Tom and Jerry for Christmas

"But anybody will tell you that there is nothing that brings out the true holiday spirit like hot Tom and Jerry, and I hear that since Tom and Jerry goes out of style in the United States, the holiday is never quite the same."

While digging in to the short story collection, Murder For Christmas, I started Damon Runyon's "Dancing Dan's Christmas", a Christmas tale in typical Runyonesque fashion. I was delighted to find the above reference to the drink called Tom and Jerry. As a matter of fact, the entire story is built around the drink.

So, what's so special about that? The drink was once so popular, cartoon characters were named after it, yet today the recipe can hardly be found in even the most complete cocktail books. Why did the drink fall out of style? I have no idea, because it's delicious. I do, however, have an interesting history of the creator of the drink and how I know about it.

The concoctor of the Tom and Jerry - at least as far as we know - was one Jeremiah Clemens from Alabama. Senator and brigadier general during the mid 1800s, he opposed the South's attempt to leave the Union and, due to this unpopular opinion, was forced to move away during the War Between The States. He did return home to Huntsville, AL after the war and was buried there in Maple Hill cemetery.

Followers of my Twitter account will remember that Alabama is my home state and Huntsville is my current city of residence. Maple Hill is a fascinating and beautiful historic cemetery and one which I am very familiar with, and I have seen Clemens' headstone many a time.

Mausoleum at Maple Hill Cemetery

We Huntsvillians are up to our asses in Civil War history, and Clemens' presence would hardly make a ripple except for one thing, Jeremiah Clemens had a famous cousin, one Samuel Clemens. That's right...Mark Twain's cousin invented the Tom and Jerry. He is noted in local history books as the creator of the drink and that's where I first learned about the Tom and Jerry as a kid. Before I even learned about the Tom Collins, I knew how to make a Tom and Jerry.

By the time Runyon was writing his gangster fiction, the drink had already fallen from popularity - probably due to prohibition. 

"This hot Tom and Jerry is an old time drink that is once used by one and all in this country to celebrate Christmas with, and in fact it is once so popular that many people think Christmas is invented only to furnish an excuse for hot Tom and Jerry, although of course this is by no means true."

Since this is apparently a drink that no man can get by without during the holiday season, I discovered I must make one again. As part of my Responsible Debauchery, I am now vegan, so this recipe is the result of some experimentation to replace the egg in the drink. Single serving.

Tom and Jerry

• 1 1/2 tsp egg-replacer
• pinch of cream of tarter
• 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 tbl superfine sugar or powdered sugar
• 2 oz plus 1 tsp rye whiskey
• 6 to 8 oz canned coconut milk
• 1/2 oz brandy
• sprinkling of nutmeg

Note: The original recipe calls for light rum instead of whiskey, which you can easily use. This recipe echos later incarnations, such as those in Runyon's Christmas story with the rye. Mmmm, boozy.

    Warm the canned coconut milk in a small saucepan over the stove. For a vintage feel, sit your mug near it on the stove to warm the cup, too. While these are warming, put the egg-replacer in a small bowl and mix in 2 tablespoons water. The egg in this recipe is really for froth so you need a whisk and to beat the hell out of this stuff. I was born a poor person so I know how to beat an egg by hand. These days, however, most people do not so there's no shame in using an electric mixer. (Well, actually there is, but it's the season of giving, so I'll let you use electrics this time.)  

  Continue to beat and mix in baking soda, sugar, and a pinch of cream of tarter to help froth. Also beat in the teaspoon of rye to keep batter consistency. By now the milk should be warm. Be sure to beat the hell out of that, too. We want to see lots of froth and bubbles.

   Pour the egg mixture into your mug. Pour in 1/4 cup of the milk. Add the rest of the booze. Fill the mug with the rest of the milk and stir a little. Sprinkle nutmeg on top. Drink with a flourish.

This is a very strong drink and one can easily imagine getting drunk on the stuff and stealing a Santa suit with gangsters in a scene that must have inspired Bad Santa...at least that's what happens in "Dancing Dan's Christmas".

