Guests the Meehans: Weird Food Traditions

Seasonal Recipes of the Week
Yes, the things your family eats — specially for the holidays — do seem strange to everyone else! Monica and Bram Meehan and Bram's parents Jim and Marsha Meehan share some favorites. Feel free to add your family food traditions to the comments below!

Lee's Salad

Jim's aunt Lee always made this "salad" for family events, and always served it in the same cut-glass bowl.

Ingredients
1 16-ounce can of fruit salad
1 11-ounce can of Mandarin orange segments
1 16-ounce container of cottage cheese
1 small package of Jello (your favorite flavor)
8-9 ounces of Cool Whip, thawed

Procedure
Drain fruit well. Make Jello with 1 cup water or juice from fruit. Let Jello cool. Add fruit and cottage cheese to Jello and mix well. Fold in Cool Whip. Pour into serving bowl and chill several hours.

Cardamom rolls

Marsha fell in love with the bread that her childhood friend's grandmother made every Saturday. Here's the recipe as she adapted it for to serve on Christmas morning. (Note: this is not altitude-adjusted.)

Ingredients
1 16-ounce package hot roll mix
1 cup hot milk (120 to 130 degrees)
2 tablespoons margarine or butter, softened
2 teaspoons cardamom
1 egg
32 raisins
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons coarse sugar

Procedure
In large bowl, combine flour mixture with yeast from foil packet; mix well. Stir in hot milk, margarine, cardamom and 1 egg until dough pulls away from sides of bowl. Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. With greased or floured hands, shape dough into a ball. Knead dough 5 minutes or until smooth. Cover dough with large bowl; let rest 5 minutes.

Grease cookie sheets. Divide dough into 16 equal pieces. Roll each piece into 8-inch rope. Shape each rope into an "S" shape; place on greased cookie sheets. Cover loosely with greased plastic wrap and cloth towel. Let rise in warm place for 20 to 30 minutes or until doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 375. Uncover dough. Press one raisin in both curls of each roll. Brush with beaten egg; sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake at for 12 to 17 minutes or until golden brown.

Herring Salad

This German salad was traditional in Monica's family for New Year's Eve.

Ingredients
24 ounces Vita brand pickled herring in wine sauce, cut into half-inch dice
2 cooked pork chops, trimmed of fat and cut into half-inch dice
4 15-ounce cans sliced beets, drained and cut into half-inch dice
2 medium cooked potatoes, cut into half-inch dice
4 McIntosh apples, cored, peeled, and cut into half-inch dice
several German-style dill pickles, cut into half-inch dice
(enough to equal the amount of diced apples)

Optional ingredients
onions from the pickled herring jar, cut into half-inch dice
1 cooked celery root, trimmed, cut into half-inch dice (reserve cooking liquid)
capers to taste
mayonnaise to taste

Procedure
Gently combine all ingredients in a BIG bowl. If mixed ingredients seem too dry, use some pickle and/or herring jar brine (or mayonnaise or the cooking water from the celery root) to taste. You'll usually want to add about 1/2 to 1 cup of liquid. Refrigerate for one day before eating... if you can wait! Garnish with hard boiled eggs and/or parsley sprigs at the table.

Salad will keep about 2 weeks in the refrigerator. Ziploc freezer bags work well for storage.

Guest Bram Meehan: Irish Coffee

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
For the refreshing beverage, Bram goes back to Caskstrength, because Caskstrength is back. For December, Andrew was presenting a cocktail advent calendar — one of the simpler drinks was a return to basics with Irish Coffee.

Legend (and Wikipedia) puts the origin of this drink at Shannon airport after a particularly cold, nasty flight arrived. Over the years, it's gotten sweeter and more complicated — this recipe brings it back to its roots.

Ingredients
1.5 ounces Irish whiskey
4 ounces very strong black coffee
2 ounces lightly sweetened whipped cream

Procedure
Start with coffee in a preheated mug, add whiskey, and top with the whipped cream.

