Homemade Corn and Flour Tortillas

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: Flour Tortillas By the time Chicken Two made her corn tortillas, I'd already made them two or three times. Click here to see the detailed tutorial on my A Travel for Taste blog. It was a fun experiment using the ground corn, or masa harina, and tortilla press for the first time. I especially loved using the tortilla press, but for this post I wanted to try my hand at flour tortillas since I'd never made them before. Not only was it the first time I made them from flour, it's the first time in forever that I used actual lard for an ingredient. I will try other fats in the future, but for the first attempt I always try to use the real deal recipe. So I mixed up flour, lard, salt and water in the stand mixer per the instructions in one of my favorite cookbooks, Tacos by Alex Stupak. Unfortunately you can't effectively use the press for flour tortillas, so I rolled them out with a rolling pin. It's interesting that I used my Indian belan (rolling pin) and chakla (rolling platform) for this. It's not the first time I've remarked on the similarity between Indian and Mexican cuisine procedures! I've never worked much with lard, but I am here to tell you that the dough was so silky and smooth! I loved the feel and workability of it. It was like rolling out a heavenly mini-pizza. Flour tortillas are cooked the same way as corn ones, i.e., on a hot griddle or cast iron pan. I used cast iron but have since tried it on the Indian tava (griddle), which worked equally well. I also used the fabric warmer to keep them warm after cooking. Note that, unlike corn tortillas, leftover flour ones can be refrigerated or frozen and reheated later. The same day I also tried homemade chorizo, and Chicken Two made beef tamale filling, both of which we used for taco filling.We'll post a future blog about those, so stay tuned. I'm still looking for an authentic Mexican comal, and I'll make these again when I find one. Fortunately, Chicken Two and I found a wonderful Latin market in the same neighborhood as our favorite Indian market. It's called La Mexicana Latin, and it's truly authentic. There are so many spices, handmade ceramics, treats and worlds of unfamiliar things in there that I can't wait to explore more closely!

From Chicken Two: Masa Harina (Corn) Tortillas  Many years ago, (as in over 30..yikes) I lived in Denver and had a wonderful friend who was married to a handsome man of Mexican descent. I remember watching her make tortillas and other Mexican food and envying her culinary abilities. I've always wanted to make my own tortillas, so I'm very excited that we chickens are now venturing into Mexican cuisine. Step 1: Get a good Mexican cookbook. I chose America's Test Kitchen's The Best Mexican Recipes. Step 2: Get a good tortilla press and a warmer. We both chose the cast iron ones, though I'm sure the lighter ones are just as good. Just follow the recipe below. I've added some pics of my process to give you a frame of reference. You will be amazed at how easy it is! Be sure to use the plastic bag! Isn't it pretty? I used a cast-iron pan, which worked really well. This is where the warmer comes in handy! I plan on making these often...give it a try and let me know how you do!

Flour Tortilla Recipe

Ingredients:

4 cups AP flour

1/2 cup lard

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup water + more as needed

Instructions:

Combine flour, lard and salt in stand mixer or by hand until well incorporated and mealy.
Add 1 cup water and mix until dough just comes together.
Transfer dough to smooth, floured work surface and knead gently; do not overwork.
Cover dough with damp cloth and rest 10 minutes.
Make a small ball of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll it out into a 6-inch disk.
Cook on a pre-heated griddle over medium-high heat, 2 minutes on each side. If resulting tortilla is too heavy and the edges cracked, the dough is too dry. Add 1 teaspoon water at a time to the dough until moist and malleable.
Divide rest of dough into 12 equal balls. Roll each ball out into a 6-inch disk and cook one at a time on the griddle 2 minutes on each side. Keep in a warmer until ready to serve or seal in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze.

Corn Tortilla Recipe

2 cups (8 ounces) masa harina

2 tsp vegetable oil

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/4 cups warm tap water, plus extra as needed

Mix masa, 1 tsp oil, and salt together in a medium bowl, then fold water in with rubber spatula. Using your hands, knead mixture in bowl adding additional water 1 tbsp at a time, as needed, until dough is soft and tacky but not sticky, and has the texture of Play-Doh. Cover dough with damp dish towel and let sit for 5 minutes.

Cut sides of 1 quart zipper lock bag, leaving bottom seam intact. Line large plate with 2 damp dish towels (or use the warmer, like I did. Got it on Amazon!). Divide dough into 12 equal pieces: keep covered. Working with 1 piece at a time, roll into ball, place on 1 side of zipper lock bag, and fold other side over top. Press dough flat into 6 1/2 - inch wide tortilla (about 1/8 inch thick) using tortilla press. (you could use a pie plate if you don't have a press)

Leave tortilla between plastic until skillet is hot.

