If
I had to pick just one holiday to spend with Charles Phoenix, I suppose I’d
ring in the new year with him. This Ambassador of Americana would have a shiny
suit, a dish of his Fruit Loops and Lucky Charms-based Fried Confetti and lots
of energy on the big night, then…. There’s the Rose Bowl parade.
Showman,
crafter and fun guy Phoenix is into classic and kitschy. He had me at “Addicted
to Americana” featuring roadside attractions. This colorful book, “Holiday
Jubilee,” brings memories on every page merging vintage photos with his new
creations to inspire those days of consumerism. You’ll remember grandma, mist
up and get a good laugh in, too.
But
first, Thanksgiving with Charles: Begin the festivities with guests admiring
your turkey-shaped assemblage based on a meatloaf festooned with scores of
cocktail weenies and cranberries. The tail is a hotdog fanfare and the wattle
is, well, breathtaking. Or platter your cheese anc crackers into turkey with a
Cheez-It’s breast. Or maybe go Hawaiian with a pineapple chunks and cherries
making a face on your Tiki Turkey Dinner Party.
Then
we head into the author’s most wonderful time of the year with tales of Santa
villages and candy cane lanes. While the Light-Up Jell-O Christmas tree is a
tribute to the season, I’m loving vintage photos of regular American families
enjoying their holidays in the ‘50s and ‘60s. Frosty the Cheeseball Man will
leave your guests with a nostalgic taste in their mouths. See what he has in
store for Valentine’s Day and the rest of the calendar.
From
this book we have our regular “pumpkin update.” Phoenix has informed me pumpkin
is a superstar of the squash family, but no one wants to eat “squash pie.”
Also, Reddi Whip, pumpkin pie’s best friend, is pressurized aerosol technology
at its finest, originally invented for bug spray. In 1948 canners replaced
insecticide with cream.
What
the chairman reserved
I
just call the holidays rum season. Sure, it’s great around Halloween for
talking like a pirate, but the rest of the year deserves serious contemplation
and reflection. Saint Lucia Distillers presents Chairman’s Reserve in original
and spicy varieties that will help you give thanks in late November, get
through political discussions and Christmas mixers and enjoy company gathering
to honor the new year. Ripe raisin fruit, tobacco and vanilla are “on the
finish” of the original. This is “fancy,” but pairs well with another of my
favorite holiday treats, Chex mix, heavy on the cayenne. It’s the spicy blend,
steeped with local Caribbean tree bark, spices and fruits, most notably
cinnamon, clove, citrus peels, orange and vanilla, that make me not mention
this Chairman’s Reserve to the guests. It’s for alone time.
Wonder
Melon
A
bottle of Wonder Melon addresses your unanswered questions, but won’t
necessarily answer them. Why does it taste so great? They wish they knew. How
do makers get the melon into a drink and into the bottle? They’ll never tell.
Why does watermelon have more lycropene than tomato? Weird, right? But they
will tell you how to enjoy the melon all year long. Hint: look at the bottle. I
just enjoyed the watermelon, lemon and cayenne version so much that I went into
the watermelon, cucumber basil batch sooner than I intended. But why hold back
from good stuff?
They’re
making cake with it
Things have
come a long way since Woodstock. The Port Arthur News just wrote about a local
CBD shop and here is Koi Naturals CBD with cooking tips. Read up and you’ll know the oil
is a far stretch from other products made from the same plants, so no need to
plug in your favorite ‘60s rock. Unless you cook to those tunes anyway. The
company sent a strawberry tincture and a recipe for a cake along with some tips
for the oil:
- Use fat - For better binding, infuse into a fat or oil-based ingredient like butter, ghee, or coconut oil in order to increase bio-availability and receive full benefits.
- Avoid heat - Be careful when it comes to applying heat as excessive temperatures can cause it to evaporate and lose potency. Use as a finishing touch: try drizzling the oil over avocado toast, pizza, eggs, or mixing into pesto.
Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area
foodie keeping up with trends and flavors. Reach her at darraghcastillo@icloud.com
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