Potica (Poe-teet-sha)

The Altitude Adjustment Section
This recipe is in the Wethersfield Historical Society cookbook that Jim and Marsha gave me for Christmas. It was contributed by the Meehans' good friend (and Bram's godparents) John and Darlene Oblak. I thought it sounded delicious.

Note: I will be updating this as I test it for our altitude. This makes 4 loaves.

Ingredients for dough
5 cups flour
2 Tbs. sugar
2 pkgs. of active dry yeast, 1/4 oz. each
3-1/2 quarter-lb. sticks of butter (or margarine)
6 egg yolks, beaten (save whites for the filling)
1 cup warm milk

Ingredients for filling
6 egg whites, beaten stiff
2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 lbs. coarsely ground walnuts
1 cup seedless golden raisins

Procedure
Mix flour, sugar and yeast together. Cut in butter as for pie dough. Blend egg yolks into milk and slowly mix into dough. Mix well and then knead. Divide dough into 4 parts (makes four loaves). Wrap in plastic. Refrigerate overnight.

Make the filling by gradually blending sugar into beaten egg whites. Add vanilla. Fold in walnuts. Keep raisins separate.

On a floured surface, roll out each piece of dough into a roughly rectangular shape to about 1/4 inch thickness. Spread 1/4 of the filling, minus raisins, evenly over rolled-out dough to within an inch of the edges. Sprinkle raisins over filling. Roll up dough and filling, like a jelly roll, into a loaf. Place on ungreased baking sheet. Cover and let rise in a warm place for 1 hour (loaf may almost double in size). Bake at 350 degrees F for 40-50 minutes. Brush with butter, cover with towel until cool.

The December 31, 2011 Show

On this week's Mouth of Wonder we continue the tradition of having Bram, Monica, and Bram's lovely parents Jim and Marsha Meehan on the show during their yearly Christmas visit to Santa Fe. We discuss weird family traditions, a classic Irish coffee recipe, and what's hot and what's not (because Mouth of Wonder is always trendy)... and what's delicious!

Download the December 31, 2011 show

SFAI Clean Energy Bars

The Altitude Adjustment Section
I made these for Diane Karp's fantastic Bill McKibben event at the Lensic a while back and they were a big hit. Tasty and nutritious.
Makes about 30 2-inch bars.

Ingredients
1 1/2 cup old fashioned rolled oats
1 cup raw sunflower seeds
1 cup raw sliced almonds
1 cup raw pumpkin seeds
3 cups puffed brown rice
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup almond butter
1 cup honey
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 teaspoons cinnamon

Procedure
Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Toast the oats, sunflower seeds, almonds, pumpkin seeds. I found that the pumpkin seeds took the least amount of time, at 7 minutes, and the sunflower seeds the most, at about 15 minutes. When all the items are sufficiently toasted, toss them with the brown rice puffs and cranberries in a large bowl. In a small saucepan, heat the almond butter and honey just to get melty, not cooked. Stir in the salt and cinnamon, then pour over the oat and nut mixture and stir. You want to get everything incorporated and 'glued' together without crushing the tender puffs. Turn into a 9x13 baking dish lined with parchment sprayed with non stick spray and press the mixture evenly and firmly — again, try not crush the puffs too much. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. Cut into 2-inch squares before serving.

Guest Ben Swan: Mom's Moose Log

Photo of the Week

This stuff is fantastic, Bernice said it tasted just like good kosher salami. Pass the schmaltz and rye bread!

Serrano and Manchego Croquettes with Smoked Paprika Aioli

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
I found this recipe at food52.com, and it's great. I love do-ahead stuff — that way I can spend time with my guests and not be a slave to the kitchen.