Heat remaining 1 tsp oil in 8 inch non stick skillet over medium high heat until shimmering. Using paper towel, wipe out skillet, leaving thin film of oil on bottom. Remove plastic on top of tortilla, flip tortilla onto your palm, then remove plastic on bottom and lay tortilla in skillet. Cook tortilla, without moving it, until it moves freely when pan is shaken and has shrunken slightly in size, about 45 seconds.

Flip tortilla over and cook until edges curl and bottom in spotty brown, about 1 minute. Flip tortilla back over and continue to cook until first side is spotty brown and puffs up in the center, 30 to 60 seconds. Lay toasted tortilla in warmer or between damp dish towels. Repeat with remaining dough. Tortillas can be refrigerated for up to 5 days, and rewarmed. 

Give it a try! It's pretty easy and a lot of fun! Just imagine the fillings you can make for it. Actually, next time, we'll talk about fillings so stay tuned!

Stuffed Turkish Grape Leaves and Cabbage Rolls

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: Stuffed Turkish Grape Leaves  This was an exciting recipe for me. You know one of the main goals of this blog is to attempt recipes we've always wanted to try. For the first few months, that's exactly what we did. In that process, we've mostly lost our fear!  A secondary reason for this blog is to explore cuisine from other regions and cultures. Therefore, this recipe fits both objectives nicely! A little background is in order: I teach English as a second language online. Recently I had a student from Germany whose heritage is Turkish. Through him I acquired his wife's stuffed grape leaves recipe. I love receiving authentic family recipes, so I was eager to try this one. It was not complicated in itself, but the recipe came to me written in German, so I had a little translating to do!  I had to visit three markets to find grape leaves, which was surprising to me. Maybe I should be more judicious in choosing the markets I visit! Once I did, I soaked them in water per the recipe.  Then I made a filling of ground beef, rice, tomatoes and a few other goodies.  Once that was mixed, I tried my hand (first time!) at rolling up the filling in the grape leaves.  Basically you start with the filling at the stem point of the leaf. then you tuck the sides in and roll it toward the tip of the leaf. It's a tiny, green burrito, really! The photo above has WAY too much filling, but I reduced it when it squished out the sides as I rolled it! SCAFU (Situation Chicken All Fowled UP!) Eventually I got on a roll (excuse the pun) and ended up with about three dozen stuffed leaves.  I'd only ever had the Greek style grape leaves before making these, and the Greek ones are much thicker.  Language note: Greek ones are dolmades; Turkish style are called either dolma or sarma. For that matter, they are Weinblätter in German. My understanding is that they are essentially prepared the same way anywhere, with small family or regional differences, mostly in the filling. After resting from rolling up so many of the sarma, I put them all in a pan and poured boiling water over them. Then I simmered them on top the stove for 45 minutes or so. They tasted wonderful! However, (SCAFU 2) the grape leaves were very chewy and a little tough. I checked with my student and his wife said I should soak them longer next time. Internet sources say to add lemon juice to the soaking water, too, which should help. I'm wondering if a different brand of grape leaves might also make a difference. If any of you know, please leave a comment below. Two final notes: First, I blanched and peeled my tomatoes before dicing, but you can also use canned peeled and diced tomatoes. Second, you can make such a stuffed roll with any edible leaf such as chard or even cabbage leaves like Chicken Two's rolls to the right. Cooks mainly use the brined leaves that come in a jar, but if you use fresh leaves you much pickle or cook them before making rolls.  I'm looking forward to making these again. It's one of those things you can easily make into a vegetarian meal or spice the filling any way you like.

From Chicken Two: Stuffed Cabbage Rolls When I was growing up, my mother used to make this dish  every now and then. I remember wishing she would make it more often. The fun, besides another cooking adventure with Chicken One, was trying to recreate the smell and taste. My mom used to make it in a pressure cooker, but since this recipe didn't take long to make and cook, I decided to do it in the oven. The option is up to you, of course. Just remember to reduce the time! Here I'm browning ground beef, but you can substitute ground turkey, pork or lamb. This is the tricky part: remove the heavy vein from each cabbage leaf. Trust me, it folds better with that stiff vein gone! Submerge leaves in boiling water for two or three minutes, just until limp. Fill the rolls. Don't forget to put sauce on the bottom before placing the rolls in the pan. Just like mom made! Sorta! They really tasted great, and my dear hubby ate two of them! Give it a try.

