I have wanted to write about Archer for a long time but there are so many drinks to choose from I had trouble narrowing it down. It is currently winter in my part of the world, and what goes better with hot chocolate than booze? Nothing. Which reminded me of this awesome drink from the show that takes place on a snowy mountain: The Peppermint Patty.

For those of you not familiar with the show, Archer is a long running adult cartoon that centers around Sterling Archer, a narcissistic, binge drinking, womanizing, secret agent and the other completely dysfunctional members of the secret intelligence agency run by his mother. If you like dirty humor, drinking humor, sexual humor, offensive humor and general overall absurdity this show is for you. It has quick, snarky dialogue and lots of pop culture references; these characters have no filter.

The specific episode I am referencing here is “The Archer Sanction”, which is a reference to the obscure Clint Eastwood film, The Eiger Sanction from 1975. In this episode Archer, Lana, and Ray travel to Switzerland to join a mountain expedition so that they can assassinate an assassin. However, Archer has forgotten the target specifics on what he assumes is the back of his toilet at home. With no idea who the target is, they head up the mountain, hoping that they can figure it out based on Archer’s recollection of the target being from one of WWII’s Axis Powers.  They meet Crash McCaron, their guide and the rest of the expedition party: Mario Sevino (of Italy), Michiko Ishikawa (of Japan), and Hans Hessler (of Germany). Several members of the party die, Archer reveals who the target is, and causes an avalanche to end a standoff.

The drink is relevant to the episode because of it’s continual presence. We meet “Pattie” in the beginning when Lana is asking about the target. Note the fact that Archer sips on his drink instead of answering her. Later, when Archer figures out the actual target he starts calling them “Paddy”, which is a play on the word “Pattie”. And then we follow up with Archer returning to the drink in the final scene, indicating that the show has come full circle. Peppermint Pattie becomes another member of the assassination party in this episode. It is actually a clever device in this episode and sounded like a perfect drink for a snowy afternoon.

In the first scene Archer interrupts any productive thought exclaiming about this drink. He gives a basic recipe of dark Crème de Cocao, Crème de menthe, peppermint schnapps and hot chocolate. Sounds delicious. So, I figured that all  have to do to make it is just perfect the ratios.

Hot chocolate from scratch is amazing. I started making it a couple years ago after reading Chocolat by Joanne Harris and I wrote about it here. You can use a mix for this too though; I tried it both ways and it tasted good each time. After the hot chocolate foundation was complete, I stirred in the liquor and considered it finished.

So, if your looking for something warm, minty and delicious during the coldest part of the year you should totally make this. In true Archer fashion, after I had perfected the recipe I continued to test it out over and over. Nothing like getting a job done correctly!

Archer: Peppermint Patty:

8oz Hot Chocolate

1/2 oz Dark Crème de Cacao

1/2 oz Crème de menthe

1/2 oz Peppermint Schnapps

** These measurements are guidelines but you can add the liquor according to your specific tastes, I am not your supervisor!

1. Prepare hot chocolate.
2. Add in the rest of the ingedients, stir.

Tokyo Ghoul is an anime that I had heard a lot about but took a while to sit down and watch. I am sorry I waited so long because it’s very good.  Note: this series is violent and at times gory so if those types of anime turn you off I don’t suggest watching. For those of you that don’t mind violent anime, but want a quality storyline, I highly recommend this one. Adapted from the manga back in 2014, Tokyo Ghoul finally aired in the states in 2017; the first season is available for streaming currently on Hulu.

Tokyo Ghoul is set in an alternate reality where ghouls, human-like creatures who survive by eating human flesh, live among normal humans in secret. The story follows Ken Kaneki, a sweet, naïve college student who goes on a date with a girl named Rize, who reveals herself as a ghoul and attempts to eat him. He is taken to the hospital in critical condition after they are both crushed in a freak accident.  After recovering, Kaneki discovers that he has been transformed him into a half-ghoul because in order to save him, the doctors used some of Rize’s organs.

Now, like normal ghouls, he must consume human flesh to survive.  Some of his struggles include trying to navigate the strange culture he finds himself in and how he fits in with both human and ghouls since he is now both and neither, as well as trying to reconcile the battle inside himself in terms of human/ghoul. In addition, he finds himself in the middle of the authorities ongoing mission to eradicate ghouls from existence and his friends hunted down as well as, witnessing gangs of hungry ghouls killing innocent people. Throw in some torture, face masks, and crazy weapons…this party never stops.

