"city ham" news and stories

Ever whip up a dish that's so madly yummy you wanna feed it to everyone you've ever met? This is one of those.

Yup, Easter's already hopped on by, but who says that's the only ham-appropriate occasion? We'd unexpectedly received a smoked, bone-in ten-pounder as lagniappe for being loyal grocery store shoppers, and while we were old hands at prepping its hard, salty country cousin, we'd never actually baked and glazed a city ham. We've long been inspired by Aretha Franklin's ginger ale doused Queen of Soul Ham and have heard tell of a Coca-Cola ham or two, though have never had the pleasure of sampling one.

A tad loath to leave the house and brave the holiday supermarket fray, we took stock of what was on hand. Diet drinks weren't gonna cut the mustard, husband would flip if we drained his precious Pepsi stash, tonic was a tad depressing, then lo and behold -- Cheerwine! We'd hauled back cases of the distinctive cherry soda when last we hit the Tarheel State, and had been holding out for a special occasion to dip into the stash.

Sure, it wasn't the cane sugar based Retro Cheerwine (which we can't find to save our lives!), but it kept the ham miraculously moist through the initial bake and cooked down into a luscious, fruity glaze, which balanced quite well with the ham's salt, a kiss of bourbon, a quick blaze of mustard and the deep, dark tang of pomegranate molasses.

Can't find Cheerwine in your neck of the woods? Swap in a full-sugar dark cherry soda like Stewart's Black Cherry Wishniak, Boylan's Black Cherry or Jones' Cherry. Cheers!

Get the Cheerwine Ham recipe after the jump.

Despite their inborn Southern love for the artisanal, aged country ham, the Lee Brothers have to admit that city ham, the shortcut that is brined, cured and smoked in as little as two weeks (as opposed to the 1-2 year aging of country ham), can be quite delicious. They tasted their way through the city to find all the top spots to get your ham.

In the basement of the Broadway Presbyterian Church, everyone can find a four star, multi-course meal. This isn't a restaurant, however. It's a soup kitchen. Michael Ennes, the chef, insists on using homemade stocks, avoids trans fats and tries to use organic and local products and produce whenever he can. The meals he serves include roasted turkey with a mango-ginger glaze and tropical fruit stuffing and Andalusian oxtail and lentil stew. "At one time, Mr. Ennes dreamed of being a starred chef" and although he has to rely on donated ingredients much of the time, he couldn't be happier with his work. Broadway Presbyterian is a place where everyone is served and everyone's opinion is valued. "They're still customers, whether they're paying $100 a plate or nothing."

Mark Bittman, the minimalist, introduces people to pancakes: Polenta Pancakes, Baked Pancakes, Light, Fluffy and Rich Pancakes, Recipe: Everyday Pancakes.

Can you identify the origin of a maple syrup by tasting it? The answer is yes. Not all maple syrups are the same and the differences between the varieties are surprising.

A few last minute suggestions for stocking stuffers.

Frank Bruni dines at The Russian Tea Room and gives it 1 star.

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