New Year's toast

As I begin this post, we are a short 8½ hours until the dawn of 2011. Therefore, a special New Year's posting seems in order.

A couple of months ago, I had a Facebook exchange with a younger relative regarding "Tom and Jerries." To her, the term meant nothing but a couple of cartoon mice. She had no idea that it was a drink -- not only "a drink," but, in fact, "the drink" for this time of year, "the drink" with which to celebrate New Year's Eve and/or Day.

For those of you who don't know a Tom and Jerry from a Batman and Robin, here's the recipe:

Tom and Jerry
Ingredients
12 egg(s)
1 cup sugar
1 bottle brandy
Pinch of ground allspice
Pinch of ground cinnamon
Pinch of ground cloves
1 bottle dark rum
milk
nutmeg

Glass Type: Mug

Instructions
Separate the eggs. Beat the whites until they form a stiff froth, and the yolks -- to which you have added the sugar -- "until they are as thin as water," as the professor advises, gradually adding 4 ounces brandy (spiceaholics will also add a pinch each of ground allspice, cinnamon, and cloves). Fold the whites into the yolks. When ready to serve, give it another stir and then put 1 tablespoon of this batter in a small mug or tumbler. Now add 1 ounce brandy (although some die-hard Southernors may prefer bourbon) and 1 ounce Jamaican rum, stirring constantly to avoid curdling. Fill to the top with hot milk and stir until you get foam. Sprinkle a little grated nutmeg on top.

By cutting and pasting a recipe onto my blog, I have not only provided you with a source of happiness and contentment while watching the Rose Bowl tomorrow, but -- with minimal effort on my part, and with no imagination -- I've brought the number of my posts in 2010 up to a nice round 92!