In a show whose characters eat human flesh I didn’t expect to find any food I would be able to make from it. However there is a scene in the episode “Captivity” that features food with a lot of meaning behind it and I thought I would share my insights and a recipe.

In this scene Nakajima, Amon and Kusaba have lunch together. Amon orders a kakiage bowl, Nakajima orders shrimp tempura and chicken onigiri, and the viewer doesn’t see Kusaba order or eat. Later, upon leaving the restaurant, Nakajima and Kusaba are caught with their guard down and Kusaba is killed by Rabbit. After Kusaba’s funeral, Amon and Nakajima go back to the restaurant for lunch. Nakajima talks about how he would always have to pay for Kusaba’s meals, but he is more upset that he will be eating alone from now on. In response to this, Amon explains that he is very hungry and cannot pay for his meal. They share a smile, knowing that this is how they plan to keep Kusaba’s memory alive.

This scene is significant to the outcome of the situation when examined more closely. We realize that the two men that order in the beginning of the scene, live; the man that isn’t shown ordering or eating, does not.  This subtly reinforces the theme of this show that in order to survive one must eat. This is a reflection of the lesson that Ken is learning as a new ghoul. He is repulsed by the idea of eating human flesh, but he must in order to survive.  The message here is that eating is the equivalent of surviving. Overall, this series maintains that food is the top most means of self preservation in this series.

It is also interesting that Kusaba’s memory will be kept alive through the consuming of food because we never see him do it.

To get back to the actual food, I have never cooked any type of Japanese food before and to be honest the idea of making this scared the hell out of me. However, I did a ton of research and read through it enough times that I felt I was ready; ultimately once I started the dishes, I had no idea what I was stressing about.

I started with the onigiri prep. I cut my chicken into tiny pieces which is better for onigiri because it’s easier to fill the rice when using smaller pieces. Then I cooked the chicken in the liquids and let sit to cool. I made the rice in my Instant pot which only takes about 5 minutes, but if you don’t have an IP, use whatever rice cooker you do have and follow directions accordingly. While I waited for my rice and chicken to cool, I made the tempura.

I prepped my shrimp, which was one of the things that stressed me out but in the end was simple. I purchased my shrimp already deveined and then proceeded to remove the shell and legs leaving the tail intact. I then made small cuts along the underside of the shrimp so I would be able to lay it out flat. Since my shrimp had been previously frozen they were really wet, which would interefere with the batter/frying so I dabbed at the end of the tail with a paper towl and wiggled it a bit to get excess water out.

Another trick to tempura is to keep everything cold. I sifted my flour and measured my water and placed everything inside the fridge so it would be really cold when I was ready to use it. I had also read that vegetable oil was the best oil for making this type of dish so I bought a fresh bottle and added it to my fryer and set the temperature. Once the temperature was right I mixed my batter and went to work making the shrimp.

The tempura is fairly quick to cook and once I had them all fried and laid out, I assembled my onigiri. I purchased an onigiri mold for this project because I figured I would take the easiest route possible with a food that I had no experience making however, my husband made a few with his hands that came out just as well. So, if you don’t have a mold it’s no biggie.

I have to admit that I have never been as impressed with myself for making a dish as I was with this one! I was so happy that my food looked like it was supposed to and tasted great. My husband was so impressed that he bragged on FB about my culinary skills! So, for the characters in Tokyo Ghoul this meal is one that represents life and I have to say it brought some life to my kitchen!

Shrimp Tempura:

•  1 lb shrimp large or jumbo
• corn starch for dusting
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup Cold water
• 1 egg
•  vegetable oil for frying

1. Prep the shrimp: Begin by shelling the shrimp but still leave the tail & last section of shell intact. Make 3-4 cuts along the underside of the shrimp, but be careful not to cut all the way through. You should be able to lay them flat on their bellies without the shrimp curving or rolling over. Dab at the tails with a paper towel to remove excess water.
2. Fill the deep fryer or skillet with vegetable oil and heat to about 350 degrees. You can check if oil is ready to fry by sticking a wooden chopstick in the oil; if it boils around the wood, the oil is ready.
3. Prepare the batter: Sift flour into a mixing bowl.  In a separate bowl (or measuring cup), add the egg to the cold water and whisk them together. Skim the foam off the surface.
4.  Slowly pour the egg water into the flour, then slowly mix together until the flour is mostly saturated. Don’t worry about clumps in the batter – that’s totally okay.
5. Dust the shrimp with corn starch, then dip them in the batter. Drop them in the heated oil, trying not to crowd them together. Three shrimp at a time is probably best.
6. Let the shrimp sizzle until the batter is golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Place the shrimp on a paper towel to cool and soak off excess oil. Serve them immediately.