Stuffed Turkish Grape Leaves

Ingredients

14 ounces pickled grape leaves

½ cup rice, washed

½ pound ground beef

1 onion, minced

½ bunch flat parsley, finely chopped

2 tomatoes, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon fresh ground pepper

½ teaspoon mint

3 garlic cloves, minced

olive oil

Instructions

Place grape leaves in large bowl and pour boiling water over them to cover. Soak 10 to 20 minutes.

Make the filling: Combine rice, ground beef, onion, parsley, tomatoes, tomato paste, salt, pepper, mint and garlic in a bowl. Mix well.

Make the rolls: place a grape leaf flat on your work surface. Place about 1 tablespoon of filling at the stem point of the leaf. Fold in the sides of the leaf and roll forward toward the tip. Repeat until filling is used up.

Heat a little olive oil in a large pan. Place rolls in pan and cover with boiling water. Cover tightly and bring to a boil. Then immediately reduce to a simmer. Simmer about 45 minutes until filling is cooked. Serve hot.

 

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

12 ounces ground beef (or pork or lamb)

1/3 cup chopped onion

1  7 1/2 ounce can tomatoes, undrained, cut up

1/2 cup water

1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice (I used brown rice)

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme

8 medium to large cabbage leaves

1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese

1 15 ounce can tomato sauce

1 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 tsp oregano for sauce

1/4 cup shredded swiss cheese (I substituted sharp cheddar)

1. Cook meat and onion until meat is brown and onion is tender. Drain off fat. Stir in undrained tomatoes, water, uncooked rice, 1/2 tsp oregano and 1/4 tsp of black pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat, simmer, covered, for 20 minutes or until the rice is tender.

2. Trim veins from cabbage leaves. Immerse leaves, 4 at a time, into boiling water for 2 or 3 minutes or until just limp.

3. Stir 1/4 cup Swiss cheese into meat mixture. Place about 1/3 cup of mixture on each cabbage leaf. Fold in sides. Starting at an unfolded edge, carefully roll up each leaf making sure the folded sides are included in the roll.

4. For sauce, stir together tomato sauce, sugar, 1/2 teaspoon oregano and 1/4 tsp of black pepper.. Pour half of the tomato mixture into a 2 quart square baking dish. Arrange cabbage rolls and spoon remaining mixture over the rolls. Bake covered in a 350 degree oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Let stand about 2 minutes or until cheese is melted then serve!

Samosas Two Ways

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post. 

From Chicken One: Punjabi Potato Samosa (Aloo Samosa) So the bitter gourd dish was a real SCAFU (Situation Chicken All Fowled Up) - ok, it wasn't really a SCAFU, but no one liked the end product, including the cook! However, I had other-end-of-the-spectrum, brilliant success with this dish: samosas. Samosas are pockets of fried dough with filling, something every culture has in one form or another. Although India claims the samosa as its own, the original samosa came from Central Asia, home of today's Kazakhstan and all those other -stans. And it's an old recipe. A ninth-century Iraqi poet even wrote a verse about it. The samosa is delicious freshly made or left-over, which means it travels well. They are served with a chutney or sauce. I got my recipe from maayeka.com and you can find my slightly tweaked version below. I also got some excellent advice from finecooking.com.  The pockets are made in four stages: filling, dough, assembly and frying. Learning to make the triangular samosas was fun, especially with the advice of this guy, who I barely understood but learned a lot from anyway! A happier cook you will not find! This recipe is for Punjabi samosas, which means a spiced potato filling, but the variations on fillings are endless. You can spice them up or down, add raisins and cashews, make a meat filling - really anything you can come up with is fine. Here's my filling: My cone: And all my little dumplings (they made me think of garden gnomes): I'm so proud of myself because I am not well-versed in frying. However, with enough homework beforehand, I think my friend samosas turned out rather well! And they were delicious! I have plenty more internet links for resources plus a whole lot more photos. If you want to make these, let me know and I'll be happy to send all of them along!

