[1] Holiday SPAM Musubi (photos © Hormel Foods).

[2] Classic SPAM.

[3] Figgy Pudding SPAM for the holidays.

[4] A spiced Dutch Baby pancake with Figgy Pudding SPAM and cranberry butter. Here’s the recipe.

Fans of SPAM will get a kick out of this holiday SPAM® Musubi recipe.

For the uninitiated: What is SPAM?

It’s brand of luncheon meat from Hormel Foods, a combination of ground pork and ham mixed with water, salt, sugar, and sodium nitrite (for the pink color).

During the Great Depression (1929-1939), SPAM helped to fill the need for inexpensive meat products, which added protein to the diet (and yes, fat, salt, and sugar).

Today, SPAM is often used in place of bacon or ham in everything from breakfast meat, sandwiches, and stir-fries to tacos and quesadillas. Search online for “SPAM recipes” and you’ll find mac and cheese with SPAM, spaghetti and meatballs (the latter made from puréed SPAM), loaded baked potatoes, and international dishes like pad Thai.

For the holidays, SPAM enthusiasts will relish the following recipe: SPAM glazed in cranberry sauce and served in a bed of leftover stuffing wrapped in nori.

You may want to double or triple the recipe. One slice per person is hardly enough (so say we).

There are more SPAM holiday recipes below.
 
 
RECIPE: HOLIDAY SPAM MUSUBI

You can make this recipe with leftover cranberry sauce and stuffing, or start anew.
Prep time is 10 minutes, and cook time is 20 minutes.
 
Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Preparation

1. COOK the SPAM slices in a large skillet over medium-high heat, for 3 to 5 minutes or until browned.

2. ADD the cranberry sauce and cook 1 to 2 minutes, frequently basting with cranberry sauce, until the slices are glazed. Remove from the skillet.

3. PLACE 1/3 cup stuffing into a musubi press or plastic lined SPAM can on top of nori strip; press down. Place a glazed SPAM slice on top of the stuffing. Remove from the press or can.

4. PRESS a sheet nori around each slice. Moisten one end slightly to fasten together.
 
Optional Dipping Sauce

While not part of SPAM’s recipe, we created a dipping sauce from the extra cranberry sauce.

Simply mix cranberry sauce with Greek yogurt, mayonnaise, or sour cream, to taste.
 
 
MORE ABOUT SPAM

> July 31st is National SPAM Day.

> August 8th is National SPAM Musubi Day.

> The history of SPAM Musubi.

> The history of SPAM and SPAM trivia.

> The original SPAM Musubi recipe.

> 25 more SPAM Musubi recipes.
 
 
MORE SPAM HOLIDAY RECIPES

These recipes are made with limited edition flavor SPAM Figgy Pudding (photo #3).

One of our favorite year-round snacks has two irresistible holiday flavors:

 
For your own home, for stocking stuffers, party favors, to bring on visits…we simply love them, and so will all recipients.

And, you can save a whopping 30% on these two flavors through December 18th, with a portion of sales going to the Ryan Seacrest Foundation*. Just use the code Jingle 30 at checkout.

Head to CookiePopCandyPop.com.
 
 
YEAR-ROUND FLAVORS

Beyond the limited editions for the holidays, the current year-round selection includes:
 
 
COOKIE POP

 
CANDY POP

 
CEREAL POP

 
 
What are you waiting for?
 
 
> The history of popcorn.

> Popcorn trivia.

> Pairing wine and popcorn.

> October is National Popcorn Poppin’ Month.
 
 
________________
 
*The Ryan Seacrest Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to inspiring today’s youth through entertainment and education.

[1] Gingerbread Cookie Pop and Hot Peppermint Chocolate Candy Pop are limited editions for the holidays (all photos © SNAX-Sational Brands).

[2] Twix Candy Pop.

[3] Nutter Butter Cookie Pop.

[1] Luscious cranberry pound cake (photo by Tina Rupp and food styling by Cyd McDowell © Harper Celebrate).

[2] Measure a cup of cranberries, plus more for garnish (photo © Ocean Spray).

[3] Bring four eggs to room temperature (photo © Nida | Pexels).

[4] Add white granulated sugar (photo © Equator Design).

[5] Measure the flour, no sifting required (photo © Blue Dot Living).

[6] You’ll use butter in both the cake and the frosting (photo © Go Bold With Butter | Facebook).

[7] The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. Buy it at your local bookseller or on Amazon (photo © Harper Celebrate).

Lisa Steele of the Fresh Eggs Daily Blog traded a Wall Street life for a small Maine farm, where she’s been raising chickens and cooking up feasts with their eggs.