Chicken Onigiri

• 1 cup sushi rice or other short grain or even medium grain rice
• 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/2 pound​ chicken thigh meat
• 3 Tablespoons soy sauce or tamari
• 2 Tablespoons sake
• 2 Tablespoons mirin
• 1-2 sheets roasted seasoned seaweed (optional)

1. Rinse the rice in cool water until the water runs clear. Put the rice in a rice cooker and follow directions according to your device. When finished, uncover, stir, and let cool. To speed up the cooling, you can spread rice on a baking sheet or tray.
2.  While the rice cooks, chop the chicken thighs into small pieces. Put the chicken, soy sauce, sake, and mirin in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring, until the chicken is cooked through and the liquid is almost completely absorbed about 5 minutes. Let the mixture cool to room temperature. You can speed the cooling by spreading the chicken on a baking sheet or tray in a thin layer.
3. If using an onigiri mold: Start off by wetting your mold. Remember to re-wet the mold between  each onigiri. Add rice into the mold to just below the half-way mark.  Use the back of a rice paddle to spread the rice out evenly in the mold. Make a small indentation in the rice for the filling to go in.Place a small amount of your filling into the center of the rice – do not overstuff!  Add additional rice to fill the mold.Use the lid of the mold and press down onto the rice.  Remove the lid, invert the mold, and press down on the center ‘button’ to help the rice ball slide out.
4. If using your hands: Fill a bowl with warm water and stir in some salt.  You will use this to dip your hands in from time to time in order to keep the rice from sticking to you.  How much salt is up to you (you can omit it altogether if you like). Dip your hands in the water, then scoop out a handful of rice (about 1/2 a cup) into one hand.  Using the other hand, make an indentation in the rice and place some filling (about a teaspoon) inside.  Use your hands to mold and press the rice around the filling. You can then shape your rice ball into a triangle, circle, or cylinder.
5. Wrap the onigiri with strips of seaweed.

TURN: Washington’s Spies is currently winding up its final season and I had heard great things about it, so I thought I would give it a watch and find out what the buzz is all about. Even though I enjoy historical pieces I didn’t have any prior  TV watching experience with the Revolutionary War time period but I found TURN to be really interesting. It takes place during the Revolutionary War, and follows the Culper spy network on the American side.

There are several major characters in this show, but the shows hero (or maybe anti-hero) would have to be Abe Woodhull; an unsuspecting farmer that is recruited to be a spy for the resistance. He gets into some pretty close calls including landing himself in jail. However he always keeps the independence of America his top priority and even chooses to stay in confinement for the sake of the cause.

One thing I found to be really interesting in TURN is the methods that the spies use to pass information to each other. Living in a digital world, it is such a foreign concept of passing information without using technology and to watch these different methods was probably my favorite part of the show.

At one point messages are conveyed through the use of writing on hard boiled eggs that the person can see once they’ve cracked and opened the egg.  Other than being an historical accuracy from the war, the egg is a perfect metaphor for Abe. On the surface he is just like all the other people in Setauket. however underneath, once the shell is ripped away it becomes revealed that there is more than meets the eye.  Both the egg and Abe are also literally carry messages vital to the war effort. The unassuming is carrying a secret.

I knew that this magic had to be attempted. I looked all over the internet on how this was done back then and decided to try it for myself.

First I hard boiled eggs in my usual manner. I was curious how this would work out using store bought versus farm fresh eggs so I used a couple of both to see if there was a difference.

Then I dissolved the alum into the vinegar and used one of my kid’s paintbrushes to “paint” the mixture onto the egg. I could still see it but it was difficult to keep track of on the egg’s surface. I suggest doing this experiment in a very well lit place.

Then I let the eggs sit and dry for about an hour. I peeled them and…viola! I am using a stock photo here because although my message came out, my accuracy was not good.

My theory is that it works because the vinegar softens the shell and allows the dye to work its magic on the egg. This was a super fun experiment and one that kids would love to do too. I can definitely see the correlation between the eggs and Abe’s character but I also really appreciate the historical ingenuity behind using the eggs to send messages.

