” Poire et Jacques, Y’all”
Thanksgiving really began at our house one week before November 24th. Thursday, November 18th to be exact.
The Third Thursday Potluck was that evening & called for something special to take along as it was the last Third Thursday Potluck of 2011. A special cocktail/tonic has become my regular potluck dish. I have made many cocktails to take to this wonderful monthly dinner hosted by my friend and fellow blogger Nancy Vienneau (www.goodfoodmatters.com) and my friend, Gigi Gaskins owner and fabulous hat maker at “HatWRKS” (check it out on Facebook).
I wanted this holiday cocktail to contain ingredients that represent my geographical place as well as a Southern based liquor & be wintry. This recipe, which is a Toast to the Holidays and an Ode to Winter, is one I hope you will try. On warmer fall days like we have been having here in Nashville it was perfect over ice, but as the days become chillier it is very cozy served hot and I am sure it has medicinal properties that will ward off colds & flu during the holidays. I could not think of a name for my concoction….Wouter came up with the perfect name don’t you think?
Ingredients: (for about 2 quarts for a party)
6 cups Pear Cider
2 cups Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey
1 cup Pear Liqueur
2 TBSP Ginger Jam or Preserves
Mix all ingredients together in a large container.
Add one or two whole peeled winter pears to a pitcher. Pour cocktail mixture over pears and chill until ready to serve. (Later these pears will make a very nice dessert)
You can make this cocktail ahead of time and keep refrigerated over the holidays to have on hand ready to serve when the moment calls for a relaxing drink with friends. Add a few crispy pear slices and a small teaspoon of ginger jam to each glass whether serving cold or hot.
The remainder of my week between the Third Thursday & the Fourth Thursday of November was a bit of a blur. This was not due to imbibing to much Poire Jacques by the way!
There were calls to work out-of-town, calls to work in town, shoots booked, cancelled and rebooked, recipe development & testing to be done, a food video shoot in my kitchen on Wednesday so by Thanksgiving day I had already cooked & styled 2 pork loins with fruit stuffing, baked some yummy chocolate cookies, Wisconsin cherry scones & cupcakes with a buttercream frosting, pie crusts, pies, roasted red bell peppers and a garden greens saute, and that is just part of the list. We had bid happy holidays to our grown children going to Wisconsin & Knoxville to visit relatives and taken in our grandson’s Jack Russell, Bill to spend a few days with our dog Ella.
Our Thanksgiving was a day of walking dogs in crunchy, colorful fall leaves, watching four “Boardwalk Empire’s” back-to-back, going to see “Descendents” at the movies, stopping by to see the progress on an inn our friends John and Liz are getting ready to open here in Nashville, eating big bowls of Perciatelli with MeatBalls & Red Sauce along with some red wine and being thankful for all of this and more.
“A Quick Sweet/Savory Breakfast Frittata with Pears & Blackberries” (for the folks working on the video at my house to enjoy)
Ingredients:
One sheet of puff pastry slightly thawed
4 slices of good sharp white cheddar
2 cups thinly sliced hard pears
1 cup fresh blackberries
4 eggs whisked with 1/2 cup cream, 4 ounces softened cream cheese & 1 tbsp raw or brown sugar
Extra raw sugar for sprinkling on top
Maple syrup for drizzling on top of servings
Directions:
Turn oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 10 inch cast iron skillet. Line skillet with sheet of puff pastry.
Arrange cheddar slices over bottom of pastry & top with pear slices. Pour egg-cream mixture over pear slices and sprinkle with blackberries & raw sugar.
Bake until puffy & golden brown and until eggs are set in the middle. Remove from oven & let sit for a few minutes before serving. Sprinkle with a bit more sugar. Drizzle with maple syrup.
The crispy-flakiness of the puff pastry along with the naturally sweetness of the fruit, the savory egg & cheddar cheese topped with a bit of sweet maple syrup & the crunch of raw sugar makes for the perfect quick breakfast that is not cloying sweet nor too savory.
“A Little Seasonal Gallery of Fun”
That dessert looks wonderful, but I want those pears! Great cocktail.
I keep creating pear recipes because there is a giant pear tree down the block from me in a neighbor’s back yard. Every time I am walking our dog I see a few left hanging. I pick them, make a recipe, then the next day see a few more. Surely this is the very last of the pears on that tree, but as long as I find a few I have to pick them. For a couple of months I have thought each pear was the “last one”! It has been in the high 60’s to mid 70’s here in Nashville so far this fall so our fruit has had an extended season. Thanks for stopping by.
Every ingredient of the cocktail is lovely and the frittata is just genius. That has to be one heck of a great potluck fun.
vive la poire et jacques, merci beaucoup ma cheri
I love little Francis Ann having a little sip! That cocktail looks yummy as does your frittata, very unusual.
Yes, Francis Ann was feeling a bit parched. I have some of Poire et Jacques left in the refrigerator for when you drop by!
YUM YUM YUM. Even though I think Jack with anything other than a glass is tyranny, this sounds like a slow stroll down yum street.
happy post t-day, terese! we are back in a rainy chilly nashville after our DC jaunt–poire et jacques Chaud would be my choice for a warming pick-me-up this afternoon.I especially love the first photo, with the blaze of fall in your ‘hood captured in the glass!
This has to be a great cocktail. I love a pear martini that I get in Boston but this sounds better. Where did you find pear cider?
That was stunningly beautiful!
I am saving some for our next cocktail hour! Thanks.
That Frittata looked absolutely scrumptious. I am sitting here eating a cold bowl of cereal wishing I had the ingredients for your Frittata. And thanks for mentioning our new Inn
I will be mentioning it again soon and will forward your announcement email on to other folks I work and play with. Thanks for our nice words of encouragment.
Stunning imagery as always!
Thanks Stephanie, that means a lot coming from a pro! Ciao Bella.
wow…stimulus overload! since i don’t drink, can i come for the fritatta?terry
Sometimes I do go a bit overboard…but when the muse speaks!
Your frittata looks scrumptious!
JD makes a honey liquor where you’re from??? Holy cow!
PS. great post by the way 😉 excellent usage of pears!
Holy Cow indeed…yes JD has it and some real JD Black fans don’t like it as they say it is too sweet, but it is perfect for concocting cocktails..
I so wish I were there! Nice touch with the ginger jam.
You would have loved this cocktail….I have to invent another one for this Sunday evening for an event…something with citrus…tangerines, clementines, etc..as they are so abundant right now…that is as far as I have gotten in the process…any ideas?
I’m a steadfast wine gal, but this cocktail would cause me to convert. The fritatta also looks fantastic. The photos are gorgeous.
Hi! I recently received a little tin box in the mail full of DELICIOUS little cookies!!! The cookies were amazing and my family and I ate them all way too quickly. And I LOVE how all the ingredients were from local vendors here in Nashville. Thanks for participating in the cookie swap and sending me some of your awesome cookies! Love your blog, and look forward to looking through and trying some of your other recipes!
Thanks so much Sarah. I am happy to meet another Nashville food blogger…and that you were on my mail out list for cookies! Happy Holidays.
Just found your blog through ‘Good Food Matters’ blog. Love them both. The cocktail sounds delicious as does the frittata. Quick question. Do you know where Tammy & George’s kitchen clock is from? Would love to find one for our ‘future kitchen remodel’.
Janet, I called my friend Tammy to see if I can find out for you. Thanks.
would love to make this cocktail. where do I find pear cider? is this a hard cider?
Hi Cindy, I found the Pear Cider at Trader Joe’s….it is like Apple Cider, but with pears….not hard cider. Thanks for stopping by…this is very yummy.