Ingredients for croquettes
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1/3 cup finely chopped Serrano ham (can substitute prosciutto), about 1.8 oz
1/3 cup grated Manchego cheese, about 1.8 oz
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
Kosher salt
2 eggs
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Vegetable oil for frying

Ingredients for aioli
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Spanish sweet smoked paprika

Procedure
Heat the oil and butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until butter is melted. Add the flour and cook 1-2 minutes while whisking frequently. Gradually add the milk while whisking and continue to cook another 2-3 minutes. The mixture should be smooth. Switch to a wooden spoon and stir in the ham, cheese and nutmeg. Cook another 1-2 minutes while stirring — the mixture will pull away from the sides of the pan. Taste the mixture and add salt if desired — the ham and cheese are salty, so you probably won’t need to add any additional salt.

Transfer the mixture to an 8x8-inch baking tray and spread it out so that it is even. Let the mixture cool, then cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.

When ready to cook the croquettes, lightly beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Mix the breadcrumbs and salt in another dish. Scoop up tablespoons of the cooled filling and form them into balls. Dip each ball into the egg and then the breadcrumbs. Place the completed croquettes on a wire rack or baking sheet and refrigerate for 20 minutes. The croquettes must be chilled before frying otherwise they may fall apart in the oil.

Meanwhile, make the aioli by pureeing the mayonnaise, garlic, lemon juice, and smoked paprika in a blender or mini food processor. Transfer to a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Pour enough vegetable oil into a large stockpot to reach a depth of 1 inch and heat over medium high heat. Working in batches, fry the croquettes in the oil, turning them on all sides, until golden brown and crispy, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Serve immediately with the smoked paprika aioli.

Guest Ben Swan: Dog Treats

This week my pal Ben Swan and I discussed healthy dog treats you can easily make at home. Here are some recipes to try:

Peanut Butter Puppy Poppers

Ingredients
2 cups whole-wheat flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)
1 cup milk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 375. In a bowl, combine flour and baking powder. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and milk, then add to dry ingredients and mix well. Place dough on a lightly floured surface and knead. Roll dough to 1/4 inch thickness and use a cookie cutter to cut out shapes. Bake for 20 minutes on a greased baking sheet until lightly brown. Cool on a rack, then store in an airtight container.

Vegetarian Dog Biscuits

Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
3/4 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tbs. brown sugar
2 vegetable bouillon cubes; dissolved in
3/4 cup boiling water
1/2 cup carrots (optional)
1 egg

Procedure
Preheat oven to 300. Mix all ingredients into a ball and roll out to about 1/4" thick. Cut with bone-shaped cookie cutter, or strips, or a cutter shape of your own choice. Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake 30 minutes.

Bacon Bits for Dogs

Ingredients
6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
4 eggs, well beaten
1/8 cup bacon fat
1 cup water
1/2 cup non-fat dry milk powder
2 cup graham flour
2 cup wheat germ
1/2 cup cornmeal

Procedure
Mix ingredients with a strong spoon; drop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 350 oven for 15 minutes. Turn off oven and leave cookies on baking sheet in the oven overnight to dry out. Yield: about 4 dozen dog cookies.

Bad Breath Banishers

Ingredients
2 cups brown rice flour
1 Tablespoon activated charcoal (find this at drugstores, not the briquets!)
3 Tablespoons canola oil
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
2/3 cup lowfat milk

Procedure
Preheat oven to 400F. Lightly oil a cookie sheet. Combine flour and charcoal. Add all the other ingredients. Drop teaspoonfulls on oiled sheet, about 1 inch apart. Bake 15-20 minutes. Store in airtight container in the refrigerator.

The December 24, 2011 Show

On this week's special night-before-festivus, one-hour, Mouth of Wonder special, host Stacy Pearl is joined by pal Ben Swan from the Santa Fe Animal Shelter. They discuss healthy dog treats and good dog behavior, Alaskan cuisine, and a festive hors d'oeuvre recipe for Serrano ham and Manchego croquettes. As a special treat, we have a song from rising super stars Lynn Stein and Jon Burr, and some really tasteless Christmas music.

Download the December 24, 2011 show

2012 Rula Calendar Update

SOLD OUT! Yes, folks we're out of Rula calendars. Thanks so much to everyone who bought one! Or more!

Please let Stacy know if you're interested in one for 2013!

