Stacey Ballis's Blog, page 11

Don't have time for much, but...

Have you ever seen anything so freaking sexy in your life?  No?  Then you haven't lived for over 20 years with steam radiators hissing and spitting clanking in the middle of the night waking you up and leaving you either gasping for air in a sauna or layering on the socks in an icebox.  I love old world and old school and Charming Suitor and I are committed to keeping many of the quirky original details of this home.  But the old heating system had to go, and these monstrous babies are my new favorite thing, and they haven't even been turned on yet! When we got home last night and went downstairs to look at them, CS and I danced a jig, and spun around the room like Anna and the King of Siam, and whooped and hollered and smooched.  And then one of the Matts came downstairs to do his laundry and caught us, so now we are officially Mr. and Mrs. Landlord Crazypants.  And we?  Don't give a flying fig.  When they actually make the shift from the old boiler to the new furnaces we may explode in joy.  
And just wait till Spring when we add on the air conditioning compressors and don't have to install the usual five window units, we may actually lose consciousness.
T-minus eleven days till I turn in the new book, so back to the grind.  
Yours in good taste and imminent central heating,The Polymath

Countdown

Hello Chickens!  Have you thawed out yet?  I almost have feeling back in my toes.  Polar vortex, who knew?

Time for a brief update on the goings-on.  Firstly, want to thank everyone for their warm thoughts and reviews of Out to Lunch.  It is so gratifying to know that people are loving it as much as I love having written it.  If you have read it, and loved it, I hope you'll help me out by posting a review on Amazon or Goodreads (and be sure to friend me while you are there), recommend it on your Facebook or Twitter, pin it on Pinterest, and for sure, just tell your best pals to pick up a copy!   Social media and word of mouth are all the difference for a writer like me, and know that I am eternally grateful to all of you for helping me out.  If you have a blog, and want to do an interview with me, just holler!

This is even more important because my lovely publisher just signed me for two more books!  This is in addition to next year's digital cookbook and novel, so I'm one super employed Polymath over here!

The new novel is called Recipe for Disaster, and merges two of my favorite things, cooking and home improvement!  That's right, for those of you who loved Room for Improvement, my current heroine is a house flipper whose life gets turned upside down, and is forced to figure it all out while living in the ruin of a house she's currently renovating.  While there she comes across the journal of the home's original cook, and uses it to teach herself how to cook, and how to live.  It is fun and funny with some great twists and turns.  And it is almost finished.  ALMOST.  Its due to my editor Feb. 1, which is why you are likely to not hear a whole lot from me until then...

But while you are missing me, I have a favor to ask.  Since the upcoming cookbook (more on that in February) will include some of the "lost recipes" from previous novels, I hope you will take this time to perhaps revisit some of my older books (or visit, if you've skipped one along the way) and let me know if there are dishes mentioned that didn't get recipes included that you want!  I've already had a request for the Mea Culpa Muffins from Good Enough to Eat, and that one will go in for sure, so go back to those books and tell me what you want to know how to make for yourselves.  When I'm back in February I'll be pulling together the full list of recipes, as well as having a very fun contest for naming the cookbook, the prize is going to be a combination of some fun kitchen gadgets, signed books, AND....I'll name a character after you (or after someone of your choice) in the next novel!

Pantry dishes continue with success, so far just riffs on the previous meat/bean/grain stewlike soup, not anything new to share there, but it is going well.

And finally, the renovation update is...not much.  We are awaiting permits, which means all we can do is continue to work on the HVAC system, and pictures of ductwork is not exactly sexy.  But it does continue to move along slowly but surely, and you can bet you'll hear from me when the new furnaces go in!

And finally, for those who want to come see me and get a book signed:

Wednesday Jan 15, 5:30 pm:  The Standard Club  tickets and information here  TICKETS

Thursday Jan 16, 6pm:  Boelter Superstore, Milwaukee, WI  reading, signing, cooking demo  Free Event  All my Wisconsin peeps, please come say hi, bring your pals, its going to be a fabulously fun night!

In the meantime, I'm back to the grind to finish up the new book, and hope you'll come say hi over at Twitter or Facebook for the next couple of weeks while I don't have time to post here.

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Recipe or Receipt 1

Hello Chickens!  I hope you are surviving the cold.  I effectively haven't left the house since last Friday.  Because it is ridiculous here in Chicago!  I'm sorry, -45 windchill?  Really?  Go home, winter, you're drunk!