Secret Eggs:

Eggs

2 Cups of White Vinegar

1 tablespoon of Alum Powder

1. Place the desired amount of eggs in a single layer in a small saucepan.
2.  Fill the saucepan with water and cover it with a lid. There should be at least one inch of water over the egg.
3. Place the saucepan on the stove and turn the heat on high and bring water to a high rolling boil.
4. Let the egg boil for a minute or two. and the turn off heat. Let sit in water 10-12 minutes.
5. Drain the water out carefully. Run cold water over the eggs until it cooled. This will allow you to touch it without being burned.
6. Place the alum and vinegar in a small bowl and stir with a spoon. Make sure the alum is completely dissolved into the vinegar.
7. Dip the paint brush into the solution and write a secret message on the egg’s shell. It might be difficult to see what you are writing, so try to be as accurate as possible.
8. Let the solution permeate onto the inside of the egg by letting it dry. You can speed this process up by placing the egg under a bright light for 10 to 15 minutes.
9. Remove the shell from the egg and you will see your secret message written on the egg

This time of year it is almost impossible not to think about ghosts, ghouls, and zombies. It is also almost impossible to have zombies on the brain and not think about The Walking Dead. If you have never caught this show it is about a group of people in a zombie apocalypse, led by ex-sheriff Rick Grimes, and their journey of survival amongst the dead and the living.

One of the main characters of this show is Carol. She is tough and clever and it has been really interesting to watch her personality develop over the course of the show.  She starts the show as a battered wife and metamorphoses into a warrior. She defends and protects her group with a fierceness that makes fans of the show love her.  She is not afraid to manipulate or kill in order to survive the new world, and strangely, she is also the most…domestic of Rick’s group. Her previous life as a wife and mother shine through in some of the most unexpected moments of the show, for instance, in the episode “Try” from Season 5.

The plot of this episode is framed by the recent death of Deanna’s son Aiden, and amongst other things going on in the town, Carol reacts by making Deanna a casserole and leaving it for her with a comforting note.  This gesture is significant (and the reason why I decided to write about it) for several reasons.

The first is because it marks the group’s efforts to stay in the town. In a time when death is the norm and often goes by without acknowledgment Carol’s attempt at comforting Deanna is noticeable. It is a gesture that is symbolic of the group’s desire to have the permission to stay; to live in a civilized place amidst the chaos of the world.

The second point about this is that it gives the viewer a reminder of Carol’s old life. At this point in the show she has completely transformed from an abused housewife and mother to a warrior and survivor; this display of domesticity gives a nod to Carol’s former self and shows us how far she has come from when we first met her. And just as she previously performed domestic duties to balance out the chaos of her life with her abusive husband she is now trying to balance out living in the apocalypse with living in the town.

Finally, it is also significant because Carol is observing the social construct of grief that no longer exists in the world. Deanna is dealing with loss and the food here is symbolic of the comfort that people give one another after death.  The fact that it is a tuna casserole is believable because it can be made with what’s available but also because it is a grief food cliché.

To research this dish I watched the clip from the episode to get a good idea of the ingredients that Carol used. I filled in the blanks with other items likely to be on hand in a post apocalyptic world. I knew that this casserole would be pretty basic but the overall recipe is really versatile, so feel free to jazz it up with stuff you like as you go along.

First, I cooked the egg noodles, drained them and set them aside. We see Carol do this part of the recipe in the show. Next, I mixed some cream of celery soup and canned milk together. I used cream of celery soup to gave the casserole a hint of celery flavor which wouldn’t otherwise be possible in this scenario. I used canned milk for the probability factor too, but you can totally use fresh milk or soy milk or whatever you have on hand.

Next I mixed the noodles, the soup mixture, some canned peas, and two cans of tuna into a casserole dish. I covered and baked for 20 minutes, meanwhile I mixed some breadcrumbs and some parmesan cheese with some melted butter. After the 20 minutes in the oven  I gave the casserole a good stir, sprinkled it with the breadcrumb mixture and put it back in the oven  for 5 more minutes.

The result was a simple but comforting casserole. My husband who does not normally care for tuna-noodle anything said it was good. I felt compelled to write about the casserole because in addition to the spooky business of Halloween, I was looking for some classic comfort food for fall. I was able to find both in this dish, it’s a shame that Deanna rejected Carol’s attempt at comfort by leaving hers on the porch.

Carol’s Tuna Noodle Casserole:

1 Can Cream of Celery Soup

1/2 cup milk (Canned or fresh)

1 cup canned green peas

2 cans (about 5 ounces each) tuna in water, drained

2 cups medium egg noodles, cooked and drained

2 tbsp. plain dry bread crumbs

2 tbsp. grated parmesan cheese

2tbsp. melted butter

Okay, I have kids, it’s Fall, and I have apples. What better way to process all that than by doing an apple related, My Little Pony post? Exactly. So I scoured some episodes of MLP and found a cameo for Apple Fritters. In an episode, “Apple Family Reunion”, apple fritters are the snack of choice for the Apple family at their annual family gathering. After watching the episode 20 times (if you have kids you can relate to this), I decided to be proactive and head to the kitchen.

