MAMU'S EGGNOG

MAMU'S EGGNOG

This eggnog hails from Danville, Kentucky, where the women are beautiful, horses fast, and liquor strong.

Old family friends shared with us their grandmother's recipe, with which we indulge ourselves once a year during these holidays. The eggs come from our farm, but we can't claim the Maker's Mark or rum, that lace egg-whites and whipped cream with addictive powers.

We have moved laying hens indoors, where water and eggs don't freeze. This makes management much simpler, but the trade off is they are not benefiting from grass, of which there is not much at this time of year anyway. Yolks are turning paler as a result, but the hens are still receiving non-gmo grain as their feed. Egg production has risen since bringing them indoors, so we think the trade-off is worth it. In another few months, they will be back on grass.

As a young boy, I had the privilege of knowing Mamu. She was the only grandmother I knew who smoked a cigarette, while not realizing that central Kentucky offered the practice as a given. She was distinguished, stoic, gentle, and very kind. I always liked being around her. What I didn't understand then is how great her eggnog would be now and that we would be celebrating her creativity with our eggs fifty years later.

In her honor this evening, Susan, a Kentuckian throughout, made Kentucky-fried chicken with one of our pastured broilers. It was totally delicious, providing great comfort. For some reason, Kentucky-fried chicken disappears from the larder faster than any other kind.

We send tribute to Mamu.