2011 Is All About Presentation

This Staub dutch oven is very heavy and very blue.

So last year I discovered a new (but very historic) cocktail, called the Tom & Jerry and I also made Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon. But I didn’t have the best way to show it all off.

This year for Christmas my brother gave me a Staub dutch oven, which is perfect for cooking and serving stews, such as Julia’s dish. I spent a good part of New Years Day (3+ hours) preparing the French staple.

Many of the Tom & Jerry sets sold on Ebay or Etsy are from the 1950s or 1960s. But this one dates to the 1930s. — Many of the Tom & Jerry sets sold on Ebay or Etsy are from the 1950s or 1960s. But this one dates to the 1930s and features a fox hunting scene.

I also bought myself an early Christmas gift on Etsy (EBay’s artsy cousin): a punch bowl set from the 1930s specifically made for the Tom & Jerry. This potent eggnog created in the late 1800s was so popular at one time that many pubs were named after it.

If you’ve never had one, you’re in for a treat. Don’t worry if you don’t have a very proper Tom & Jerry mug to serve it in. Drink one of these and you won’t care what it (or you or that person of the opposite sex sitting across from you at the bar) look like.

Happy New Year.

Tom & Jerry Recipe

Julia Child’s boeuf bourguignon Recipe

Find more recipes in the Food section.