 I work in my living room, so I'm one of the lucky ones.  My poor Charming Suitor had to brave the cold to go to work yesterday.  Of course his office has central heating so he wasn't freezing his little tushie off all day, wearing double layers and huddled in front of two small electric space heaters.  You want to know the happiest sound in the world?  HVAC guys in the basement running ductwork.  We are two weeks out from hopefully getting this place efficiently and effectively heated, and I'm really ready to never hear the hiss of these radiators ever again.

There is actually only one thing I'm going to miss about the old heating system.  Radiator tangerines.



If you've ever read MFK Fisher, and if you haven't you should, she describes a sublime solitary method of eating tangerines in her Paris flat.  She would peel and segment the tangerines, placing the segments on sheets of newspaper on top of the radiator for a couple of hours.  Then she would place the paper on her windowsill, allowing the segments to chill.  The skin gets thin and crispy, the juice inside sort of swells up and gets sweeter and juicier, they get weirdly more tangerine-y.  I remember the first time I read her method, the description of eating the segments alone in her flat while reading, it just sounded like the most romantic bit of food voluptuousness ever.  And the first time I tried it, over 20 years ago, my first winter in this house, I realized why she loved it so much.  The simple ritual, the brightness of the citrus in the doldrums of winter, the pleasing snap of the skin giving way to the cold fruit within, the fact that it is a pleasure without guilt, the subtle scent they release into the stuffy closed-in winter air, radiator tangerines are a gift.  And I will miss them.  But I'll miss them with warm toes and without being swaddled in layers, so its a tradeoff I'm willing to make.  I will probably be tempted to replicate them in a low oven, and if I do I'll let you know how it goes.

In the meantime, being locked down as I am, yesterday was the perfect day to begin our pantry/freezer dinner project!  I certainly wasn't venturing out in this Polar Vortex or whatever they're calling it just to go to the grocery store.  Technically this would be our second such dinner, but Sunday night's feast of frozen chicken schnitzels with frozen peas and the last 1/4 bag of Tater Tots (don't judge, tots are delicious) was satisfying and well rounded, but not exactly inspired or a recipe.

I've decided to call this series Recipe or Receipt.  When I make something from the bits and pieces I'll either post the recipe so you can riff on it, or I will post a picture of the receipt from the take out we ordered when it tasted like crap.  Because I'm pretty sure that some of it is really not going to be delicious, despite my best efforts.

Yesterday the freezer unearthed a pound of ground beef from the quarter cow we invested in last year, and the rind of a large chunk of parmesan cheese.  I peeked at all the "best by" dates on my canned goods, and found 2 cans of black beans that were nearing theirs, and a large can of peeled cherry tomatoes that was already technically past its prime.  Some green lentils I don't even remember buying (you know, the ones behind the brown and black lentils I do remember) and some barley.  A box of beef stock.  An onion on the counter that is moments away from sprouting.  We don't use a lot of ground beef in this house, burgers maybe only a few times a year, mostly in the summer, and a couple vats of winter chili are about the extent of it.  So you can imagine our shock when the 1/4 cow in addition to providing some great steaks and roasts, turned up with nearly 50 pounds of ground beef.  We gave ground beef to everyone.  When people came for dinner, their little take home gift?  A pound of meat.  And still, our freezer holds more packages than I care to think about.   So it only made sense to use some in the first Recipe or Receipt outing.

And the result was?

Recipe!



Sort of halfway between a really thick soup and a stew, it was a more than decent way to beat the cold.  Was it the most delicious thing we've ever eaten?  No.  CS proclaimed it delicious, but he was very hungry, I put it solidly at very good, the difference for me being will I crave it specifically or just be happy to see it again if it appears.  Would I leave the house in the Polar Vortex to buy the ingredients to make it?  Nope.  But I would order it if I saw it on a menu, and will likely try some variations on the theme with fair regularity this winter.  It made the house smell good, and was good for us, hearty and filling.  The beans, lentils and barley keep it healthy and add fiber.  The meat was just enough for flavor, but not so much that it made it heavy, and browning and draining before adding it to the slow cooker kept the fat low.  Tomatoes gave it some much needed acidity and brightness.  And the parmesan rind gave it depth of flavor and umami complexity that kept it from being boring.  I would have loved a bit of fresh chopped parsley or basil, but had none.  The best part was really that it made enough for dinner and for us to both have it for lunch today, and I neither had to leave the house or spend a penny.  And the recipe seems endlessly adaptable to whatever meats, beans and grains you may have lying around.  If you try your own combination, let me know how it turns out!  I think it would be even better with sausage meat...

