We hadn't had pork hocks for the longest time. My store had pork
hocks on sale for $2.22 per lb last week so I picked some up. What
was unusual was that each hock came with a pig's foot in the same
package. pig's feet rarely make it to retail. I haven't had pig's
feet in decades, not since I stopped going to the type of old
fashioned tavern which had pickled pig's feet in a huge jar in
between the pickled egg and sausage jars.

So I popped a hock and a foot into the slow cooker along with 4
chicken drumsticks. I added a cup and a half of water flavoured with
soy sauce, white wine, ginger, garlic and Chinese five spice. After
three hours the chicken was done and we had one drum each. The next
day I reheated the crock pot and by the time the remaining chicken
was sufficiently heated it was falling off the bone. That was our
second meal but the pork wasn't ready yet. On day three I cooked the
pork another 4 hours and it was finally ready. Roslind got the meaty
hock and I was happy with the bony foot.

By now the stock was magnificent, gelatinous and packed with
flavour. I threw in a cup of rice and freshened the seasonings. On
day four I reheated half of it in a wok along with stir fried onions
and cabbage, And finally I used the rest of it today in a turkey (I
hauled the Thanksgiving bird's carcass out of the freezer) and
spinach soup. We sure got out money's worth out of that little
packet. There are two more in the freezer along with some packages
of meaty pork breast bones which were also $2.29 so there will be
some more similar meals later this winter.

Along the beverage line, I picked up a bottle of Creme de Cacao,
something else we haven't had in yonks. It's mainly for baking and
adding to coffee as much as for making cocktails but I did make a
brandy Alexander on the weekend, but without the cream.

My brandy of choice is Fundador from Spain. It's aged in used sherry
barrels, very mellow and slightly sweet. Also much cheaper than most
French brandies.

As well I picked up a 1.5 L bottle of a German sparkling white and a
half bottle of creme de cassis (black currant liqueur) for some Kir
Royals. (I have a good stopper so the wine won't go flat.)

Henkell Trocken is dirt cheap, very effervescent, slightly citrusy
and fruity. It's medium sweet but so acidic that it tastes quite
dry. (Again, so much cheaper than champagne.)

I can also make an adaptation of this:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

Title: Green Room Cocktail Variation
Categories: Alcohol, Beverages
Yield: 1 serving

1 1/2 oz Brandy
3/4 oz Dry vermouth
1 ts Curacao

This reverses the standard proportions of brandy and vermouth for
a stronger, more liquor forward drink.

Stir in mixing glass with ice & strain into a cocktail glass.

(Can sub 1 tsp Cassis or Chambord for the Curacao for a change of
pace - JW)

MMMMM




Cheers

Jim


... Dementia can lead to obesity if you keep forgetting you're on a diet

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