300th show today !!!!!

NEWS FLASH Don't forget to listen to today's special show. We will be airing a never-before-heard interview with Julia Child as well as segments with John Margraff and Sheila Vista!

The December 17, 2011 300th Show!!

This week Mouth of Wonder celebrates its 300th show with a fantastic assortment of interviews. First we visit with John Margraff who is currently vacationing in Morocco. Next we air a never-before-heard interview with Julia Child, the queen of cuisine herself! And finally Sheila Vista, the most cosmic woman in Santa Fe, awakens from her herbal-induced coma to give us some amusing insights. Stacy even manages to squeeze in a recipe for hazelnut shortbread cookies at the end of the show!

Download the December 17, 2011 show

Lemon Basil Sherbet

Special Bonus recipe
I found this recipe on food52.com, a site that never lets me down. It's great and I didn't even use an ice cream maker. I froze it in a metal tray then put it in the food processor and whipped it up before serving.

Ingredients
1 cup half-and-half or light cream
2/3 cups granulated sugar
2 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon zest
8 fresh basil leaves, divided
2 cups whole milk
Juice of 3 lemons, chilled
Pinch fine sea salt

Procedure
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the half-and-half, sugar, honey, and lemon zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and add 4 whole basil leaves. Using the back of a large spoon, bruise the basil leaves against the bottom of the pot. Cover and let steep 15 minutes.

Remove the basil leaves and discard, then whisk in the milk. Place the mixture in an ice-water bath or refrigerate until completely chilled. Slice the remaining 4 basil leaves in very thin strips. Whisk the lemon juice into the chilled sherbet base, add the sea salt, and stir in the sliced basil. Taste for sweetness; adjust by adding an additional tablespoon or two of honey, if needed. Freeze the sherbet mixture in an ice-cream maker, following manufacturer's instructions. For optimal flavor and texture, freeze sherbet for a couple of hours before serving. This would also work with lime, rosemary, lavender, orange, you get the picture.

Cast Iron Cookware

Excellent Ingredient of the Week
Cast iron is used for cookware because: it has excellent heat retention properties; it can be produced and formed with a relatively low level of technology; and it's cheap and lasts a lifetime. Seasoning is used to protect bare cast iron from rust and to create a non-stick surface.
Bare cast-iron vessels have been used for cooking for hundreds of years. Cast iron cauldrons and cooking pots were treasured as kitchen items for their durability and their ability to retain heat, thus improving the quality of cooking meals. Before the introduction of the kitchen stove in the middle of the 19th century, meals were cooked in the hearth or fireplace, and cooking pots and pans were designed for use in the hearth. This meant that all cooking vessels had to be designed to be suspended on, or in, a fireplace. Cast iron pots were made with handles to allow them to be hung over a fire, or with legs so that they could stand up in the fireplace. In addition to dutch ovens, which were developed with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, a commonly used cast iron cooking pan called a spider had a handle and three legs used to stand up in the coals and ashes of the fire.
Cast iron's ability to withstand and maintain very high cooking temperatures makes it a common choice for searing or frying, and its excellent heat diffusion and retention makes it a good option for long-cooking stews or braised dishes. Because cast iron skillets can develop a "non-stick" surface, they are also a good choice for eggs, frittata, upside down cakes, cornbread, all kinds of stews and braised dishes, and browning in general.
Most bare cast iron pots and pans are cast from a single piece of metal in order to provide even distribution of heat. This quality allows most bare cast iron pans to serve as dual-purpose stovetop fryers and oven baking dishes. Many recipes call for the use of a cast iron skillet or pot, especially so that the dish can be initially seared or fried on the stovetop; the dish is then transferred into the oven, pan and all, to finish baking. Likewise, cast iron skillets can double as baking dishes. Cornbread in particular is seen as a food item that is best prepared in a cast iron skillet: the iron pan is heated beforehand in the oven, the ingredients are combined in the heated pan, and the dish is then placed directly into the oven for fast baking.
Cast iron cookware leaches small amounts of iron into the food. Anemics, and those with iron deficiencies, may benefit from this effect.
Some more info:

• Seasoning is a process by which a layer of animal fat or vegetable oil is applied and cooked onto cast iron or carbon steel cookware. The seasoning layer protects the cookware from rusting, provides a non-stick surface for cooking, and prevents food from interacting with the iron of the pan. Enamel-coated cast iron pans do not need seasoning, as the enamel coating prevents rust in most instances.
• Cleaning Because ordinary cookware cleaning techniques like scouring or washing in a dishwasher can remove or damage the seasoning on a bare cast iron pan, these pans should not be cleaned like most other cookware. Some cast iron aficionados advocate never cleaning cast iron pans at all, simply wiping them out after use, or washing them with hot water and a stiff brush. Others advocate washing with mild soap and water, and then re-applying a thin layer of fat or oil. A third approach, advocated by television chef Alton Brown, is to scrub with coarse salt and a paper towel or clean rag.
• Brands Well-established brands of bare cast iron cookware in the United States include Griswold and Wagner (now both owned and manufactured by the American Culinary Corporation, in the USA), Lodge (made in USA, though their enamel-coated line is made in China), and John Wright (some items made in China). Emeril Lagasse also has a line of pre-seasoned cast iron made in China by All-Clad, as does Rachael Ray.

Apricot Gift Bread

The Altitude Adjustment Section
Apricot almond gift bread is one of Susan Purdy’s fantastic recipes from Pie in the Sky. If you are going to give cakes as gifts, make sure they are moist ones. Fruit helps keep them moist as does adding things like carrots, zucchini, and rum-soaked dried fruit. Yes I like fruit cake, so stop making fun of me! Or you can do like the English and soak the whole thing in liquor after it's baked.

Ingredients
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons AP flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons wheat germ
1 cup dried apricots
1/2 cup blanched almonds chopped
1/3 cup canola oil
2 large room temp eggs
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Procedure
Preheat your oven to 350 and position the rack in the lower 1/3 of the oven. Coat 3 small loaf pans with non stick spray coating and then line them with parchment. Spray the parchment and dust with flour, tap out extra. In a large bowl whisk together the flour, powder, soda, salt, sugar and wheat germ. If using a food processor, put 1 tablespoon of flour mixture into it with the apricots and pulse till they are cut into 1/4 inch bits. Now add the apricot mixture to the flour mixture along with the almonds. In a medium bowl whisk together the oil, eggs, buttermilk and extracts. Make a well in the center of the dry mix and throw in the wet stuff. Mix by hand until well blended, but don’t overmix. Scrape the batter into prepared pans each about 2/3 full. Bake small pans for 30-35 minutes. If you decide to do one large loaf bake that for 60-65 minutes.

Susan suggests an optional icing which is simply made with 2/3 cup confectioner’s sugar mixed with 3 tablespoons liquid (water, milk or fruit juice). Drizzle on top when cake is cold. Susan also suggests you can do variations with different dried fruit, nuts and different extracts.

Eggnog Two Ways

Refreshing Beverage of the Week
I did this 5 years ago on the show, when I was just a baby but I think it bears repeating, and I love the skin cream option. First, the drink:

eggnog to drink!

This is the classic, booze-filled beverage. Note this is the real deal recipe made with raw eggs, so be careful. Make sure you buy fresh eggs (organic would be good) — and don’t serve to any pregnant women. DUH!

Ingredients
4 eggs, separated
1/2 cup sugar, divided into two 1/4 cups
1/2 cup white rum
1 1/2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups bourbon
1 cup heavy cream, divided in two 1/2 cups
Ground nutmeg

Procedure
Separate the eggs. Put yolks into the bowl of your electric mixer and beat with 1/4 cup of the sugar. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whip egg whites, gradually sprinkle in the other 1/4 cup of sugar, and whip till stiff. Gently fold together whites and yolks. Gently stir in rum. Then stir in milk. Then stir in bourbon. Now stir in half the heavy cream. Whip the other 1/2 cup of cream and fold into mixture. Serve topped with a sprinkle of fresh nutmeg.

eggnog for your face!