She’s compiled her recipes in The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook: Over 100 Fabulous Recipes to Use Eggs in Unexpected Ways.

A pound cake recipe may not be unexpected, but this Cranberry Pound Cake is a memorable addition to holiday fare.

It has cream cheese frosting, a white chocolate glaze, and a garnish of sugared whole cranberries and fresh rosemary sprigs.

The book is all about the magic of eggs, and it begs the question:

Are fresh eggs really better? Is it worth getting up at the crack of dawn to brave the elements and collect eggs from broody chickens, for example?

Says Lisa:

“I can verify firsthand that it’s all worth it, and I highly recommend always cooking with and eating the freshest eggs possible. It does make a difference.

“After your first bite of egg from a happy, healthy backyard chicken who fills up on weeds and grasses, bugs, and edible flowers and herbs, you’ll immediately understand the difference.”

But that doesn’t mean you need chickens of your own. The book gives you tips to finding the freshest eggs, wherever you are.
 
 
WHAT IS A HALF POUND CAKE?

Lisa calls her recipe a half-pound cake, not a pound cake.

The original pound cake recipe required a pound of flour, a pound of sugar, a pound of butter, and a pound of eggs. It weighed four pounds and was baked in a much larger loaf pan than the 6 cups of batter held in the 8-1/2″ x 4-1/2″ loaf pan used here.

The 6 cups of batter will create a cake that weighs just under two pounds*. Thus, it’s a tongue-in-cheek “half pound” cake.

Here’s an original pound cake recipe from 1700s England.

“If you want to make a full pound cake, double the ingredients and bake it in a Bundt or tube pan,” says Lisa.

“This festive half-pound loaf cake is one of my standard holiday recipes. It’s quick and easy to make, and the presentation enhances any holiday dessert table.”

Follow Lisa on Instagram @fresheggsdaily.

> The history of pound cake.

> The history of cake.

> The different types of cake: a photo glossary.

> The history of cranberries.
 
 
RECIPE: HOLIDAY CRANBERRY HALF-POUND LOAF CAKE

This recipe is made in a 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan.

If you like over-the-top desserts, add a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Check the footnote† for tips on keeping leftover pound cake.
 
Ingredients For 1 Loaf

 
For The Cream Cheese Frosting

 
For The Sugared Cranberries

 
For The White Chocolate Glaze

 
Additional Garnishes

 
Preparation

1. BAKE the cake. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease an 8-1/2 x 4-1/2 inch loaf pan with butter, then dust with flour.

2. TOSS the cranberries with the tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.

3. BEAT the butter and sugar using a stand mixer with a paddle attachment on medium, about 2 minutes, until light lemon-yellow and fluffy.

4. ADD 1 egg at a time to the mixture and beat until incorporated before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.

5. ADD the vanilla bean paste and scrape down the sides of the bowl one last time.

6. WHISK to combine the 1-3/4 cups of flour and the salt. With the mixer set to low, gradually add the flour mixture to the batter. Beat until blended, then use a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to fold in the cranberries.

7. USE a rubber spatula to scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly.

8. BAKE for 55 to 60 minutes, until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean. Cool the loaf in the pan on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then invert the pan and remove the loaf.

9. SET the loaf on the rack to cool, about 1 hour, while you make the frosting and glaze. If you want to break the recipe into two parts, wrap the cake and refrigerate it overnight; then make the frosting the following day.

10. MAKE the frosting. Use a stand mixer with a paddle attachment to beat the butter, cream cheese, and vanilla bean paste on medium about 2 minutes, until smooth. Reduce the speed to low and slowly add the confectioners’ sugar. Beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes.

11. SPREAD the frosting on the cooled loaf, then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to set the frosting.

12. MAKE the sugared cranberries. In a small bowl whisk 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water. Sprinkle a small plate with sugar. For as many sugared cranberries as desired, dip the cranberries in the egg wash, roll them in the sugar, and dry them on parchment paper.

13. MAKE the glaze. Melt the chocolate with the oil in a small saucepan over a double boiler, stirring until smooth. Add more oil if necessary until the glaze is a drizzling consistency.

14. SLICE the cake and arrange on individual plates. Use a pastry bag or spoon to drizzle the glaze over the slices.

15. GARNISH with the sugared cranberries and rosemary sprigs, and dust with confectioners’ sugar, if desired.

†Pound cake will keep at room temperature for 3 to 4 days. You can keep it in the fridge for up to 7 days, or freeze it for several months. To freeze, slice and wrap individual slices so you can defrost and eat it a slice at a time.
 

With all the racing around during holiday season, Walker’s Cranberry & Clementine Shortbread is a welcome treat.

