Ham Sandwich Indicted!

What exactly is a marshmallow? We toss them in hot chocolate, melt them into Rice Krispie treats, and top our sweet potato casseroles with them.  They're obviously made with (a lot) of sugar, but what else gives them that soft, melty-chewy texture?  And can you make them at home?  (The answer to that last one is an unequivocal 'yes.') Per Wikipedia (and other assorted websites), the marshmallow first appeared in ancient Egypt, where Egyptians used sap extracted from the marsh-growing mallow plant ( Althaea officinalis ) to create a type of candy; in the Middle Ages they used it medicinally   to soothe sore throats. The French later used the sap in combination with whipped egg whites and sugar to produce a meringue called   pâte de guimauve,   but it was apparently very labor intensive to whip to the desired consistency.  Sometime in the 1800s, producers determined that they could use gelatin mixed with corn starch to get to the right chewy/fluff...

Patience is most definitely not one of my virtues. I tend to want things done yesterday, and nothing makes me happier than finding a more efficient way to do something.  Yet sometimes, as they say, good things come to those who wait...as I've discovered with homebrewing and now, infused alcohols. I stumbled across a recipe for basilchello (like lemonchello, but with basil) a few weeks ago during my schitzophrenic internet wanderings and it seemed to me a good excuse to use some of my ever-proliferating basil and buy some high proof alcohol without looking like a college kid prepping for a Hairy Buffalo party.  ("It's for a classy recipe!") The original recipe ( here ), calls for 190-proof grain alcohol, but since the copper still in my basement is on the fritz, I substituted 151.  If using a lower proof, taste as you go when you're adding the simple syrup, to make sure you don't over-sweeten it. The longer you let the basil infuse the alcohol, the more ...

....is actually tomorrow (January 27th). But since the Ham Sandwich has other obligations to attend to this evening, she is honoring the day a tad early and letting her coworkers reap the delicious benefits. And damn if it isn't delicious. From the endless source of ideas that is Epicurious.com, I present to you my interpretation of their Chocolate Whiskey Bundt cake: Chocolate Whiskey & Kahlua Bundt Cake (because more booze = more better) Ingredients Cake: 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch-process) plus 3 tablespoons for dusting pan 1 1/2 cups brewed coffee 1/4 cup whiskey 1/4 cup Kahlua (or other coffee liquor) 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 cups sugar 2 cups all-purpose flour 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla Ganache: 3/4-1 cup semi sweet chocolate chips 1/4 cup milk 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon instant coffee/espresso powder Special equipment: a 10-inch bundt pan (3 1/4 inches deep; 3-qt ...