From Chicken Two:  Spinach Phyllo Samosas This was a fun one for me because, in my travels, I've eaten many versions. This particular version, which I found in Raghavan Iyer's Indian Cooking Unfolded, is definitely going to be my favorite. I think it's a simpler recipe than most, using store bought frozen phyllo sheets, and is baked instead of deep fried.  For my filling, I used paneer (whole milk cheese) that Chicken #1 made, and spinach that I made. Just kidding!  Here's the paneer. This is a great recipe if you like origami since it's all about how you fold the phyllo. You start by cutting the sheet into four equal strips.  After you add a heaping spoonful of filling, fold the dough over the filling forming a triangle.  Maintain a triangle folding over itself and mimic a classic flag fold.  Tah Dah! Aren't they pretty after they're baked? Both types of samosas (Chicken #1 and mine) turned out pretty yummy. I'd definitely make them again.  I made a Tamarind Date Chutney to dip these in, which turned out pretty good, if I say so myself. I will be happy to share that recipe if you want it. Just drop us a line here and I will be happy to forward it.

Potato-pea Samosas (Aloo Samosa)

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• 1 1/2 teaspoon dried pomegranate seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 5 medium potatoes, boiled
• 4 tablespoons + 2 1/2 teaspoons cooking oil + more for frying
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon chopped serrano chili
• 3/4 cup green peas, boiled
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 1/2 teaspoon mango powder or lemon zest
• salt to taste
• 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 cup flour
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
• water

Cooking Directions

1. For the filling: Toast coriander seeds, pomegranate seeds and 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds in a hot skillet for about 45 seconds. Crush coarsely in mortar and pestle.
2. Peel and smash potatoes roughly; you don't want a mash.
3. Heat 4 tablespoons of the oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds. When cumin becomes golden after about a minute or so, add ginger, serranos and boiled peas and saute for 1 minute.
4. Now add cayenne, ground coriander, mango powder/lemon zest and salt to taste. Stir to mix.
5. Add smashed potatoes, the toasted and crushed spice mix and garam masala. Saute for 2 minutes on medium heat.
6. Place in bowl and stir in fresh chopped cilantro. Set aside.
7. For the dough: In a large bowl, combine flour, cardamom and salt to taste.
8. Add the remaining 2 1/2 teaspoons of the cooking oil and rub it into the flour with your fingers. Add lemon juice and mix again.
9. Add enough cold water to make a stiff dough like pie crust dough. Cover with plastic wrap and rest 1 to 2 hours.
10. For the samosas: Knead rested dough until smooth and slightly elastic. Make 8 equal-sized balls from the dough and keep them covered with a moist cloth. Make more or fewer dough balls for smaller or larger samosas, respectively.
11. Roll out a dough ball to make a disc about 7 inches in diameter and 1/8 inch thick.
12. With a sharp knife, cut the disc in half.
13. Using your finger dipped in clean, cold water, "paint" the water around the curved edge of one half-disc. Fold the disc in a cone shape with a fold on one side.
14. Hold the cone in one hand and stuff 3/4 full with filling.
15. "Paint the rim of the cone with water with your fingertip and press the sides together to close it completely, squeezing out any excess air from inside. Be sure to seal the samosa well so it doesn't come open while frying and ruin your oil.
16. Repeat with all dough balls. Assembled, uncooked samosas will keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days sealed in plastic wrap. Allow them to come to room temperature before cooking.
17. In a large, deep skillet, heat about 2 inches of cooking oil over low to medium-low heat. Using higher heat will make the samosas look right, but the dough will be wet and underdone inside.
18. Add several samosas to the oil and fry until golden on one side. Turn over and fry til golden on the other side. Do not crowd the pan and do not fry on high heat.
19. Drain on paper towels. Repeat frying until all samosas are done.
20. Alternatively, you can bake samosas at 350 F for 30 to 35 minutes.
21. Serve hot or cold with chutney or sauce.

Spinach Phyllo Samosas

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil + more for brushing
• 1/2 large red onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
• 8 ounces baby spinach, stemmed and finely chopped
• 1 cup shredded paneer or drained, extra-firm tofu
• 2 serrano chilies, stemmed, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
• 1 pound (1 package) frozen phyllo sheets, thawed

