Our Tip Of The Day, St. Lucia Distillers Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum, is a winner for these reasons and more:

 
 
ST. LUCIA & ITS RUM

St. Lucia is a volcanic island nation situated in the eastern Caribbean: lush rainforests with waterfalls, dramatic mountains, volcanic beaches, reef-diving sites, fishing villages…and luxury resorts enabling vacationers to enjoy it all.

But before the resorts, there was sugarcane. Sugarcane was brought to St. Lucia in the 1700s, likely from India (the history of sugar cane), and was used to contribute to the Caribbean’s thriving rum trade.

By the 1950s however, demand for rum had lessened in favor of other spirits, and many Caribbean islands closed their distilleries. The last operating distillery on St. Lucia, St. Lucia Distillers Group, produces this wonderful spiced rum.

Spiced rum is a tradition in St. Lucia. The island grows numerous spices, which are sold in the island’s open-air markets.

Local families buy the spices and make their spiced rum at home, using a base of white rum. Every family has its own special recipe, and the recipes vary widely. At the end of the workday, everyone relaxes with a glass of it—whether at home or visiting a neighbor.

There is a breadth of options in choosing spices, along with local fruits. They can include allspice, almonds, anise seeds, cinnamon, cloves, coconut, coriander, ginger, hibiscus, lemon and/or orange peel, mace, nutmeg, raisins, rosemary and vanilla pods.

St. Lucians also add bois bande (pronounced bwah bond, “hard wood”), the natural bark of a tree by the same name. The bark is added as a bittering component (and it’s known in Santa Lucia as a natural aphrodisiac). It differentiates St. Lucian rum.

St. Lucia spiced rum is often made with overproof rum, a distillate that contains more than 50% alcohol by volume (A.B.V.) The proof of a spirit is double the A.B.V. Hence, we’re looking at rum that is 100 proof or more.

However, St. Lucia Distillers Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum is not overproof. It’s a conventional 40% A.B.V., 80 proof.

> Check Out The Different Types Of Rum & The History Of Rum

August 16th is National Rum Day.
 
 
ST. LUCIA DISTILLERS CHAIRMAN’S RESERVE SPICED RUM

A blend of rums from both column and pot stills (photos #3 and #4), the rums are aged for an average of 5 years in used American oak casks (photo #5). They’re married after maturation, and then returned to oak for blending and final finishing—another six months. The end result is the flagship Saint Lucian rum: harmonious with well-rounded finesse, rich in color, aroma, and flavor.

The nose has spicy vanilla from the oak, honey, and fruit. We think it smells like a heavenly dessert, inspiring thoughts of cake batter, crème brûlée, and vanilla custard, with a hint of orange). We can be happy simply by inhaling it.

But of course, we also love to drink it. The palate: balanced with a mellow but complex mix of raisiny fruit, spice, and tobacco. The finish is long and oh-so-enjoyable.

This is nothing like the Captain Morgan spiced rum which we were happy to drink in college. Everything has a time and place; but now that we’re an adult foodie, we want the real thing.

So set aside your idea of what spiced rum is, and treat yourself to a bottle of a great one: St. Lucia Distillers Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum.
 
 
WHERE SHOULD YOU BEGIN?

Begin, of course, by procuring a bottle for yourself, and for gifts. In addition to the serving ideas above, here are some favorites from the St. Lucia Distillery team:

[1] A bottle of St. Lucia Chairman’s Reserve atop a cask in the aging cellar (all photos © St. Lucia Distillery).

[2] Spice up your Mint Julep: switch the Bourbon for spiced rum. Here’s a recipe.

[3] Copper pot stills. Copper is better for distilling spirits because the copper removes sulfides from the distillate (the distilled spirit), which produces a better tasting and better smelling final product.

[4] A copper column still.

[5] Rum aging in casks. The next step: Into the bottle and ready to sell.

[6] A Manhattan cocktail made with St. Lucia Distillers Chairman’s Reserve Spiced Rum instead of Rye. Here’s the Manhattan recipe.

[1] The medium Hanukkah Chocolate Assortment: 30 pieces of deliciousness (all photos © Burdick Chocolate).

[2] You can repurpose the empty box for jewelry, keepsakes, office supplies—or use it to package another gift.

[3] Some of the bonbons.

[4] Close up on the menorah bonbon.