In this episode, Applejack takes on the task of planning and organizing the annual Apple family reunion. Granny Smith tells Applejack all about the annual activities that happen at the reunion such as games, quilting and making and eating apple fritters. Determined to do the best job possible, Applejack micro manages and over programs everyone in efforts to make the event better, but instead robs the reunion of what really matters; the time the Apples get to spend together. This could totally be a metaphor for motherhood itself but I don’t want to get too deep here.

The apple fritters are a feature at the reunions not because they are yummy to eat (although I am sure that helps), but because making and eating them inspired great memories for Granny Smith and the rest of the family. When Applejack gets after the ponies cooking the fritters, telling them how to be more efficient she is missing the point of making them.  Although Applejack is being more efficient in her fritter making she is taking away the socializing the ponies get to do while making the fritters-“catching up”  is what the ponies are all really there for. The fritters are just a symbol how the Apple’s value their time together.

I started with a basic doughnut recipe because the foundation of a fritter is, basically, a yeast doughnut. So I mixed up a basic yeast dough and let it hang out for a little over an hour so it could get puffy.

While I was waiting for the dough to rise I took my apples, some butter, sugar, cinnamon and a bit of salt and heated them up. I let the apples soften a bit and the mixture create a syrupy glaze. I let it cool.  It made my kitchen smell wonderful!

Once the dough had time to rise and the apples cooled I was able to assemble my fritters. I broke off pieces of dough and rolled them out. You can do them as large or small as you would like but I opted for a smaller size because they more closely resemble the ones in the episode and also so that it would be easier for my kids to pick them up and eat them!

Once rolled out and filled, I followed Applejack’s efficient instructions to,  “roll, fold, crimp and slide to the left”. They made the process very streamlined but I ran into the same problem the Apple family did; I wanted to take my time and have fun with my girls on this project. So, I let them help me and we made ugly fritters but great conversation.

Then I fried the fritters until nice and brown, about 1-2 minutes per side. I then dipped them in a delicious maple glaze and let them sit for a few.

Some of them were shaped weird and not exactly pretty but they tasted fantastic.

In the episode Applejack realizes that the important thing about the reunion is the quality of the time spent with other members of the family and not on the activities themselves. I have to agree that spending the time making and eating these fritters with my little ones made up for their imperfect looks and time spent in the kitchen!

Apple Fritters:

For the dough:

• 2 3/4 cups bread flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 packet (2 1/4 teaspoons) instant yeast
• 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon  salt
• 1 cup whole milk, warmed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 3 large egg yolks
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

For the filling:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 3 sweet-tart baking apples, such as Honeycrisp or Pink Lady, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• Pinch of salt
• Flour, for dusting

For the glaze:

• 2 cups powdered sugar, also known as confectioners’ sugar
• 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• Warm water, as needed

**Vegetable oil for frying

1. Make the dough-In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, stir together 2 cups of the flour, the yeast, sugar, and salt. Add the warm milk, vanilla, and egg yolks. Mix until smooth. Add the remaining flour and the butter and mix until incorporated. Continue to mix on medium speed until the dough is soft and smooth (it will be slightly sticky). Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit and rise in a draft free place for about an hour.
2. While dough is rising begin making the filing by melting the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the apples to the pan and sprinkle with the sugar, cinnamon, and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring, until tender and the liquid becomes a syrupy glaze, about 10 minutes. Let cool completely.
3. Break off a piece of dough and roll out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Place some apple mixture on the dough and fold to close and crimp.

I apologize to any regular readers about taking the summer off but I promise I am coming back from my trip to the Jersey Shore very inspired.  I can’t get a certain episode of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” out of my brain. It’s the one where, you guessed it, Frank, Dennis and the rest of the gang head to the Jersey Shore. Earlier in the summer, as I sat on the beach in Atlantic City contemplating the relationship of Charlie and his waitress, I suddenly remembered the real star of this episode: Frank’s Rum Ham. Could his ridiculous creation be a real thing? I had to find out.

