home > Food
Lagniappe To Your Health
by Donna Ladd
January 4, 2012
Many folks jerk their Christmas décor down as soon as the turkey stupor wears off. Others, though, think it's bad luck to take it down before the evening of Jan. 5, also known as Twelfth Night in Christian traditions derived from the Old English. (Twelfth Night is actually on the 11th day of Christmas, the eve of Epiphany, which is considered the 12th Day of Christmas. Confused, yet?)
Much of the post-Christmas Day traditions from the English have to do with lords finally getting around to doing nice stuff for their servants (such as Boxing Day on Dec. 26). So it was true with Twelfth Night, when the Normans (whom rumor has it my Ladd ancestors descend from) likely brought the tradition of celebrating Christmas to England. The lord-feudal togetherness (at least for a night or two) evolved into a more democratic celebration on the eve of the day that is considered the anniversary of the Three Wise Men's visit to the baby Jesus—and is also the start of Carnival season, culminating in Mardi Gras and the following fasts (and hangovers).
Several traditions revolve around Twelfth Night, including eating "King Cakes" (Epiphany is called Le Jour des Rois in France, "the Day of Kings") and wassailing—drinking a warm punch of dark ale and apple cider and getting a bit rowdy with song and revelry. The original purpose of wassailing (amid the apple groves of west England) was to ward off evil spirits and drink "to the health" of the trees on which their livelihood depended. So, essentially, it was about economic development, community and good luck: three things we like to wish and pray for here in Jackson.
If you're in the mood to extend your holiday old English style, brew up a vat of wassail. This recipe is from Sarah Ban Breathnach's delightful book, "Romancing the Ordinary: A Year of Simple Splendor" (Simon & Schuster, Out of Print); this recipe is for a crowd:
2 quarts apple cider
6 cans dark English ale
2 cinnamon sticks
spice ball (metal tea ball filled with a teaspoon each of whole cloves and whole nutmeg)
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 lemon, sliced
6 small lady apples (or 3 regular apples, sliced)
Simmer all ingredients in a large saucepan for 20 minutes. Don't let it boil. Roast the apples, sprinkled with brown sugar for 15 minutes at 375 degrees. When ready, pop them into the punch. Eliminate the ale for a non-alcoholic version.
posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on 01/04/12 at 06:06 PM. [printer version] Share |
COMMENTS
:: recentcomments
Feb 22, 2012 | 03:41 PMHip-Hop on 'The Help'
justjess: @ Duan C. "Now you know me and you go way back like chuck taylors,...." Acknowledgement given: Acknowledgement accepted. LOL! Now to get back on point. There isn't any way to "escape the ...
Feb 22, 2012 | 02:02 PM
[Editor's Note] Living in Hell
Brian C Johnson: Great column. The wealthy have always had access to birth control and abortion. Criminalizing these practices basically just means taking them away from everyone else. ...
Feb 22, 2012 | 12:36 PM
[Editor's Note] Living in Hell
Duan C.: Good article Ladd, I like how you called out the hypocrisy of "conservatives" today.
Feb 22, 2012 | 12:12 PM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
Lorenzo D. Gayden: to my fellow 833 BullDawg; the argument that you make is akin to saying that the cigarettes you smoke were made with the best paper and tobacco, taste really smooth, and ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 10:51 PM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
Duan C.: @ Justjess Now you know me and you go way back like chuck taylors, but here is my rebuttal. Yes the story of what those women endured should have been told. But, can we escape the 50's ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 09:00 PM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
justjess: @ 833 Maple "....this was a piece of fiction" If you talk to anyone who was a black maid, as a matter of fact, all maids in Jackson were black. The stories are the same. This was a ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 08:40 PM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
justjess: Duan C., I feel you but I cna't reach you. The Help's story has not been told. It has been but a few years that black women working in these jobs had any voice at all. These stories did ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 08:29 PM
A Win for the State's 'Power Brokers'
justjess: This group of Republican are in a race for MS's NEW BOTTOM. How long will people sit idly by and watch these clowns vote AGAINST things that are good for the ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 02:18 PM
A Win for the State's 'Power Brokers'
Renaldo Bryant: Wow, The machinations are taking shape to severely limit the state's responsibility in funding public ed. I bet now they will practically ignore MAEP. But, I guess ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 12:42 PM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
Duan C.: I'm being brutally honest with what I'm about to say and I'm not looking for favor points or looking to make waves at the same time. My biggest issue with "The Help" is that it touches on ...
Feb 21, 2012 | 11:22 AM
Boil Water Notice; JSU Suspends Activities
lizwaibel: Statement from the city this morning, verbatim: Contractors for the City of Jackson have completed repairs of the 42” water main off of I-220 and are currently ...
Feb 20, 2012 | 10:25 AM
Hip-Hop on 'The Help'
833WMaple: ...so should the story remain "untold"??? ..I'm sorry but I read the book and saw the movie twice and I'm not offended by the fact that Stockett wrote this book..... this was a piece of ...
Feb 20, 2012 | 09:42 AM
Pardongate: Continuum
Tonya Douglas: Oh please, If the violence of some isn't enough, doesn't the sheer number of criminals Barbour pardoned speak for itself? Why on earth does everything have to be centered around ...
Feb 18, 2012 | 02:34 PM
No Miracle Cure
Tiffany Todd: Donna, I love you so much! Honestly I know I say it all the time but you and the JFP taught me so much about life. Miss y'all and Jackson!
Feb 18, 2012 | 10:10 AM
Clarion-Ledger Losing Experienced Staffers
KendallVarnell: The CL has been bled so much. The Cleveland brothers appear to be on the way out. I enjoy Rick's columns more than anything else in the paper. I'm not an ...
e-mail newsletter
Sign up for the JFP Daily Newsletter to receive breaking news, local events, music listings and more by e-mail.
just commented on...
» Hip-Hop on ‘The Help’ 
7
» [Editor’s Note] Living in Hell 2
» A Win for the State’s ‘Power Brokers’ 2
» Boil Water Notice; JSU Suspends Activities 4
» Pardongate: Continuum 1
most recent posts...
» Healthy and Kid-Approved
» What Happened to Winter?
» [Editor’s Note] Living in Hell 2
» Jackson MDOT to Take Back Roads
» Rebels Without a Pause
jfp featured event
Mississippi Happening (ongoing listing)
Mar 13, 2012 - On second and fourth Tuesdays from 7-9 p.m., Guaqueta Productions provides performances and interviews featuring musicians, poets, artists, dancers, business leaders and nonprofits. Download podcasts at mississippihappening.com or iTunes. more
|
Guests online: 254
© Jackson Free Press, Inc. - portions of code by CC with EE. User agreement and privacy statement. |