[5] The large box, 50 bonbons.

L.A. Burdick is one of the finest artisan chocolatiers in America. For the first time, the company is debuting a special Hanukkah chocolate box. The individual bonbons feature ingredients that are central to Jewish cuisine and imagine what some of the quintessential Jewish foods might taste like as chocolate bonbons. (No, there are no matzoh ball bonbons. See the flavors below.)

A variety of Hanukkah-inspired bonbons, as well as signature bonbons from the Burdick signature collection, are presented in Burdick’s elegant wooden gift box (which is a keeper).

Each box is hand-tied with a blue ribbon and hand-stamped with a silver menorah design wax seal.

The collection is available now through December 10th, while supplies last.

You can order:

 
 
WHAT’S IN THE BEAUTIFUL WOOD BOX?

Both boxes include:
 
Hanukkah Bonbon Flavors

 
Classic Burdick Bonbon Flavors

 
Oh, how delicious!
 
HEAD TO BURDICK CHOCOLATE.COM TO ORDER YOURS!
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF CHOCOLATE

> UNDERSTANDING TRUFFLES & GANACHE

We really like pumpkin pie, and couldn’t wait until Thanksgiving to get our pumpkin pie fix. So on two different days, we went into two different well-regarded bakeries and bought ourselves a slice. We were a bit disappointed with each, because the spices weren’t our cup of tea. One had too much allspice, the other not enough cinnamon. So on the third day, we tried this recipe, which has the wild card of maple syrup (that’s because it was sent to us by the Pure Maple from Canada folks.

So how was it?

Overall: a delicious pumpkin pie-like dessert that requires no baking, in fact, no kitchen skills whatsoever if you don’t toast the pecans. You don’t have to toast them, but the flavor is so much better if you do. You can toast nuts on the stove top, in the microwave or in the oven. The instructions are below.

The maple syrup was a pleasant flavor alternative to the customary brown sugar.

We made one substitution and one addition to the recipe. We didn’t have chia seeds, but we did have pepitas: unshelled, unsalted pumpkin seeds.

We also added a streusel “crust” at the bottom of the pudding parfait. You can do the same with:

 
It was a nice extra layer of flavor.

We used Tru Whip, which we find has better flavor than Cool Whip—and it’s all natural. The next time we make this recipe, we’re going to try substituting stabilized whipped cream for the whipped topping. Here’s a recipe to start off with.
 
 
RECIPE #1: PUMPKIN PIE PARFAIT
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. TOAST the pecans. Combine the pecans and 2 tablespoons of maple syrup. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the pecan mixture and divide the remaining mixture evenly between 4 glasses.

Note that if you are using a “crust” option, that should be your first layer before you add the pecans.

2. COMBINE the pumpkin purée in a bowl along with 4 tablespoons of maple syrup, the chia seeds, and the pumpkin pie spice. Fold in 1 cup of whipped topping and divide the pudding evenly in the four glasses over the pecan mixture.

3. TOP with the remaining whipped topping and the reserved pecan mixture, dividing evenly. Refrigerate for at least 3 hours or overnight.
 
 
RECIPE #2: HOW TO TOAST NUTS, SEEDS & SPICES

Why toast nuts, seeds, or spices?

 
For all methods, shake the pan during toasting to even the browning. When finished, remove the nuts from the pan to cool.
 
Like all cooked foods, the nuts/seeds/spices will continue to cook when removed from the heat.
 
Notes:

 
 
________________

*If you don’t have a prepared blend, combine ¾ teaspoon cinnamon and ¼ teaspoon each of allspice, cloves, ginger and nutmeg.

[1] “Pumpkin pie parfait” is actually, a pumpkin pudding parfait. By any name, it’s a tasty treat (photo © Pure Maple From Canada).

[2] You’ll need pumpkin puree—a can will do although this one is homemade by Foodal. Here’s the recipe (photo © Foodal).

[3] Mmm, pecans. We ate half of them before we toasted them! Fortunately, we had a whole bag full (photo ©

[4] A leaf bottle is a cute gift (photo © Canada Maples).

[5] Tru Whip: a natural whipped topping (photo © Tru Whip).

[6] The pumpkin pie spice mix proportions can vary, but it typically includes allspice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg and ginger (photo © Silk Road Spices).

[1] It looks like mashed potatoes, but it’s mashed cauliflower (photo © Chef Wave).

