Foods associated with Yule include:

• dried rosebuds, cinnamon sticks, popcorn or cranberries for garlands to bags of fragrant spices hung from boughs.

• Apples, oranges, lemons, nuts of all kinds nuts, fruits such as apples and pears, cookies and cakes of caraway soaked in cider, and (for non-vegetarians) pork are all traditional fare.

• Fine drinks for the Yule celebration or meals include Wassail (a hot drink made from wine, beer or cider, spices, sugar, and usually baked apples---served in a large bowl), lamb's wool (ale mixed with sugar, nutmeg and the pulp of roasted apples), hibiscus or ginger tea, and apple cider

• Herbs and plants that can be used include holly, mistletoe, evergreens, poinsettias, bay, pine, ginger, valerian, and myrrh.

Easy Yule Ham

5 to 6 lb precooked boneless ham
1 large onion, chopped
2 apples, cored and sliced
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp marjoram
1 tsp cloves (about 6-10 of them)
10 peppercorns
1/4 cup honey
1 cup sherry
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup orange juice

Place onion and apple slices in the bottom of a Dutch oven. Sprinkle with half of the thyme, cinnamon, and marjoram and all of the cloves and peppercorns. Place ham on top and rub remaining spices onto the surface of the meat. Drizzle honey over ham, then pour the sherry over. Add the beef broth and orange juice to the pan juices. Place uncovered in the oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 2 hours. Baste frequently with pan juices. Cover for the final 30 minutes of baking. Allow to rest for 30 minutes before slicing.

Yule Pork Roast

1 fresh pork loin roast, 2 to 2.5 lbs boneless
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp orange marmalade
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/2 tsp dried thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Make 4 slits in fat on pork roast with tip of sharp knife and insert a piece garlic in each slit. Sprinkle roast all over with salt. Mix together the marmalade, mustard and thyme, spread on roast. Place roast in 16 x 10-inch cooking bag. Close bag loosely with string (leave hole the size of finger in closure). Place meat/bag in roasting pan and insert a meat thermometer in the thickest part of the roast to check for doneness (insert it right through the roasting bag).

Roast at a higher temperature of 400° F for the first 10 minutes, then reduce to 325°. Roast for approximately 1 additional hour until the internal temperature of pork reaches 165 - 170 degrees.

When done, remove roast from oven and place on board or platter. Allow to rest about 20 minutes, then carefully remove from roasting bag before carving. Make your favorite gravy using the pan/bag juices or serve with the strained juices as-is.

Caraway Pork

2 medium onions, thinly sliced
3 apples, peeled & thin sliced
2 Tbsp honey
2 tsp caraway seeds
6 pork chops, (1/2")
garlic salt and pepper
Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Layer onions and apples in the bottom of a shallow baking dish. Drizzle honey on top and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Prepare chops by sprinkling them with garlic salt and pepper and spreading mustard on them. Place chops on apples and sprinkle with remaining 1 teaspoon caraway seeds. Cover and bake 1 hour.

Fruit Stuffed Pork Chops With Apple Rings

3/4 cup raisin bread; toasted crumbs
1/2 cup diced apple, not peeled
1/4 cup diced pear
2 Tbsp onion, minced
1 Tbsp celery, minced
1 Tbsp butter, melted
1/2 tsp sugar
salt and pepper to taste
ground sage to taste
4 butterflied boneless pork chops (about 1-1/4 inch)
1 Tbsp butter, melted
2 Tbsp apple juice
1 Tbsp water

Glazed apple rings:
2 large cooking apples
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
2 Tbsp light corn syrup

Combine first nine ingredients; stir well. Fill pockets of pork chops with stuffing mixture, and secure with wooden picks. Sprinkle chops with salt and pepper. Brown chops on both sides in 1 tablespoon melted butter in a skillet. Add juice and water; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 55 minutes or until chops are tender. Arrange chops down the center of a serving platter; surround with Glazed Apple Rings. Garnish with fresh sage leaves, if desired.

Apple Rings: Core apples. Slice into 1/2-inch-thick rings; toss with lemon juice. Combine water, sugar, and syrup in a skillet; bring to a boil. Boil 2 minutes or until sugar dissolves, stirring constantly. Layer apple rings in skillet. Add any remaining lemon juice; reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until rings are tender, turning once.