Pantry Stew with Lentils, Beans and Barley

1 onion, chopped1 T canola oil1 lb ground beef (or turkey or sausage meat or anything else from the freezer)2 15 oz cans beans, drained and rinsed½ c dried lentils (or any other small dried bean or pea)½ c barley (or any other grain, rice, farro, wheat berries)1 28 oz can tomatoes (whole, chopped, diced, or puree, whatever you have)48 oz stock (beef or chicken)pinch red pepper flakes1 large piece of parmesan rindsalt and pepper to taste
Heat oil in nonstick pan over medium high heat.  Sauté onions till golden brown, put in slow cooker.  In same pan, brown the beef well, and drain off excess fat and juice, add to slow cooker.  Stir in drained and rinsed beans, dried lentils and barley and stir till well mixed.  Add tomatoes with their juices and the stock and stir till combined.  Add pinch of red pepper flakes, tuck the parmesan rind down into the mix and season well with salt and pepper.  Turn slow cooker on high and let cook for 4 hours.  Remove and discard the parmesan rind.  Taste for seasoning and adjust as needed.  Serve hot.

How are you all staying warm these days?

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

2014 Non-Resolutions

Hello Chickens!  Welcome to 2014.  And the month of writing the wrong year on checks.  I've already done it twice.

I hope your New Year's festivities were wonderful, and that you are surviving whatever your local version of this weather is delivering.  We are hunkered down here at The Castle, having returned a day early from the wilds of McHenry in light of impending snow dump.

Many people are posting and discussing "resolutions" right about now, sharing their plans for shedding weight and eating healthy and exercising and organizing their lives and keeping their homes spotless and being better people.  And on the flipside, many are posting their vitriolic hatred of these same self-defeating resolutions, or their mockingly achievable resolutions "take more naps, watch more TV".  Whichever camp you fall into, I don't think any of us can escape the way a new year makes you think a little bit about long range planning.

This year that is especially true around here, since much of our life is now consumed with the scheduling of construction and projects.  Later this week I will post an update on that with some awesome pics, but suffice it to say, we are very much thinking about the road ahead!

Charming Suitor and I aren't much on the whole "resolution" thing.  We agree with the camp that thinks making grand pronouncements about personal changes you want to make can be a little bit intimidating and ultimately unachievable.  But we do believe that it is possible to make series of small changes along the way that make your life better.  So while we would never say on Jan 1, as so many do, "We will exercise EVERY DAY!", we do indulge ourselves in committing to being active together as much as we can.  We talked about this last year at this time, and have succeeded in maintaining our once a week tennis lesson together, and the occasional visit to the gym for treadmill time together.  Is it as much as we wanted to try and do?  Of course not.  But our tennis is improving, which made us play more over the warmer months.  We now have those once weekly lessons on the permanent schedule, and we are both enjoying it and making it a livable habit.

We committed to low carb, healthier eating, and for the most part, we have succeeded in sticking to this.  We are better about sticking to the low-carb than the healthy part some days, but that is a big step, and we don't beat ourselves up when our version of low carb involves a prime tomahawk steak the size of our heads served with buttered broccolini.

This year we want to build on both of these, re-committing ourselves not just to tennis, but to more physical activity in general.  Towards this end, we set aside space for an exercise room in the construction plan.  Often we find our inability to get to the gym in the evening after CS gets home is the weirdly daunting task of getting out of the house and driving the 2 miles to the gym, battling the post-work gym crowd.  Especially when the weather is crappy.  We hope that having the equipment here and supporting each other by doing it together will make it more of a habit.  We aren't expecting to do it every day.  But even if we do it once a week, that is a step in the right direction.

We have to stick to the low-carb thing due to my diabetes and our desire for CS to not join me in that particular endeavor.  So when we looked at the changes we wanted to make food-wise this year, for me it was about three things.  I want to spend less money on food, and throw away less spoiled food.  We definitely fall into the trap of overbuying, and food waste bothers me a lot, since I am both grateful to have the abundance we have, and always aware of those who do not.  Also?  I want to be a little more creative about everyday cooking, since I think often when we succumb to the ease of take-out or are a little more indulgent that we should probably be on a weeknight, it is because we are bored of the "usual suspects".  And since we have undertaken a massive financial commitment to this house, reducing spending is very much the name of the game for the foreseeable future.

