The Sandpoint Eater: A few of my favorite things

By Marcia Pilgeram
Reader Columnist

It’s hard to believe Thanksgiving is behind us, and November is nearly a wrap. Now, we march on to the madness of the December holidays. This year, my family traveled tropically for Thanksgiving, so instead of spending days preparing a giant bird with all the trappings and sides, we had a low-key, poolside BBQ. Thus, I feel fresh and ready to jump into the holidays with both feet.

I put a lot of thought and care into the gifts I give to friends and family. Many are avid cooks like me, and those recipients will likely find a cookbook or a food gift inside their carefully wrapped package. When I wrap gifts, I like to fuss with bows and bells and boughs and, lucky for me, I still have at least 100 rolls of ribbon from the Coldwater Creek closure sale (you can imagine how many I started with — that was about 10 years ago)!  

It may come as no surprise that my favorite cookbooks are Irish and read like fine nonfiction. They’re available through Amazon if you can’t find them at your favorite bookstore. The Irish Cookbook by Jp McMahon is a big book filled with an in-depth history of Ireland’s cuisine and the origins of her food, both from land and sea. More than 400 recipes capture recipes of traditional fare and more modern cuisine created by McMahon’s culinary imagination.

My other favorite is Ballymaloe Desserts, by acclaimed pastry chef JR Ryall, who began working as an apprentice alongside Darina Allen and her mother-in-law, the late-great-Myrtle Allen, when he was only 15 years old. 

This book is filled with 130 dessert recipes that make up the iconic (and award-winning) dessert trolley at Ballymaloe House in County Cork, Ireland. Whenever I send visitors to Ireland, I encourage a lunch stop here. Besides these show-stopping desserts that even a novice can master, JR’s book is filled with the history of Ballymaloe House, his novice beginnings there, and fabulous photos of his magnificent desserts.

I love discovering local cheeses in my (nothing to declare) travels, and I always travel with cheese wraps or containers. Sometimes, I toss in an ice pack or two (in hopes I’ll find somewhere to freeze them before my return). Good cheese is expensive, so when I give it as a gift, I also include cheese paper or bags, which allow the cheese to breathe and maintain humidity, keeping it fresher, longer. My favorite brand is Formaticum: formaticum.com.

Stasher bags are a great gift for anyone (especially the environment) for storing and freezing other items (stasherbag.com). They come in myriad shapes and sizes, and you can even reheat food in them (buy lots to help eliminate single-use plastics, my friends).

I don’t like gimmicky kitchen gadgets that take up drawer space. But for fundamental kitchen tools useful in a home or commercial kitchen, you must check out JB Prince: jbprince.com. It’s a mecca for culinary enthusiasts. 

My favorite gift for aspiring chefs of any age is a sauce spoon designed by legendary Chef Gray Kunz. I’ve visited their showroom in New York, and there’s no other place I’d rather shop. Check it out on your next visit to the Big Apple, and I’m sure you’ll agree with me.

I often have a look at Oprah’s list of favorite things, and I’ve yet to find anything that compares to mine, like one of Costco’s newest items: a 45-pound frozen suckling pig! It’s unavailable in some stores, but I found it’s nearby, in warehouses in Washington and Montana (well worth the drive).

If roasting a pig seems daunting, for about $45 a pound, our friends at Costco have another outstanding pork choice: A Spanish melt-in-your-mouth, Iberico Bellota Ham, raised on acorns and aged more than three years (stand and knife included). If you’re a Costco member, you can order this beauty directly from their website.  

Hopefully, you’ll glean some helpful gift-giving ideas from the ones I’ve provided. Don’t wait too long to order these wildly popular suggestions. 

At the top of Page 40 in Ryall’s Ballymaloe Desserts, you’ll find a recipe for Irish coffee sauce. I make several batches and give them away in fancy half-pint jars. I first came across the recipe in Darina Allen’s Christmas 1989 cookbook (a still-treasured gift from Irish visitors). Nearly 40 years later, the only update to Darina’s recipe is less water and more whiskey. Good job, JR!

Irish coffee sauce

This rich sauce is a delightful topping for ice cream, pound cakes and bread puddings. Store covered in the refrigerator and it will keep well for a couple of months. You can serve cold or warm it back up — it’s delicious served hot or cold. I make several batches (don’t try to double or triple the recipe).

Ingredients:

• 8 oz superfine sugar

• 2 ½  fluid oz cold water 

• 8 fluid oz freshly made, strong coffee

• 1-4 tablespoon good Irish whiskey

Directions:

Put the sugar and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan and place over medium heat. Stir until the sugar dissolves and the water comes to the boil. Brush down any sugar crystals stuck to the side of the pan with a damp pastry brush. Remove the spoon and do not stir again until the syrup turns a pale golden caramel, about 5 minutes.

Remove from heat and carefully add the coffee (it will spit and splash a bit). When settled, place back on the heat and stir well to mix the coffee and caramel. 

Simmer for 5 minutes, continue to stir. Allow to cool and add the Irish whiskey. 

Carefully pour into small containers, wipe the rims, add lids and secure tightly. Store in the refrigerator.