when in Sparta, try the olive oil and oregano

From the Valley of Sparta in Laconia, Greece comes a wonderful olive oil and Greek Oregano

In my ever ending search for culinary wonders, I found a delightful Olive Oil wrestled from the semi arid hills of ancient Greece. One can almost sense the presence of ancient Sparta in the exquisite flavor of this fine oil.

If you never have an opportunity to visit ancient Sparta (BTW, you will find few pictures of the area on the internet with the exception of this fine  Lykovouno Web Site)   you should stop and visit the olive groves nearby.   The story is charming , it tells of a San Francisco dematologist returning to his ancestral home to rekindle a business. Fortunately for me, I discovered in reading his web site that he has a number of outlets in Northern California!

‘Lykovouno’ means something like ‘Wolf Mountain’ and one can almost see Spartan King Leonidas as a boy traveling and killing a wolf… maybe on this very mountain as his rite of passage. Spartan Boys were sent out to fend for themselves to test their worthiness, often having to steal, capture or hunt to eat.

So whether you are planning a Greek Feast or for everyday cooking, Lykovouno  (pronounced Lee-ko-voo-no)   Olive oil is wonderful. HERE is the site!

Happy Veteran’s Day November 11th 2011

Karla drew this nice picture of her vet sister Kristin

Nothing takes the place of a sincere thank you to all those who serve… but we do hope you all find this picture pleasing and makes you smile as it did me!

Remember those who maintain our freedom and preserve our ability to choose and our way of life.

Happy Veteran’s Day!

Egg Nog the fuel of Revolutions

Who really popularized Egg Nog in America? Our Egg Nog is distinctively American ... because we take the best ideas from everywhere!

If you look into how and where and why egg nog was developed you will be very disappointed because everyone claims to have had something similar. It reminds me of how the Sumerians claim to have invented Baklava… but crushed nuts, honey and flat bread aint a good substitute.

So, let’s just say that our American Egg Nog is distinctively different with its range of ingredients, long list of spices and multiple alcoholic beverages!

Very American Rye Whiskey, French Armagnac (Brandy), Sherry from Spain, Jamaican Rum

In the old days, most desserts contained one spice, usually a reflection of frugal times. Apple Pies were seasoned with cinnamon alone (or all spice), gingerbread had ginger and eggnog was a nutmeg flavored beverage; but this has all changed. It’s hard to buy a commercial brand of eggnog today that doesn’t contain at least three spices.

I like to blend spices ahead of time and save them for when they are needed... as with the Apple Pie seasonings above.

So, is it getting a little chilly yet? It is definitely approaching egg nog weather which usually starts around Thanksgiving!

Here is my recipe!

Scentsy sets the mood when you get home

Here's the small package of 'scents' I ordered for my daughter Karen in Louisville where she is an assistant Professor... for Kristin I ordered a sport themed 'warmer' representing the University of Virginia. Kristin is a lecturer at West Point. Click on the picture above to see what is available... To my fellow foodies... they were very fond of the 'pecan' aroma!

They offer many types of scents to set a romantic mood to perk culinary appetite… personally, If they made fresh bread or don nut scent… I would be so there!

In any event, my daughters love coming home to welcoming fragrance and thanks to another Karen… it happened!

Click for the site!