I will be revisiting the recipe for Christmas, making a punch bowl full for the family (ok, mostly me), and experimenting using chickpea water. As disgusting as that sounds, it can actually be used in a recipe as a good egg-replacer when it comes to froth. Vegans have dubbed the concoction "aquafaba", since calling desserts Chickpea Macarons sent people running to the hills. 

The Dionysian Ghost of Christmas Present

Vintage illustration by John Leech

Everyone is at least a little familiar with A Christmas Carol. 
Long ago, Charles Dickens wrote a ghost story for Christmas, because that used to be what you did on Christmas: tell ghost stories. And with the popularity of the book he assured the popularity of that the then dying holiday of Christmas for years to come, perhaps for the forseeable future of mankind. The book would be adapted for the stage and for the screen in many new and wondrous ways. 

But what of the ghosts themselves? Past, Present, and Future all archetypes in their own right, and of course, I'm focusing on the archetype of Christmas Present, who bares a jolly resemblance to the God of Joy, Dionysus. So,

"Come in! Come in! and know me better, man!"

From the moment we first meet the Ghost of Christmas Present, he is surrounded by greenery, ivy, wine, dead animals, and plenty - all a feasting setting familiar to the Bacchanal. 

It was [Scrooge's] own room. There was no doubt about that. But it had undergone a surprising transformation. The walls and ceiling were so hung with living green, that it looked a perfect grove; from every part of which, bright gleaming berries glistened. The crisp leaves of holly, mistletoe, and ivy reflected back the light...

References to a "grove" and "ivy" should not be lost on the Bacchante. The God Dionysus (or the Roman name, Bacchus) is the god of wine, but he is closely associated with Pan and other forest gods. Revelry is the teaching of Dionysus.

Je Jeune Bacchus by Caravaggio

Though the Spirit's eyes were clear and kind, [Scrooge] did not like to meet them.

Dionysus is often described as having a youthful, kindly face. As one of the last Greek gods to be added to the pantheon, he is much kinder and softer than the old gods who were often selfish and unreasonable in their myths. And though the Spirit of Christmas Present is often pictured in movies as being rather portly, there is nothing in the original text to lead us to this, except that he is referred to as being a giant. He is also never described as having a beard. So, in this respect the Spirit is often balrogged.

It was clothed in one simple green robe, or mantle, bordered with white fur. This garment hung so loosely on the figure, that its capacious breast was bare, as if disdaining to be warded or concealed by any artifice. Its feet, observable beneath the ample folds of the garment, were also bare; and on its head it wore no other covering than a holly wreath, set here and there with shining icicles. Its dark brown curls were long and free; free as its genial face, its sparkling eye, its open hand, its cheery voice, its unconstrained demeanour, and its joyful air.

This description might as well be of Dionysus himself, with the chest refusing to be covered and his very being radiating freedom and joy. The wreath is holly, with a short jump to the ivy and grapevines traditionally pictured around Bacchus's head. Interestingly, Dionysus and his teacher, Silenus (who was a portly man), are often confused in art as well.

Bacchus by Joachim Wtewael

The Spirit takes Scrooge on a journey through the present, opening his eyes to what is happening around him every day. He brings Scrooge to the sea at one point and we see sailors celebrating Christmas, reminding one of the fact that Dionysus always traveled by boat, and one of his more famous stories involves sailors. While they pass amongst the people, invisible, the Spirit sprinkles water on meals as a blessing from a horn of plenty. 

Dionysus brings blessing to the people in the form of wine. Through wine he brings joy...but there's also a catch to this. Too much wine also brings a kind of madness and in this madness, truth is thrust upon us. All the nasty things we hide from people are brought out when we drink. Dionysus does not bring the negativity, we do. The Spirit of Christmas Present echoes this later on in his chapter in one of the most important connections between Dionysus and the Spirit. 

The Spirit brings Ebeneezer to the home of the Cratchit's where he realizes for the first time how hard his often abused employee has it and he questions whether Tiny Tim will live.

"If these shadows remain unaltered by the Future, none other of my race," returned the Ghost, "will find him here. What then? If he be like to die, he had better do it, and decrease the surplus population?"
  Scrooge hung his head to hear his own words quoted by the Spirit, and was overcome with penitence and grief.