To combat both of these things, we have decided to try and do two dinners a week out of the freezer and pantry.  There is no need for us to be hoarding a zillion kinds of dried beans and grains, they are good for us and can be used in myriad ways, and we need to start getting creative about incorporating them into our diet.

We have a massive chest freezer in the basement, chock full of delicious proteins, and often we either forget they are there, or don't remember ahead of time to thaw them out.  But we need to remember that our freezer isn't a cryonic facility protecting these meats for a future cure, we need to eat them so that they don't go past their prime.  Nothing made me sadder this year than finding a horribly freezer burnt whole duck in the bottom of the freezer that needed to be tossed out.

In a perfect world, my spring cleaning, which always involves a massive pantry-purge that makes me terribly ashamed, will become both easier and less wasteful.  I'm sure that there will be weeks we won't succeed, but I think the goal of twice is reasonable.  After all, we do try to cook dinner at least 5 nights a week, and are pretty successful with that.

So, stay tuned, because I really hope that one of the side-effects of this "waste less, spend less" project will be that I will be inspired to create some new recipes that I can share with all of you!  In the same way that joining a CSA forced me to invent several new ways to enjoy Swiss Chard, I'm hoping that rediscovering the treasures I've forgotten in the pantry and freezer will keep me on my toes.  Sort of a year-long Chopped episode, but hopefully without any scary ingredients.

That is the extent of the non-resolutions we made for this year.  Small, baby steps.  The kinds of little changes we hope just become habits that we keep.

What resolutions or non-resolutions did you make this year?

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Happy New Year!

Darling Chickens-

Can you believe its been another year?  So so fast, and yet, for parts of it, not nearly fast enough, as tends to be the problem with years in general.

2013 was good in many ways.

This happened:



 And if you haven't gotten your copy yet, it would make me the happiest girl in the world if you did.

 And if you did get your copy, and liked it, recommending it to friends and family, buying a second copy as a gift, posting it on your blog or twitter or facebook or Pinterest, choosing it for your book club, writing a review on Amazon...this will not only make me the happiest girl in the world it will keep me employed.

Also in 2013 this happened:


Which is frankly the second best single thing to happen to my life after this:



In other bits of 2013 fabulous, I gained a brother, two nephews, and a niece, all of them supremely awesome in ways too numerous to mention.  If I had designed them myself from scratch I couldn't have done any better, and they are, to a one, a tremendous addition to the family.  
Also I acquired a spectacular sister-in-law-by-choice, since my brother from another mother Officer K managed to convince a smart, gorgeous, funny girl to be his Missus, and to be the last piece in the puzzle our gang had been missing.
This started to happen:

Which is noisy and expensive and terribly thrilling.
And finally, to put the cherry on top, I just signed for two more books AND a digital cookbook, so I get to keep doing what I do, thanks to you all for that!  (please refer back to the top for ways to buy Out to Lunch so that they don't regret that decision, if you don't mind, please, and thank you very much!)
We will be ringing in 2014 with a very small group of dear friends.  In a perfect piece of happenstance, it will include one couple that have been with Charming Suitor for decades who have now become two of my favorite people, one couple that have been with me for ages and are now near and dear to his heart as well.  One couple of much beloved friends of CS who I've never met, who have recently moved back to Chicago, and I'm eager to match faces with the warm and funny stories I've heard over the years.  And a possible drop-in from one of our besties who lives in NY but happens to be in town for the winter, and who we can never get enough of.
We're going retro for the meal, replicating many of the details I remember my from my childhood, when my parents loved to host New Year's Eve.  The funny thing is that their menu was also nostalgic from their own childhood, so our menu is essentially 1950s by way of the 1970s!
We're doing oysters and shrimp, sweet and sour meatballs and pigs in blankets to start.  (I may or may not break down and get some port wine cheese spread, it is so dangerous, but I do have a craving...)
Salads of crisply chilled iceberg wedges with homemade thousand island dressing.  A prime rib of beef so enormous Fred Flintstone may wander by.  Twice baked potatoes, classic creamed spinach.  And tomato pudding.
No you didn't read that wrong.  Tomato.  Pudding.
Nora Ephron, a loss I took very personally this year, said that when she entertained, she never did the traditional 3 on a plate parties, one protein, one starch, one veg.  She always served four things.  The fourth thing was important to her, and equally important that it be whimsical or surprising in some way.  Unexpected.  Fun.  A bonus.  I love this premise.  It promises abundance, and smiles, and gives me an excuse to make one more thing, which you all know isn't exactly a burden.
When we were looking at the menu, I needed that fourth thing.  It had to be of the era.  Something almost silly, but still delicious.  And very unexpected.  And frankly, it needed to have a little acid in it to help balance the rest of the rich dishes.  Tomato pudding was a natural.
When I was little it often appeared on holiday buffets.  It's dead easy, you probably have the ingredients lying around.  You can make it three days ahead and reheat it, and it tastes even better when you do.  it is sweet and savory, deeply tomato-y, with a soothing nursery food quality.  And leftovers are quite yummy with an egg or two and some crispy bacon in the morning.
I thank each and every one of you for sharing this year with me, and look forward to what the next one brings.  I hope however and with whomever you celebrate, you do it with joy and abandon and abundance.  I hope what lies ahead for all of us is delicious, literally and figuratively.  
And if you get a chance, try the tomato pudding.


