Merry Christmas to all!

It's Christmas Eve, and I've had a busy day.

For the first time in many years, I am not going to be able to go to Maryland for Christmas.  So I decided to cook a little Christmas dinner for a few friends who also do not have much family in Montreal.  I've spent most of today cooking.  I've made rosemary-roasted nuts, cream of peanut soup, cornbread stuffing, apple pie, and cranberry sauce.  Tomorrow I have to roast the turkey, cook the stuffing, make garlic mashed potatoes, and roast the vegetables.  None of those tasks are very onerous, so tomorrow should be a great deal of fun.

Tonight we had our Christmas Eve service at church (with lots of lovely Christmas carols), and then we went to Kit's house for drinks and snacks afterward.  I made egg nog, and brought some of the rosemary-roasted nuts.

Let me tell you about how I came to make the rosemary-roasted nuts.

On Wednesday night, I was on may way home from work on the Metro.  The train had just left Charlevoix station and was on its way to Lasalle station, when suddenly, it lost power and came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the tunnel.  We could overhear the two drivers on the intercom, saying that there was a fire at Lasalle station.  Then we began to smell smoke, and there was an announcement that service on the Green Line was interrupted due to smoke in the tunnel.  Well, the smell of the smoke wasn't that strong, but they clearly weren't going to start the train again any time soon.  Eventually they came on the intercom and told us that we would have to evacuate the train, and walk back through the tunnel to Charlevoix station.  The walk was arduous, on a narrow ledge on the side of the tunnel above the track, with only a grimy handrail to hold onto.  By the time I got back to the station, I was exhausted.

Of course there were no buses at the station to pick up all the stranded commuters.  Fortunately, I used to live near Charlevoix station, and my friends Rebecca and John live near there.  So I phoned their house, and Rebecca answered.  "Rebecca, would you like to do a Good Samaritan deed for the day?" I asked.  I explained my predicament, and asked if she could drive me the rest of the way home.  "I'll be there in five minutes," Rebecca replied.

It took her slightly more than five minutes, but I didn't mind.  When I sat in the car, she handed me a parchment paper envelope filled with warm nuts.  "I was just making these when you called," she said, "and I took a little longer because I wanted to bring you some."

I tasted them.  They were wonderful.  They were sweet, salty, and spicy, all at the same time, and still slightly warm.  It made the whole ordeal seem not so bad.

Afterward, I decided that the nuts would make a marvelous accompaniment to my cranberry and gin punch that I plan on serving to my dinner guests when they arrive.  So I asked Rebecca for the recipe, and made some myself.

Thank you, Rebecca, for rescuing me, and for the gift of those delicious nuts!


Rosemary-roasted nuts

1 lb. unsalted mixed nuts
1/3 cup butter
2 T. fresh rosemary leaves, finely chopped
3 T. brown sugar
1 T. white sugar
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (a whole teaspoon if you enjoy things spicy)
a pinch freshly-ground black pepper
2 tsp. kosher salt or sea salt

Heat oven to 375°.

Spread the nuts onto a baking sheet, and roast them in a 375° oven for about ten minutes, or just until they begin to be fragrant and change color slightly.  Remove from oven.

In a saucepan large enough to accommodate all the nuts, melt the better, and add the chopped rosemary leaves, brown and white sugar, cayenne pepper, black pepper, and salt.  Bring to a boil, and cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the nuts, and stir well to ensure all the nuts are evenly coated.

Spread coated nuts on the baking sheet again to cool.  They are wonderful if eaten warm, or if left to cool completely.


Cranberry and gin punch

1 liter cranberry juice cocktail
1 liter club soda
375 ml (about a cup and a half) dry gin
a little splash of Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Serve over ice.