to cook my grandfather’s cornbread recipe. More grainy than cakelike, Leon’s cornbread is more high maintenance than pre-mixed varieties, but the heat- and-mix technique gives the cornbread a dark, crunchy crust that “baked in a pan” versions can’t match. Luckily, I keep three big cast iron skillets on hand for just such an occasion. Milk Punch for Relief This big-batch brunch cocktail is classic New Orleans “eye opener” and a sweet, calming way for guests to sip their “hair of the dog” should they be — how to put this? — a little “sensitive to light” from the evening’s festivities. You can make this one ahead of time and thaw to slushy perfection as the guests arrive. Big Batch Bourbon Milk Punch Serves 8 WHAT YOU WILL NEED ½ gallon Rouses whole milk 2½ to 3 cups confectioners’ sugar, or to taste 1½ cups (12 ounces) bourbon whiskey 1 tablespoon vanilla extract Ground nutmeg HOW TO PREP In a large pitcher, combine the milk and confectioners’ sugar; beating with a whisk until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the bourbon and vanilla. Pour into a large airtight container (such as a half-gallon milk jug); cover and freeze overnight or even up to a month. Let the punch thaw at room temperature for at least 2 hours. Pour into a large thermos or straight from the jug. Pour over ice to serve; top each serving with a pinch of nutmeg. “I cook a whole pig on my Green Egg while I’m deer hunting New Year’s Eve. We eat it that night.” —Donny Rouse, 3rd Generation

Uncle Pableaux’s Smothered Cabbage Serves 6-8 WHAT YOU WILL NEED 3 tablespoons Rouses vegetable or extra virgin olive oil ½ pound baked ham, diced, or Rouses smoked sausage, sliced ⅛-inch thick 2 medium onions, diced 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in purée (chopped or smashed between your fingers) ½ to ¾ cup amber beer (nothing too dark here) ½ cup Rouses Olive Salad 1 teaspoon dried basil 1 (2 to 3-pound) head green cabbage, cored and coarsely chopped Salt, to taste Freshly ground pepper, to taste Hot pepper sauce, to taste HOW TO PREP In a large Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the ham or sausage and cook until browned and crisp. Add the onions in two batches and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are lightly browned. Stir in tomatoes, beer, olives, and basil; increase the heat and bring just to a simmer. Add the cabbage in batches and cook, stirring frequently, until the leaves wilt after each addition. (Don’t worry; huge mounds of cabbage lose their bulk pretty quickly). Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, until the cabbage is tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in the salt, ground pepper, and hot pepper sauce.

Skillet Corn Bread WHAT YOU WILL NEED 2 cups yellow corn meal 4

tablespoons All Purpose flour teaspoons baking powder

4

1

teaspoon Rouses salt tablespoons sugar

2 2 2

eggs

cups buttermilk (approximately) 3 to 4 tablespoons Rouses vegetable oil HOW TO PREP Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift all dry ingredients together (cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and sugar) in large glass or metal bowl (not plastic). Mix in eggs and enough buttermilk to make a loose batter. On the stovetop burner, heat vegetable oil in a 10-inch cast iron skillet until lightly smoking. Swirl the skillet to coat the interior with oil, then CAREFULLY pour the hot oil into the batter and MIX VIGOROUSLY until the oil is integrated into the batter. Place the skillet inside the 425° oven for about 25 minutes or center is fully baked.

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