Tomato PuddingServes 6 (you can double this recipe easily for a crowd, just bake in a 9x11 inch dish instead)
2 cups dried bread cubes, crusts removed (use good bread, white or wheat doesn't matter)1 stick melted butter1 c brown sugar (loosely scooped, not packed here, or it will be too sweet)½ c tomato paste½ c tomato puree¼  cup orange juice
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Put the dried bread cubes in a 8 inch square or round casserole dish. Pour melted butter over them; toss to combine.  Combine brown sugar, tomato puree, orange juice in a saucepan. Heat to a boil; reduce heat to a simmer. Cook 5 minutes.  Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
[image error] Pour hot mixture over bread cubes. Bake until puffy and the corners of the bread cubes are browned, 35-40 minutes.
And if you have a surprising or fun bonus dish of your own, be sure to share!
Yours in Good Taste,The Polymath

Updates!

Chickens-

I hope you have been enjoying this festive season as much as I have!  Things have been very busy, with the launch of my new book...



Did you get your copy yet?  Not to worry, they've printed plenty!  You can pick it up HERE.
Want to come see me and get a book signed and hear me speak?  There are some fun opportunities coming up.  I'll be at The Standard Club in Chicago on January 15, you can get tickets HERE.
On January 16th I'll be in the greater Milwaukee area at the Boelter Superstore at 4200 N. Port Washington Rd in Glendale at 6pm.  This event is free and I will be recommending some of my favorite cooking utensils and supplies, all of which will be available there along with my books.
In other news, things here at the house are progressing apace.  Have I mentioned that it is loud?  No?  IT IS FREAKING LOUD UP IN HERE.  At this very moment, stonemasons are right below me with grinders, tuckpointing away on the stone and brickwork.  On the one hand, we are so excited that we will be able to leave the stone and brick exposed, it was done with true artistry, and will provide some actual architectural interest in the basement, which could have been very generic and bland without it.  On the other hand, I AM TRYING TO WORK AND ITS SO DAMN LOUD!
Sorry.  It makes me all shouty.
But this happened:

In case you were curious, no there was not originally a hole in the back wall through which to pour cement.  And there is not one now.  Apparently there is some kind of Harry Potter track 9 3/4 that only our contractor can see.  But it was useful, because this needed to happen:


And this:



Here is what they are doing right now:

See all those spaces that are now between the stones?  All the old mortar is gone, any loose or broken stones and bricks are replaced, the walls are all cleaned and then they will be getting a limewash and linseed oil treatment to help seal them up.

They are also continuing to work on the ducting for the new HVAC system, and we are hoping upon hope that they get it finished soon.  For many reasons.  The old steam radiators are hissing and clanking away.  The holes they cut in the floors for the new registers are not currently attached to anything, so all the chill from the now gutted basement, with its damp dirt floor and wide open spaces, is now entering our apartment willy nilly.  My feet are like icicles despite socks and slippers, we've got the space heaters blasted at us, and are wearing only slightly fewer layers than I wore to the Bears game last week.  You know, the one OUTSIDE in 10 degree below zero windchill?

But we are getting closer and closer every day, and it is terribly exciting.  Permit applications have been submitted for the next phase of the project, and we are actually beginning to think about fixtures and finishes.  You know what is more fun than you would imagine?  Going to a showroom to lie about fully clothed in empty bathtubs with your boots on.  Seriously.  You should try it sometime.  And I'm currently more excited about toilets than I ever thought I could be.  One word.  TOTO.  Seriously.  Gamechanging toilets.  LIFEchanging toilets.  All this girl has to say is: Double. Cyclone. Flushing.  More on toilets later.

All in all things are smooth, if noisy, and every day brings some change that is noticeable.