Although the Spirit bitches out Scrooge something awful after this, he uses his own words against him. He doesn't bring the nasty, Scrooge does.

Dionysus is usually regarded as a kind god, however the madness he brings can sometimes have disastrous consequences. "The Bacchae" is the story of Pentheus, the king of Thebes, and is a gruesome one, ending with the non-believer's head being torn from his body by his own mother, under the thrall of the Bacchanalia. Unlike Scrooge, he refused to learn the lesson.

The last time we see the Spirit he is shouting words of warning about man's creations to Ebeneezer and for the last time, the Ghost uses his own words against him.

"They are Man's," said the Spirit, looking down upon them. "And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware them both, and all of their degree, but most of all beware this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom, unless the writing be erased. Deny it!" cried the Spirit, stretching out his hand towards the city. "Slander those who tell it ye! Admit it for your factious purposes, and make it worse. And abide the end!"
   "Have they no refuge or resource?" cried Scrooge.
   "Are there no prisons?" said the Spirit, turning on him for the last time with his own words. "Are there no workhouses?"

In this may be the true meaning of Christmas and the true meaning of "The Bacchae". If we do not practice kindness and take it upon ourselves to help, grow, and sow seeds, doom will follow.

But we don't need to end on a downer, because the message of Dionysus and the Spirit of Christmas Present is also to remember to relax, enjoy yourself, and have a beer...or a glass of wine...or a smoking bowl of bishop. And don't take things too seriously. Enjoy life while it's here.

Candy Christmas Party

As I like to remind everyone, Christmas used to be a celebration of thirteen days - beginning with Christmas Day. Then following it were twelve feast days taking us to January 6th, known as 12th Night or, later on, Kings Day.

This year I'm holding a 12th Night celebration. The porch is a Christmas Candyland, so I'm extending that idea to the food and some of the indoor decorations. I've been Pinteresting...from dishes made from melted peppermint candies to Christmas ornament shot glasses, there's some pretty cool ideas to be found on Pinterest. I've pinned some of my favorites and a few other bits from around the internet to a new board: Christmas in Candyland Party Ideas.

I'm also planning to make my Christmas wassail - my own recipe to come soon.

Merry Murders: Netflix Murder Mysteries for the Holidays

As you think the holiday season might be coming to a close, try to remember in your drunken stupor that Christmas originally was a no-holds-barred feast that lasted thirteen whole days, from the 25th of December to the 6th of January.  It was actually referred to as the 12 Days of Christmas (the song's starting to make sense now, huh?) since Christmas Day, the 25th, was just too freakin' awesome to count...or perhaps there was just too much drinking to realize how many days were actually passing.

So, as you enjoy stuffing your face for twelve feast days - I know I am - you might want something to watch. Internet television has invaded our lives and has really become more useful than cable or satellite. If these shadows of the future remain unchanged, I see the day when cable goes the way of broadcast television. But that's nothing to be sad about; it's not Tiny Tim, no one will miss it: there's Netflix (and Hulu and the rest).

By now you've probably watched all the yearly favorites and need something new. Murder is always good for the holidays! There's something terribly English about a Christmas murder mystery. It seems all the good series have to do it. Here's a few of my favorite Christmas murderous moments from British television, and one Australian show, all available on Netflix for the immediate watching. I have tried to pick episodes that can stand on their own without being familiar with the series in case you are just jumping in for the holidays.

*  *  *   *  *  *   *  *  *   *  *  *

*2017 update: Netflix has declared war on Poirot and removed the show from online streaming, so you will have to rent or purchase. As a booby prize, however, check out Father Brown: season 5, episode 1 for The Star of Jacob - for a Christmas kidnapping.

Hercule Poirot

 

 With it's detailed plot-lines and amusing characters, Poirot is my favorite Agatha Christie moving-pictures adaption. The modern detective show, Monk, borrows strongly from the character of the obsessively neat and often exasperated Hercule. Despite that, Poirot can also be a very loving character and expresses a real kindness and desire to help people, which makes for a heartwarming Christmas choice.