It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia is about  “The Gang”, which consists of five of the most ridiculous, self centered, shameless, manipulative and stupid people ever. A lot of the episodes of this show are filled with the gang engaging in some sort of manipulative scheme or conspiring against each other for no reason. The gang runs Paddy’s Pub, a disgusting dive in Philadelphia which serves as the arena and backdrop for the gang’s shenanigans.

In “The Gang goes to the Jersey Shore” Dennis and Dee lead the gang outside of Philadelphia to revisit one of their old favorite vacation spots on the Jersey Shore. Once they arrive, Dennis and Dee realize that the shore isn’t the magical place that exists in their memories. While Dennis and Dee try (unsuccessfully) to recapture the shore experiences of their youth, Charlie spends a magical evening at the beach with his waitress.

Mac and Frank spend their time sitting on the beach eating the Rum Ham, but remove themselves to a dingy in the ocean because they are tired of protecting their ham from the beach’s stray dogs. Floating around in the sun, and the booze infused ham proves too much for them and they pass out. They wake up very far from shore and Frank starts to panic as soon as he realizes that the Rum Ham is floating away. They linger in the ocean for a while, are rescued by a boat full of guidos and end up partying the night away getting spray tanned and taking steroids. Mac and Frank become reunited with Rum Ham on the party boat solidifying their awesome adventure.

The ham in this episode is significant because it obtains a level of personification that food rarely achieves. Rum Ham actually becomes a member of “The Gang” in this episode. It is just like Mac and Frank; loaded with booze afloat on the ocean; it even gets rescued by the guidos! Also during this adventure, Mac and Frank talk directly to the ham, at one point Frank actually apologizes to it while it’s floating away as if it was leaving in the middle of an argument.  When reunited, Mac and Frank both exclaim “Rum Ham!” as if shouting a buddies name before hugging it.

The Rum Ham is also a good representation of how this show often crosses the line into bizarre territory. The world that “The Gang” lives in is definitely not grounded in reality and is often disgusting as well as inappropriate. Mac’s initial reaction to the ham is a bit of disbelief, which is an expected reaction, however, he quickly declares Frank a genius and begins eating Rum Ham and shoving away the stray dogs. This marks a place in the show where the expected quickly gives way to the bizarre which is what this show thrives on.

In the episode Frank describes the making of Rum Ham by stating: “This is ham soaked in rum. It is loaded with booze”. I figured that would be the best pace to start. I wanted to use a spiced rum because I felt that would taste better with ham as well as give it that beach-y vibe.  I  also figured that to cook the ham in booze wouldn’t be enough and that I should soak it first to give it a chance to really absorb the rum. So, I created a marinade for the ham to hang out in comprised of spiced rum and brown sugar. I let it sit in my fridge about 5-6 hours but the longer you let it sit the more rum-ish it will be.

I kept thinking about Rum Ham hanging out in the ocean all day and I became inspired to cook this thing in my slow cooker. Not only would it infuse the ham more with the rum/brown sugar flavor but it would also save me from turning on my oven in the summer.

I get pretty vague with the cooking instructions on this recipe for a few reasons. The first being that as a post having to do with IASIP I figured that Frank would spend little to no time with careful preparations for his rum ham and so I could afford to be a little laid back with mine too. Also, I have found that when cooking with booze it is really more a matter of taste than anything, so use as much or as little rum in this as you like. There is even a non-alcoholic rum extract out there for those of you that want to participate but are not comfortable cooking with alcohol.

The ham came out really flavorful; the salt of the ham with the sweetness of the brown sugar was quite nice. The spiced rum I used gave it a nice complexity of flavor as well. I also feel that by soaking it in the marinade and then soaking it again in the slow cooker worked really well to infuse the flavors into the meat.  I would definitely make this again for a nice summery dinner to be enjoyed along with my Jersey Shore memories, (none of which involve stray dogs or steroids).

Rum Ham

Spiral Cut Ham trimmed to fit into your slow cooker with the lid on

1/4 cup of spiced Rum plus a splash

3Tbs Brown Sugar plus more for sprinkling

1-2 Cups Water

1. Place the ham in a freezer bag or large bowl. Combine 1/4 cup rum, brown sugar, and water and it to the ham.  Place in fridge for at least a couple hours turning every once in a while. The longer it hangs out in there the stronger the rum flavor will be.
2. Sprinkle some brown sugar to coat the bottom of your slow cooker. Place ham in there flat side down. Sprinkle some more brown sugar on the ham and add a splash of rum into the slow cooker. Cover and cook on low 4-5 hours. Every hour or so baste the ham with the collected juices from the bottom of the slow cooker.