Cooking Directions

1. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and stir-fry for 2 minutes or until slightly brown. Stir in the spinach, paneer or tofu, chilies, salt, and garam masala. Stir-fry for 2 minutes or until the spinach wilts. Transfer to a colander and let the excess liquid drain.
2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Unfold the phyllo sheets; cover the stack with a clean, damp cloth. Carefully peel a sheet of the dough from the stack and place it on a cutting board with the longer length of the rectangular sheet facing you. Brush with oil. Repeat 3 more times so you end up with a stack of 4 sheets. Each time you unpeel a single sheet, recover the stack. Cut the 4-sheet stack crosswise into 4 short, equal strips.
4. Working quickly with one strip at a time, with the smaller edge facing you, spoon a tablespoon of the spinach filling onto the center of the narrow end closest to you. Form a triangle by folding the lower left-hand corner of all 4 layers over the filling to the opposite side. Next fold it up on the diagonal to the right side, maintaining the triangular shape. Continue folding this way until you get to the end of the strip. You should have a neat-looking triangle. If you have an uneven lip at the end, brush that lip with oil and tuck it under. Set on the lined baking sheet. Continue filling and folding the other 3 strips. Repeat three more times with the remaining filling and strips to make 16.
5. Bake the samosas for 25 to 30 minutes or until they are golden. Serve warm as is or with a dipping sauce such as mint or tamarind chutney.

 

Indian Curry Two Ways

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

The complete recipes appear at the end of this post.

From Chicken One: This time around the Chickens wanted to make a basic Indian curry dish. In Indian Cooking Unfolded, one of our new favorite cookbooks, author Raghavan Iyer lays out a simple recipe with delicious results. True to course, we each chose a variation. I did the straightforward chicken curry described in the book. Iyer gives several substitutions, though, including pork, tofu and even potatoes. It's nothing more than sauteeing some onions, garlic and ginger in oil... ...adding spices, diced tomatoes and cream, then processing until smooth... ...then adding cubed meat or other protein and cooking til tender. We served ours over basmati rice with naan flatbread on the side. It's that easy! It makes great leftovers, too. I like to double this recipe so I actually have leftovers! Then we had to make a trip to Patel Brothers just in case there was something there we needed to see! Try the recipe below and let us know what you think!

From Chicken Two: This was a fun dish to make! It's a very easy recipe that makes a basic dish you can use in a variety of ways. I made it with Pork and, though I know you've heard this before, it tasted just like chicken! Ha ha! No, really....the key is in the spices used...and that's pretty much the basis of the flavor. If using the Pork, I recommend cooking it a little longer than the recipe states to get it more tender.You can also use Tofu, lamb, potatoes or any other ingredient and still have a delicious dish. Both Chicken #1 and I highly recommend doubling the spices in the recipe. We're not sure, but we think perhaps the author thinks we Americans can't handle a little fire! Speaking of spices, the recipe called for a spice blend called Raghavan's blend. (Concocted by the author of the book and used in the place of Madras Curry blend.) I made it myself prior to our cooking fest and when I smelled the finished product, I think it cleared my sinuses! You can find the recipe for the blend on Poop from the Coop where I detail the process.

Indian Chicken or Pork Curry

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1 small onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 pieces fresh ginger (each about quarter-coin size), unpeeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 teaspoons spice blend/Madras curry powder or to taste
• 1/2 cup canned diced tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup half-and-half
• 1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork cut in 2-inch cubes
• 1 teaspoon kosher or coarse sea salt
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh cilantro

Cooking Directions

1. Heat oil in skillet over medium-high til it shimmers. Add onion, garlic and ginger. Saute til onion starts to turn brown, 4-5 minutes.
2. Sprinkle spices into skillet. Stir and let roast about 10 seconds. Add tomatoes and stir.
3. Lower heat and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, 5-7 minutes.
4. Add half-and-half and scrape bottom of skillet to deglaze.
5. Transfer sauce to blender or food processor. Puree until it looks slightly curdled but smooth.
6. Return to skillet, stir in meat and salt.
7. Simmer over medium-low, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender and cooked through, about 12-15 minutes for chicken, a little less for pork.
8. Serve warm over rice and garnish with cilantro.

 

Egg Nog, Two Ways: Traditional and Puerto Rican

America's Test Chicken consists of two separate chickens, each with her own take on this cooking thing. Check out Chicken One's related blog, A Travel for Taste where she shares travel stories and recipes collected whenever she ventures abroad. And give Chicken Two's new, also-related blog, Poop from the Coop a read. There you can find stories about her personal adventure re-experiencing the kitchen after many years away. Please join our Facebook group to share your own recipes, kitchen practices and know-how. We are also on Pinterest and Instagram.

Complete recipes appear at the end of this post. 