Cashew Pork Loin Over Noodles

16 oz cubed pork loin
2 tsp olive oil
3/4 cup salted cashew nuts, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger root
3 Tbsp chopped green onions
1 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp snipped parsley
1/4 cup white wine
2 tsp cornstarch
16 oz egg noodles, cooked according to package directions
salt and pepper, to taste

Oil skillet with 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Over medium heat, cook cubed pork for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally to braise the meat. Check meat to see it's cooked to desired doneness (slightly pink in center). Remove meat from skillet; keep warm.

Add remaining olive oil to hot skillet. Add the garlic, ginger root, and green onions. Cook and stir about 15 seconds. Stir in cashews. Slowly add chicken broth, stirring until well blended. Stir in parsley. Mix wine and cornstarch together and gradually add to the pork while stirring. Simmer until desired thickness is achieved. Serve sauce with pork. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve over egg noodles.  Goes well with pear dishes.  Serves 4.

Yule Caraway Cake

A light and simple cake flavored with caraway seeds and a hint of mace.

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon mace
2 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
8 egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons caraway seeds

Glaze:

1 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
2 tablespoons hot milk
3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10-inch bundt or tube pan and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream the butter, gradually adding 2/3 cup sugar, and beat until creamy. Add the vanilla and mace and continue mixing. Gradually beat in 1 2/3 cups of the sifted cake flour.

In another bowl, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar and salt until foamy. Gradually add the remaining 1 cup sugar and continue beating until the egg whites are stiff. Add a quarter of the egg white mixture to the batter and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Fold the batter into the remaining egg whites and sprinkle with the remaining 1 cup flour. Gently fold the caraway seeds into the mixture, being careful not to overmix. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out dry. Let cool in the pan for 15 minutes and carefully turn out onto a rack to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix the confectioners' sugar, hot milk, and vanilla in a small bowl. Pour over the top of the cooled cake, letting some run down unevenly on the sides. Cut the cake into thin slices and serve.

Birnensuppe (Pear Soup)

2 Tbsp raisins
1 Tbsp sherry
2 ripe pears, cored, pared, and sliced
1 1/2 cup water
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 dash crushed anise seed
2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp lemon juice

In small bowl combine raisins and sherry; set aside.

In 1-quart saucepan combine pears, water, cinnamon stick, and anise seed; bring to a boil and cook until pears are very soft, about 15 minutes. Remove cinnamon stick and let mixture cool. Transfer to blender container and process until smooth; pour into bowl or container and stir in raisin mixture, sugar, and lemon juice. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled. Makes 2 servings.

A Simple Wassail

1 gallon apple cider
1 fifth Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
2 sticks cinnamon
1 teaspoon whole cloves
1 large cardamom pod, cracked
1/2 inch of ginger root (about a tablespoon sized one)
A piece of cheese cloth or a coffee filter

Tie all dry ingredients up in the cheese cloth or coffee filter. Put the rum and apple cider in a large pot and bring to a slow boil. Add the dry pouch and simmer for an hour. Serve hot. Enjoy!

Warmed Cranberry Yule Brie

1/3 cup cranberry sauce, crushed
2 Tbsp brown sugar
3 Tbsp dark spiced rum
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
8 oz Brie
2 Tbsp chopped pecans

Peel off top rind of 1 round (8oz) brie, leaving a 1/4-inch rim. Combine cranberry sauce, brown sugar, extract and nutmeg. Top brie with cranberry mixture and sprinkle with chopped pecans. Bake in 500øF. oven 4-5 minutes. Serve with assorted crackers.

Pear Butter for Yule

12 pears, peeled, cored, and minced
2 cups sweet wine (white wine + 3 Tbsp honey)
2 cup water
3 oz honey
1/4 tsp vanilla
1/4 nutmeg

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and simmer for 30 minutes to 1 hour, until all thickened. Let cool, and transfer into a jar. Add a little more honey if you desire a sweeter taste.

Yule Relish

1 orange
3 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 Tbsp Grand Marnier

Cut unpeeled orange into eighths. Place orange, cranberries, spices and sugar in food processor or blender and grind. Stir in the Grand Marnier.  Refrigerate for several hours to blend flavors. Store covered in refrigerator.

Sweet Lemon Popcorn

1/4 cup corn oil 3/4 cup popping corn
3 Tbsp melted butter
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp granulated sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Salt

Servings: 6

In a large heavy pot, heat corn oil over high heat until the oil smokes. Add 1 kernel popping corn and heat until kernel pops. Add rest of popping corn, cover pot, and shake gently until corn starts to pop. Shake vigorously until popping subsides. Remove from heat. Mix lemon juice with melted butter and sugar. Toss popcorn with lemon zest, salt, and butter mixture. Enjoy!

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