Jubilee season: Pass the Gravy and Sit on Santa's Lap

 

               It’s jubilee season; pass the gravy and sit on Santa’s lap

                             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

Addicted to Americana?

                             Ever want to drive the Wienermobile, pose dwarfed by a giant bowling pin or make a bacon and fruit face on your pancakes? Love Googie architecture?

                             We could be friends, if you did. And we could take a road trip and ask Charles Phoenix, the Ambassador of Americana, to guide us across the classic, kitchy world of American life and style. Don’t think you’re too cool to get excited over neon signs, Big Boy statues, drive ins and pink vintage cars. It’s America and it’s us. And it’s big fun. His book is “Addicted to Americana.”

                             Mr. Phoenix takes us on a journey where the photos are spectacular – he’s posing with glorious, childlike wonder on nearly every page – and his back stories are fascinating. He’s hunted down fair curiosities, rescued signs and just about got tossed out of a car by the actor who gave us Pee Wee Herman. His writing and story-telling is entertaining and his love is genuine as he appreciates diners shaped like hot dogs, recalls theme park monorails and visits motels and restaurants that countless of Americans experienced as well.

                            I read this book very slowly, to savor the journey. There are funky little finds all over our great land. I’d love to visit with this guy.

                             What did I learn? Googie architecture is the term for futuristic stylings that I loved in the ‘80s, and still do. I just used to call it “old ‘50s stuff.” It’s cool. Like I imagine Phoenix would respond, “I know!.”

                            

                             Ginger brew mixes it up

                             Brooklyn Crafted is proud of new mini bottles of ginger beer that have bits of ginger you can see, and no alcohol. Sure you can go with the traditional variety. But I’m suggesting you try some crazy combos they’ve created including lemon lime and mango. Fruit and ginger are winners together and this is a fresh, light taste for the holidays. Now this Earl Gray ginger beer is another sort of different with a memorable fragrance. It’s good for cocktail hour and beyond and makers say ginger is trending. So get on board.

                             I’m going to imagine that author Charles Phoenix would love this all-American flavor in the cute little green bottles. So grab one and read his book (see above.)

            Darraghcastillo@icloud.com