From Chicken One: Perhaps  you'd better read the other column first, for Chicken Two is giving you her take on the first time making egg nog from scratch. My column this time is a variation on that theme, and a completely different taste.  I love egg nog in all its forms, including this one which tastes like a creamy, tropical cocktail, complete with coconut and rum. A recent trip to a tropical-themed restaurant taught me this drink is also known as coquito. As you can see in this photo, the ingredients are common and you have to open a few cans. But it's all worth it. First break apart cinnamon sticks and boil them in water for a great-smelling reduction. It certainly gives your house a holiday scent. Whisk the reduction into some coconut milk. Then cook the egg yolks and evaporated milk over a double boiler until thickened. The common term for thickness in this case is, "until it coats the spoon". I'll explain. You have to dip the spoon into the mixture, raise it and swipe through the back of it with your finger. When you start out, the thin mixure looks like this:   When thick, it will look like this:   If you go a little too long (like I did when I couldn't get the pan off the double boiler fast enough), it looks like this: This last one is arguably a tad over the line for thickness. Cook it any longer and everything will become scrambled eggs. If you should happen to do this, and as long as it isn't TOO terribly scrambled-eggy, you can blend the finished product with a stick blender to smooth it out. This ONLY works in a small margin of cases, though, so keep an eye on that double boiler! Now combine the cinnamon milk, thickened egg mixture and the rest into a wonderful concoction: Add rum to taste. Don't hold the rum apart for combining individually at serve time like regular egg nog. The taste really depends on all the ingredients together. The recipe calls for 3 cups of rum, but the Chickens stopped at 2. We didn't want to overwhelm the creamy egg nog taste. All this is subjective, of course! A word of warning: the coconut milk will partially solidify when chilled, so give the whole thing a shake or whisk before serving. Happy Holidays to you all! Here's an impeck-able Chicken Two working egg-stra hard in the kitchen for you!

From Chicken Two: To say my husband loves egg nog is an understatement! He impatiently awaits the arrival of the first container of egg nog at the grocery store and for the entire holiday season, there is at least a half gallon of it in the fridge. Lord help the store that runs out! Me, I can take it or leave it.  Until, that is, I experienced the pure taste of home made! Even if you're not fond of it, give this a try…it could change your entire perspective. It did mine, for sure, and you're bound to have family members and friends who will love it, too! My husband, the doctor, (yes, really) was somewhat skeptical of my making this and his first question was, "Are you cooking the eggs???" In a panic, I texted Chicken One. "Are we cooking the egg nog?" Thankfully, her reply was yes. (According to Alton Brown, you can do it both ways.) Combine the first four ingredients over medium heat and cook to about 160 degrees, or until the spoon is coated. (See pic in column 1.) We used freshly grated nutmeg. Click here for a review of nutmeg graters on my Poop from the Coop blog. Add the remainder of the ingredients. Chill at least overnight - two days brings out the full flavor.  This basic recipe is so simple, and, apart from grating our own nutmeg, doesn't take very long to do. I like the idea of being able to add bourbon or rum or what ever you want in the amounts you prefer, or nothing at all. To each his/her own!   Don't tell Chicken One, but personally I prefer the Puerto Rican version…it's got a little kick to it. My husband and family liked it, but we ran out of the basic egg nog first. I think that says something! And not to be outdone (who's competitive???) here's a picture of Chicken One, stirring up a pot of trouble! Have a safe and Happy Holiday!

Traditional Egg Nog

Ingredients

• 10 eggs
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 4 cups milk
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground nutmeg

Cooking Directions

1. Combine eggs, sugar, milk and salt in top of double boiler. Heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens enough to coat the spoon, which will be about 160 F.
2. Remove from heat immediately. Stir in cream, vanilla and nutmeg.
3. Chill til very cold. It's best to chill for two days for full flavor.
4. Serve cold with brandy, whiskey or other spirits mixed in to taste. Garnish with more grated nutmeg.

Puerto Rican Egg Nog

Ingredients

• 2 cups water
• 8 whole cinnamon sticks
• 6 egg yolks
• 3 twelve-ounce cans evaporated milk
• 2 twelve-ounce cans coconut milk
• 3 fourteen-ounce cans sweetened condensed milk
• 3 cups white rum

Cooking Directions

1. Break up cinnamon sticks into pieces and combine with water in a small saucepan over high heat. Boil until reduced by half. Strain and set liquid aside. Let cool completely.
2. Whisk together egg yolks and evaporated milk. Cook over double boiler until mixture coats spoon, about 160 F. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool completely.
3. Mix cinnamon liquid and coconut milk well. Stir in thickened egg mixture and sweetened, condensed milk. Add rum to taste.
4. Chill overnight. Makes about 1 gallon.