And now for something completely different. If the thought of this beverage turns your stomach, here’s a recipe for an Eggnog Skin Cream from a book called Natural Beauty for All Seasons by Janice Cox.

Ingredients
2 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon rum
1/4 cup canola, almond, or walnut oil

Procedure
Put everything but the oil in the blender. Then, while mixer is running, slowly pour in oil to thicken mixture. This creates a “...light lubricating lotion. A real skin saver during the holiday season.” It’s great for the skin because eggs are naturally rich in lecithin, which is often called nature’s emulsifier. Also great to add to your bath water. Careful — you’re soaking in it! This would be a fun gift item.

Kuliabaca

Seasonal Recipe of the Week
Kuliabaka is a Russian dish which sounds really complex, but you can do it ahead of time. It's really special and festive.

Ingredients
1/2 cup long-grained white rice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely chopped onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
8 ounces fresh mushrooms, stemmed and chopped
1/3 cup heavy cream
16 ounces skinned salmon fillet (about 1/2-inch thick), cut into 4 even pieces
2 sheets frozen puff pastry (one 17 ounce package), thawed
1 egg beaten with 1 tablespoon water

Procedure
Bring 1 cup of water to a gentle boil in a medium pot. Add the rice and salt and stir. Lower the heat and simmer until the rice is cooked through. Fluff the rice with a fork and set aside.

To make the rice filling, heat a sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add 1/2 of the onions and cook, stirring frequently, about 3 to 4 minutes until the onions are translucent but not browned. Add the dill and cook for an additional 15 seconds. Add the cooked rice, salt and pepper to taste, and 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice. Stir to mix the ingredients together thoroughly. Remove from heat and set aside.

To make the mushroom filling, heat another sauté pan over medium heat. When hot, add the remaining olive oil and butter. Add the remaining onions and cook as before, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes until the mushrooms are softened. Add the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cream and cook until the cream has reduced by half (about 3 minutes). Remove from heat and set aside.

Sprinkle the salmon pieces lightly with salt and pepper and a little herbs de provence. Roast on a sheet pan in the 350 oven for 10 minutes ,then let cool. Grease a very large baking sheet. Roll out 1 puff pastry sheet on a floured surface to a 12 inch square. Cut into 4 equal pieces and place the squares on the baking sheet. Place 1/4 of the rice filling onto one of the squares, mounding it into an oval so as to make it as compact as possible. Place 1/4 of the mushroom filling on top of the rice and then place one piece of the salmon on top of the mushrooms, then top with chopped HB eggs and a piece of dill. Roll out the remaining pastry sheet to a size slightly larger than the first sheet (13 inches should be fine). Cut into 4 equal pieces. Lay one square on top of the salmon and filling and press lightly to seal the edges where the two squares of pastry meet. (Don't press too hard or the pastry won't rise.) Repeat these steps with the other three squares. You can chill the assembled pastries up to 8 hours ahead if you wish.

Heat the oven to 400 degrees. Brush the tops of the pastries with the egg and water mixture. Bake in the oven until golden (about 30 minutes). Transfer the pastries to plates and serve. Makes 4 large servings

The December 10, 2011 Show

On this week's Mouth of Wonder host Stacy Pearl is joined by her delightful mother Bernice. They discuss apricot gift bread, eggnog as a drink and a face cream, and talk about cast iron pans. Then Rula stops by with some brilliant advice and a good time is had by all.

Download the December 10, 2011 show

The December 3, 2011 Show

This week on Mouth of Wonder, host Stacy Pearl is joined by old pal Teri Buhl. They discuss all the cool homemade things you can make this holiday to give as gifts to those you love. The ideas include jellies and jams, flavored salts, infused alcoholic beverages, infused vinegars, popcorn topping, and even soy candles. Why not skip the Chinese imports and go local!

Download the December 3, 2011 show