[2] A beautiful head of cauliflower. Don’t throw away the stalk: cut, cook and mash it with the rest (photo © Jennifer Schmidt | Unsplash).

[3] You can use colored cauliflower, of course (photo © Sid Wainer & Son | Facebook).

[4] For more garlic flavor, use minced fresh garlic instead of garlic powder (photo © Tijana Drndaski | Unsplash).

You just can’t eat too many brassicas. The plant family of cruciferous vegetables, Brassica, contains nutritional powerhouses that are packed with potent, cancer-fighting phytonutrients (antioxidants). Members include arugula, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, horseradish/wasabi, kale, kohlrabi, mizuna, mustard greens, radish, rapeseed/canola, rapini, rutabaga, tatsoi, turnips, and watercress, among others.

It’s easy to eat a cup or more daily of veggies like broccoli and cauliflower, especially if you snack on the raw florets with a yogurt dip.

Thanks to My Chef Wave for the recipe. Here are two related recipes from The Nibble archives:

 
There are more cauliflower recipes below.

February 17th is National Cabbage Day.
 
 
RECIPE: MASHED CAULIFLOWER & GARLIC

The chef used the Intermix immersion hand blender to make whisking the potatoes a cinch.
 
Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. STEAM fresh cauliflower until tender but crisp. If using frozen cauliflower, prepare according to package directions.

2. HEAT the oil in a small saucepan over low heat. Add onion and garlic, stirring often until the onion is softened.

3. ADD the flour, whisking constantly, about 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, pepper, and parsley. Whisk until thick and smooth. Remove from heat and pour over cauliflower.

4. GARNISH with a pat of butter and parsley sprinkled on top. (Tip: because there was parsley in the potatoes, we used dill for the garnish.)
 
 
MORE CAULIFLOWER RECIPES

 
 
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*For more intense garlic flavor, substitute an equal amount of freshly minced garlic. Or, use one medium-sized fresh garlic clove for every 1/8 teaspoon needed. You can also use an equal amount of granulated garlic.

For the tea lover, may we recommend Adagio Teas’ “12 Days Of Christmas” in tea? On the first day of Christmas, my true love gave to me… a most festive and delicious set of teas! The 12 Days of Christmas Gift Set from Adagio Teas: a delicious and jolly selection of tea blends in individual pouches. There’s an assortment of black, green, herbal and rooibos teas, a different variety for each of the 12 Days of Christmas.

The brightly red metal tins are packed into an equally colorful box that will delight the eye as soon as the wrapping comes off. But the merrymaking doesn’t end there!

It’s a gift that keeps on giving. The lovely reusable tins, 3.75″ x 2.25″ x 3/8″, can be lined up to create a holiday scene, or can hang as ornaments, empty or full (photo #2), this year and each year going forward.
 
 
THE 12 TEAS OF CHRISTMAS

The 12 teas in this holiday lineup of teas are White Pear (white tea), Peacan Turtle (rooibos), Lavender Lemon (herbal tea), Candy Cane (black tea), Golden Monkey (black tea), Jasmine Pheonix Pearls (green tea), Blue Mango (herbal tea), Cream (black tea), Cha Cha (herbal tea), Earl Grey Bravo (black tea), Fruit Medley (herbal tea), and Nutcracker (rooibos tea).

Each blend of tea was selected to correspond with its piece of the song—for example, for the first line, “a partridge in a pear tree” song lyric becomes “a partridge in a white pear tea.”

Each tin contains one single-serving pouch of tea.

 
It’s a tea-licious gift, for $24.00

Get your 12 Days Of Christmas Tea at Adagio.com.
 
 
SING ALONG TO “THE 12 TEAS OF CHRISTMAS”

Sing along with The 12 Days Of Christmas.

Sung by The King’s Singers and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, it’s the most glorious sound and visual treatment of “The 12 Days Of Christmas” on YouTube.
 
 
> THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TEA
 
 
> THE HISTORY OF TEA

[1] A delightful gift of teas with 12 reusable tins. After the tea is gone, use them for spices, pins, whatever (all photos © Adagio Teas).

[2] The recipient can use the tea tins as tree ornaments this year…and each year going forward.

[3] The tins slide open, each revealing a pouch of fine tea. You’ll find quite a few ways to reuse the tins.