I'm also hard at work finishing my next book, Recipe for Disaster, which will be out next year at this time.

And the best holiday gift I could hope for?  My publisher just gave me a new contract for two more books, so there is much more to come!

I just want to take a moment to wish you and yours a very festive holiday season, and a truly joyous, happy and healthy 2014.  Thank you all for being on this journey with me!

How cute is our tree???

Yours in Good Taste,
The Polymath

Thank you!

On this, the publication day for my seventh novel, Out to Lunch, I want to take a moment to thank a very special group of people...independent booksellers. These amazing people who commit themselves to the promotion of the written word and the support of authors local and national are a treasure beyond price. For many of us, it is the work of these individuals, who hand-sell our books and recommend us to their clientele, who stay open late to host us for readings and signings, that makes the difference in continuing to be a published author. Owning an independent bookstore is a labor of love, but it is a labor. It is, like any small business, long hours and fluctuating income, and often being on the brink of disaster. These people are my heroes. Because they do what they do to keep the printed word relevant, to keep the youngest among us excited about language and stories. To create opportunities for us to meet our readers who we adore. I salute every one of them, and will continue to support them in any way that I can, and in this festive season of giving, I hope that you will go to your local independent bookseller to give the gifts of stories to those on your list. With books, you literally can give someone the world, and shopping local and small you can keep our communities vibrant. I am going to celebrate my publication day by going to support a fellow writer, the incomparable Joshilyn Jackson at her signing tonight at one of Chicagoland's best indies, Anderson's Bookstore in Naperville. Next week, I will officially launch Out to Lunch at The Book Cellar in Lincoln Square. And I will be shopping at both of those as well as my neighborhood treasure City Lit Books for my holiday gifting. Thank you one and all for your happy wishes on my publication day. now go forth and shop local and independent!

Turkey Tettrazini

Another recipe request, this one from Susan!  My favorite leftovers casserole recipe, and an old family standby.  Maybe the only casserole with canned soup that I actually make and love!

Turkey Tettrazini
3 c cooked turkey, cubed (may substitute chicken)1 lb linguini, cooked 2 cans condensed cream of chicken soup1 c sour cream¼ c grated parmesan cheese¼ c sherry1 t celery salt½ c bread crumbs4 T butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk together soup, sour cream, cheese, sherry, and celery salt.  Pour over noodles and turkey and mix until all noodles are coated and turkey is mixed throughout.  Pour into buttered 9X13 pan.  Sprinkle bread crumbs evenly over top, and drizzle with butter.  Bake 30-40 minutes until top is golden brown. 

Emergency Ham Recipe

Chickens-

I'm live-tweeting my Thanksgiving prep over on Twitter +Stacey Ballis , and taking questions...

So. Freaking. DeliciousMy tweep Cris asked for a ham recipe, and here is my fave.  Perfect for Thanksgiving if you need a second protein, but also delish for Xmas or Easter.

Glazed Ham
Remove the skin from your smoked ham, leaving about ¼ to ½ inch of fat.  Score the fat in a diamond pattern, trying not to cut into the meat.   Preheat oven to 350, and line a baking pan with foil or use a disposable foil pan.  Place 1 c of water in the bottom of the pan.

In a food processor, put:
6 garlic cloves8 oz mango chutney1 oz ginger jam (if you can’t find it, mix 1 T fresh grated ginger into 2 T orange marmalade or apricot jam)1/2 cup Dijon mustard1 cup packed light brown sugarZest of one orange1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice¼ t fresh grated mace (you can sub nutmeg)pinch red pepper flakes (opt.)

Pulse till well mixed. 

Coat the ham with the glaze and bake until the meat is heated through.
Come join me over on Twitter, its a three day prep party!
Yours in Good Taste,Thankgivingmath

Twitter: Its a Good Thing

Chickens-

I know that many of you may not be on Twitter.  Lord knows I avoided it for the longest.  But I am there, and wanted to let you know that beginning Monday morning I will be Live-Tweeting my Thanksgiving prep, the good, the bad, the ugly and the burnt-and-started-over.  And since many of you will be at work with your brain out of commission just counting hours till Wednesday when they send you home to rock a long weekend, I thought you might want to tune in!

Might be worth signing up if you haven't already, and/or following me if you don't currently.

@StaceyBallis

And it goes without saying that even though I will be giving the other social media outlets a little more love for the sake of time, I am always deeply thankful for all of you!

Yours in Good Taste,
Thanksgiving Polymath