"The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, or The Theft of the Royal Ruby" 

Season 3  Ep. 9

Note: on Netflix this episode is called simply by the latter half of the name.

   With his usual cohorts, Miss Lemon and Capt. Hastings, away for the holidays, the detective Hercule Poirot is looking forward to a quiet Christmas by himself with a demi-kilo of fine chocolates. His plans are thwarted by the theft of a priceless jewel belonging to the Prince of Eygpt (no, not that prince). Poirot is reluctantly sent to a country house to track it down with the help of some children and a Christmas pudding.  
   In this episode, 1930s political intrigue may darken Poirot's doorstep, but it will certainly lighten your holiday, especially since the death-count remains low. The charm of the funny little detective during the holiday scene of making and eating a traditional Christmas pudding is not to be outdone.

"Hercule Poirot's Christmas" 

Season 6  Ep. 1

   Our quirky little Belgian detective is once again thwarted in his plans for a quiet Christmas at home when his apartment's radiators break down. He chooses warmth over solitude and takes up a case at a heated mansion for the Christmas season. Family passions and the deadly lure of African diamonds loom ominously over their joyful holiday.
   Despite the name, this is actually the second Yuletide we've spent with Poirot, if you've been watching them in order. The Christmas season is mostly a backdrop to a carefully planned murder, but a nicely done backdrop nonetheless. A nod to the detective's penchant for Christmas Belgium chocolates at the beginning gave me a bit of a giggle.

Midsomer Murders

The stalwart, yet Britishly impish Chief Inspector Barnaby and his Sargent sidekicks are called in to investigate murders in the Midsomer area. This comfortably English detective show waits until the seventh season to present their first Christmas themed episode. And so we begin with -- 

 

 

"Ghosts of Christmas Past" 

Season 7  Ep. 7

   Nine years ago a suicide of a professional magician marred the Christmas celebrations of one unlucky family, and this year it may be coming back to haunt them. Chief Inspector Barnaby must split his Christmas between family time with his in-laws and solving this tricky case.
   Nothing says Christmas like suicide! Although we get to see plenty of scenes with Brits in Christmas paper hats, the holiday theme is subtler than others on this list. This episode deals with family, and to many Christmas is about the gathering of our relations. What does family mean? What should it mean? And what dark secrets do families hide? Midsomer Murders never fails to take an extensive look into the human psyche. As a bonus, slight of hand and magic is the "side quest" of the episode and anyone who loves a good carnival will enjoy. It is a magical season after all!

"Days of Misrule"

Season 11  Ep. 6

  Despite the incredibly clever name, the rest of the episode has little to do with Christmas. In fact, it's a fairly forgettable episode all together and I'm not really recommending it. There is one hilarious gem scrunched up in there:

Click to enlarge

There, I just saved you two hours.

Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries

 

This absolutely delightful Australian show centers around a Miss Phryne Fisher, private detective. Sporting a strong female lead, this show is racier and flashier than the other two series mentioned here. No expense is spared to keep the illusion that we are, in fact, in the roaring 20's.

"Murder Under the Mistletoe"

Season 2  Ep. 13

    Miss Fisher and the rest of her Aussie gang head up to a mountain chalet for a snowy Christmas in July (remember it's the Australian wintertime). Murder always follows Phryne Fisher and strange accidents began to happen, and past misdeeds return to haunt Aunt Prudence and her family, remembering another Christmas long ago when the nearby mine caved in. Of course murder is in their future, to the tune of The Twelve Days of Christmas.

 

  While this may not be the best murder mystery Phryne has to offer, she certainly delivers when it comes to murderous Christmas charm. Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries can be counted on to be beautifully period, from masterfully designed costumes to delightful set pieces and props, and "Murder Under the Mistletoe" is no exception. It makes you want to be in the snow covered mountain chalet with them...
 

...minus the murder, of course.

  Unlike many murder mystery series, Miss Fisher's episodes have a story arc that continues through the year. "Mistletoe", however, is fairly self contained and I think can be enjoyed by holiday newcomers to the series.


Have you got a favorite holiday murder mystery?