Top: Heritage hooch in a glass jug. Bottom: Three generations of Hatfields. Photos
courtesy The Legendary Hatfield & McCoy
Whiskey.

The hostilities between two clans living in the Appalachian Mountains began in 1865, with a murder. The feud and mayhem continued for decades. There was a miniseries on the History Channel in 2012, and you can review the whole sorry mess on History.com.

Whether truth or marketing, The Legendary Hatfield & McCoy Whiskey claims to be made by descendants of those Hatfields and McCoys.

It extends the tale with news that the two clans have finally put aside their differences, and have created a new whiskey “rooted in old family recipes, pride of name, and Appalachian tradition.”

We received a bottle as a Valentine gift, along with the recipe for a special cocktail (recipe below).
 
WHAT KIND OF SPIRIT IS IT?

Bottled in South Carolina, its an American whiskey, for starters. American whiskeys include Bourbon, corn whiskey, rye and Tennessee Whiskey. Bourbon and Tennessee whiskies are distinguished in flavor from other types of American whiskey, largely because the grain mash used to make them must contain more than 50% corn. By law, all American whiskeys except corn whiskey must be aged in new casks that have been charred on the inside.

The 80-proof whiskey is made from a proprietary blend of “corn, barley, malt, special strains of yeast, [and] infused natural flavors.” By comparison:

If you’re accustomed to analyzing the flavor components of wine or spirits, you may notice flavor nuances that are not uncommon in other whiskeys:

 
The suggested retail price is $37.99 for a 750 ml bottle. It’s currently available in 42 states and online.

At this price, this is not so much a connoisseur whiskey as a novel spirit for entertaining and gifting. We’d especially give it to someone with whom we’re having a major disagreement (and who has a sense of whimsy).

Discover more at LegendaryHatfieldAndMcCoy.com. And consider it for Father’s Day gifts.
 

While no one drinks a photo, this one, with its red ribbon of Port, encouraged us to make a Valentine cocktail. On the opposite end of the spectrum, it also works for Halloween, for a Dracula-themed cocktail.

You may be asking, “What’s a full sneak?” We had no idea, and headed straight to our browser. It’s a taxidermist’s pose often used for the trophy head of a buck deer (big antlers!). Perhaps the Hatfields and the McCoys had their share of impressively antlered buck heads?

Ingredients Per Drink

1. STIR the first three ingredients together over ice. Strain into a tall Collins glass and top with ginger ale.

2. FLOAT the ruby Port on top and garnish with fresh mint or a lemon slice.

 
WHISKEY VS. WHISKY: BOTH ARE CORRECT

Whisky is the Scottish spelling of whiskey, a term that originated in Ireland. The alternative spelling was chosen to differentiate the Scots’ national product from Irish whiskey.

The “whisky” spelling is used in Canada, Japan and Wales, as well as Scotland.

In the U.S., a 1968 directive from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms specifies “whisky” as the official U.S. spelling. However, it allows the alternative spelling, “whiskey.”

Most U.S. producers prefer to include the “e,” as do we. Without it, it looks like something is missing.

Ironically, distillation was discovered in the 8th century in Persia—a country that has not permitted the sale and consumption of spirits since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

Here’s a brief history of whiskey.
  

Top: Our most recent whole grain breakfast: poached egg, red rice, baby arugula, sautéed cherry tomatoes and mushrooms (photo courtesy InHarvest). Second: We’ve also eaten our poached egg with leftover white rice and veggies (photo courtesy Gardenia | NYC). Third: You can bake the egg atop the cooked grain instead of poaching it, as in this saffron rice nest (photo courtesy American Egg Board). Bottom: A poached egg with quinoa, broccoli rabe and a sprinkle of pine nuts. Here’s the recipe (photo courtesy Good Eggs | SF).

We’re not tooting our horn after all that Valentine candy, but we’re still holding on to our new year’s resolution to eat a healthy breakfast.

We miss the bagels and cream cheese, the cheese danish, the cinnamon rolls, the weekend pancakes dripping with maple syrup. How long we’ll miss them we can’t predict, but so far, we’re still on the wagon*.