We sit down with a cup of tea, a couple of cookies, and some calming music. It’s not a staycation, but it is a nice rest. (Perhaps it’s a couch-cation?)

Deliciously buttery with cranberry chunks and zesty clementine, all-natural Walker’s shortbread is baked in Scotland.

The plaid can (reusable!) with snowflakes is a lovely small gift for $16.99.

It’s a limited edition for the holidays. Buy it here.

> The history of shortbread.

> The history of cookies.

> The 11 categories of cookies.

> The different types of cookies: a tasty photo glossary.

Walker’s Cranberry Clementine Shortbread, a holiday treat (photo © Walker’s Shortbread).

[1] Pouring a glass of Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley (photo © Ashes & Diamonds Winery).

[2] Clusters of Cabernet Franc grapes (photo © Mauro Lima | Unsplash).

[3] A charcuterie board with Cabernet Franc (photo © Gamble Family Vineyards).

[4] Ashes & Diamonds Winery is known for producing wines that are influenced by ‘60s and ‘70s Napa wine-making techniques. The boutique winery makes just 6,000 cases annually (photo © Ashes & Diamonds).

[5] A bottle of Chateau Ausone. The 2022 vintage is going for $739.98 per bottle pre-arrival† and is best held for 15 years or longer before drinking (photo © Wine Exchange).

The date of International Cabernet Franc Day, December 4th, was selected because it’s the date of the passing of Cardinal Richelieu*, December 4, 1642. Why he is so honored, you’ll see in the history of Cabernet Franc, below.

Cabernet Franc is one of the great red grape varieties of Bordeaux. But it doesn’t get the attention of its “neighbor” grapes, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.

In fact, it’s a family member. A 1997 DNA analysis revealed that Cabernet Sauvignon is the progeny of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc. Cabernet Franc is also one of the two parents of Merlot and Carménère.

Cabernet Franc is a medium-body wine: lighter-bodied than Cabernet Sauvignon but more full-bodied than Merlot. The wines are known for good acidity and notes of red fruits, green bell pepper, and earthiness.

Depending on the region and style of wine, additional aromas can include tobacco, graphite, raspberry, green olive, cassis, and violets.

Cabernet Franc has long been used as a blending grape in Bordeaux wines, contributing finesse to blend with the more robust Cabernet Sauvignon.

It can also stand on its own.

 
These are some of the most highly valued wines in the world (check the price under photo #5).

The grape variety is known for producing high-quality wines, leading winemakers across the globe to showcase the varietal’s characteristics by producing wines that are 100% Cabernet Franc (or more than 80%).

> The history of Cabernet Franc is below.

>Food pairings with Cabernet Franc are also below.
 
 
BEYOND BORDEAUX: WHERE TO FIND CABERNET FRANC

Some regions that are known for producing varietal Cabernet Franc wines:

 
Good Cabernet Franc is also produced in Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Croatia, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Uruguay. Check out some recommendations here.
 
Cabernet Franc grapes can be used to produce many wine styles: everything from light red wines to rosé wines.

 
To try the varietal, look for 100% or 80% Cabernet Franc wines and explore wines from different regions. Perhaps a Cabernet Franc tasting party with a charcuterie spread or dinner?

Or, check out the food pairings in the next section.
 
 
HOW TO PAIR CABERNET FRANC WITH FOOD

Due to its naturally high acidity and softer tannins, Cabernet Franc is an ideal wine for pairing with a wide variety of foods. Some natural pairings:

 
 
THE HISTORY OF CABERNET FRANC

The origins of Cabernet Franc appear to lie in the Basque country of the western Pyrenees in Spain, which shares a border with southern France.

It is believed to have been planted in the Libournais region of southwest France (which borders Bordeaux) during the 17th century.

Cardinal Richelieu is credited with transporting cuttings of the vine to the Loire Valley. They were planted at the Abbey of Bourgueil, a Benedictine monastery in Anjou, under the care of an abbot named Breton, whose name became associated with the grape.

By the 18th century, plantings of Cabernet Franc were found throughout the Bordeaux regions of Fronsac, Pomerol, and Saint-Émilion [source].

In the 19th and 20th centuries, as European settlers traveled and established vineyards around the world, Cabernet Franc was introduced to the countries noted above.

Today Cabernet Franc has earned recognition as a distinct and valuable varietal, not just as a blending grape.

Like many other grape varieties, it has been part of a broader trend towards sustainable and organic viticulture.

With the challenges of climate change, the grape has also shown itself to be very adaptable. We raise a glass to Cabernet Franc!

†Wines bought pre-arrival go for a lower price than landed wines. That’s because the wine merchant gets the money up-front for better cash flow.