Recently, I was in Asheville, North Carolina, with a group of friends to see the Biltmore which is one of George W. and Edith Vanderbilt’s homes that was completed in 1895.
There were so many things of interest there — the overall design, the vastness, the decorations, the grounds. Frankly, it was all amazing.
I was especially impressed by the indoor swimming pool made out of tiles with lights lining the bottom of the pool.
Another interesting thing about the pool was that the men and women guests did not swim together ,and that there were thick ropes on one side of the pool for “swimmers” to hang on to, especially those women whose swimsuits were made out of wool and were incredibly awkward when wet and somewhat dangerous!
The kitchen area was so interesting as it was made up of several rooms for different prep stations. There were 2 dumb waiters and a lot of storage for dishes, food and equipment.
We also ate at one of the restaurants on the Estate. It was in the stables and our table literally was in one of the areas where a horse was housed.
All in all, it was a great trip full of interesting historical information.
I did spend a lot of time in the car which also afforded me time with my phone trying to plan out some holiday foods.
I will be spending the holidays with my kids and grandchildren so, of course, I have been thinking of foods they would enjoy as well as foods that I would enjoy giving to others.
One year, I made Gouda pimento cheese for gifts to friends… loved that recipe.
Another recipe that is really good would be candied pecans. While I am a sucker for just about anything that is candied, I especially enjoy bacon or pecans that have been made that way.
This recipe will yield a great product that, while it may be a bit involved the first few times, it is actually pretty easy to make. Just follow the recipe!
These can be put on salads, ice cream or even just eaten one at a time.
CANDIED PECANS
Instructions
• 1 pound (16 oz or approx. 4 cups) unsalted pecan halves
• 1 egg white
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons water
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C). Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg white, vanilla extract, and water until the mixture becomes foamy. This should take about 2 minutes.
Add the pecan halves to the foamy egg white mixture and stir until all the nuts are evenly coated.
In a separate bowl, combine the granulated sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk until fully blended.
Pour the sugar mixture over the pecans and stir thoroughly until the pecans are fully coated. Spread the coated pecans in a single layer on the prepared baking sheet.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, stirring once after the first 15 minutes, then every 10 minutes until the sugar coating has hardened and the pecans are toasted.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and allow the pecans to cool completely. Once cooled, transfer the candied pecans to an airtight container for storage.
(Pris Reed can be reached at priscooks.ndn@gmail.com.)