Thank goodness, because it’s National Hot Breakfast Month, and we wouldn’t want to let a food holiday down.
 
OUR NEW GO-TO BREAKFAST

We recently featured a grain bowl for breakfast (bottom photo). We’ve been eating lots of them.

We really enjoy the combination of grain, egg and veggies for breakfast; and we especially like the opportunity to use leftover grains and veggies in a most delicious way.

All we need to do is poach the egg; although we’ve skirted that too, by using peeled, hard-boiled eggs that we pick up at Trader Joe’s. (Slice or halve them and heat them in the microwave for 10 seconds.)

The recipe in the top photo was developed by Mike Holleman, a corporate chef with InHarvest Foodservice, a supplier of premium grains to restaurants and other food operations. He used red rice along with more familiar items.

Just put together these ingredients, and hold off on Chef Mike’s creamy salad dressing in favor of a light toss with lemon or lime juice and olive oil:

 
LIST OF WHOLE GRAINS

Most of us already eat grains for breakfast, in the form of cold cereal or porridge. Here are grains usually used as lunch and dinner sides, that can be part of your whole-grain breakfast.

If you have leftover beans or lentils instead of whole grains, use them!

HERE’S MORE ABOUT WHOLE GRAINS.
 
____________________
*The idiom “to be on the wagon” refers to heavy drinkers who are abstaining from alcohol. To fall off the wagon is to end one’s sobriety. The phrase evolved from an expression used in the early 20th-century American temperance movement, “to be on the water wagon” or the water cart, which meant that the person was sober, drinking water instead of alcohol. A horse-pulled water wagon or cart was used to hose down dusty roads. The phrase has evolved to encompass other addictions or compulsions. [Source]

†Salba is a trademarked name for chia, Kamut® is a trademarked name for khorasan wheat. Grits are refined and are not whole grains.

‡These are whole grains that are used as seeds, due to their tiny size. Use them as a garnish, not as a base grain.
 
  

Mom, a social worker and son, a chef, started a family business to add more flavor to pickles, olives and nuts. The result: unique, assertively spiced, better-for-you snacks, garnishes, or for a relish tray.

Or for gifts. We can’t think of a better house gift for hosts, combining flavor and fun. Shpickles and Shmolives will be our go-to house gifts for the forseable future.

The line is all natural and certified kosher by Rabbi Dovid Chaoi. Shpickles and Shmolives are free of dairy, gluten, soy, sugar and wheat, making them vegan as well.
 
SHPICKLES: PICKLED VEGETABLES

Other companies make great pickle cucumbers. Brooklyn Whatever has started out with other pickled vegetables:

 
We can’t choose favorites here: We like them all. And we feel so good about eating them: So much flavor, so few calories.
 
SHMOLIVES: SPICED OLIVES

Shmolives is a blend of seven different olives, marinated in a “secret mix” of herbs and spices that adhere to the olives, giving you a mouthful of zing with each bite.

Made by hand in small batches “the old way”—stirring to coat the olives with wood spoons—they are a must for any olive lover.
 
SHNUTS: SPICED NUTS

Shnuts are a mix of almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans and walnuts—no peanuts.

They’re sweet and savory: herbs and spices with a touch of brown sugar. Made with all natural ingredients, filled with “good fat,” a handful is a healthful snack.

HEALTH NOTES: The USDA-approved heart-healthy nuts are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, some pine nuts, pistachios and walnuts. These nuts contain less than 4g of saturated fats per 50g. Walnuts have the highest amount of the heart-healthy alpha linolenic acid, which many studies show lowers total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) levels.

As with Shpickles and Shmolives, Shnuts are prepared by hand, roasted twice and flavored to perfection: the perfect “shnack.”

A sampling of Shpickles: Brussels Sprouts, Carrots and Cauliflower & Beets.

Get yours at BrooklynWhatever.com.

Plan ahead for Mother’s Day and Father’s Day gifting.

Not to mention green gifting for St. Patrick’s Day, with Shpickles Brussels Sprouts, Jalapeños, Kale Slaw, Okra and String Beans.