Bacon Nativity Scene? Sacrilicious!

What is a Yule Log?

Illustration of the Yule Log from the
Book of Days by Robert Chambers
1832 England

Another old time Christmas tradition that we usually hear mentioned in Christmas poems and songs is the Yule Log. When some of us hear the word, the first thing that pops to mind is that it must be some type of burning log in a fireplace, while others who would hear this definition would laugh heartily and tell you that its a delicious festive sponge cake filled with jellies and topped with chocolate icing and other confections. 

Well, fact is they would both be right! 

And its nearly impossible to determine what came first.

The Burning Yule Log.

Let's start with the definition of a Yule Log as a festive burning log.  Historical references to the act of burning a log start in pre-Christian Europe.  Historian Henry Bourne writes as a theory that the burning of the a large log can be traced back to 6th or 7th Century by Pagan-Anglo-Saxons, and was probably a part of an elaborate ceremony to celebrate the arrival of the Winter Solstice.

It is not surprising that the early fathers of the Christian Church borrowed many customs and components of celebrations conducted by pagans, druids and pre-Christian religions. And it was a brilliant move because after all - it made the conversion to Christianity far more acceptable to people.  It was much easier to take these pagan festivities and rebrand them with Christian principles and symbolism.  Moreover, the early Church fathers seemed to understand human nature much better than we sometimes do today - instead of replacing existing rituals and upsetting the applecart, they merely incorporated them within the Christian Holiday, and carefully established Christian definitions for their practices. 

It's likely that the term Yule derived from the pagan Winter Soltice celebration Jol which was celebrated in honor of the Norse God, Jolnir also referred to as Odin in certain regions. Jolnir was celebrated as the God of Death, drink and ecstasy, amongst other things. Eventually Jol was pronounced Jule .  The specifics of the festivals involved drinking, and the pleasing of spirits known as Yuleghosts. 
Over time, the lighting of the Yule spread across European Continent and was adapted by many.  In England, the first reference to the burning of the "Christmas Log" was written by Rev Robert Herrick in 1620 where wrote that the Log (likely a tree) was brought into the farmhouse by a group of men who were paid for their services by receiving a small beer from the Farmer's wife.  What is also interesting about the entry is that he states that as part of the ritual, that the remnants of the previous year's log were used to start the new one which indicates that this was likely a regular tradition.

Herrick further mentions that purpose of the Log is to bring prosperity and protect the home from evil.  The remnants of the log were kept in the house as to maintain the magic of the log all year long. In fact, participants of the Yule festivities would often cut a piece of the Yule which served as a magical amulet.

The Yule Log was also said to bring good health, protection from witchcraft, keeping animals free of disease, keep streams and ponds clean, and even possesses the magic of fertility.  It seems that the Yule Log has a little something for everyone desiring one benefit or another. 

Strangely, the term Jule evolved to Yuletide and is part of the modern day Christmas lexicon.  Yuletide is referenced in Christmas Poems and Carols (including Bing Crosby's often heard Happy Holidays) still seen and heard today.  And going out on a limb, I believe this is likely due to a period of historical revival that took place in the early 1900s which brought back many older traditions that once again became joined with traditions that were currently practiced.

The long standing tradition of buring the large tree sized Christmas Yule on a regular basis finally diminished in the 19th century, and according to author Ronald Hutton this because of the reduction in farm labor, and the replacement of open hearths with cast iron stoves and smaller fireplaces.  The Yule still found its way to remain part of the Christmas tradition - but often as it does today - as a decoration or centerpiece on a table, covered with flowers, holly, aromatic spices, and greenery.

While the English burned their Yule Log, the French had other designs for a similar named Christmas tradition.

Yule Logs in France and Quebec
 Borrowing from my friends at Foodtimeline.org, they quote the following translation for a Yulelog:

Buche de Noel

"Christmas Yule Log. A log-shaped cake traditionally prepared for the Christmas festivities. It is usually made of rectangular slices of Genoese sponge, spread with butter cream and placed one on top of the other, and them shaped into a log; it is coated with chocolate butter cream, applied with a piping bag to simulate bark. The cake is decorated with holly leaves made from almond paste, meringue mushrooms and small figures. A Swiss roll (jelly roll) may be used instead of sliced Genoese cake. There are also ice cream logs, some made entirely of different flavoured ice creams and some with the inside made of parfait or a bombe mixture. This cake is a fairly recent creation (after 1870) of the Parisian pastrycooks, inspired by the real logs which used to be burned in the hearth throughout Christmas Eve. Before then, the cakes of the season were generally brioches or fruit loaves."
---Larousse Gastronomique, Completely Revised and Updated [Clarkson Potter:New York] 2001 (p. 299)

Again borrowing from The Food Timeline webpage, here is a recipe for a Yule Log based on a 1962 recipe that you can try on your own:

Yule Log (Buche de Noel)
The yule log cake is served at the midnight feast that follows Mass on Christmas Eve. Although it does not take the place of our flaming Christmas pudding, it makes a nice dessert to serve at any time during the Christmas season.

4 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 cup sifted all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons melted butter. 3 eggwhites
Chocolate Butter Cream 1
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1 teaspoon hot water
2 or 3 blanched almonds
angelica
candied cherries
green sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Rinse the mixing bowl with hot water and wrap a hot wet towel around the base. Combine the egg yolks and sugar and beat for 5 minutes or until the mixture has doubled in volume. Fold in the flour and then the butter, which should be cooled. Fold in the beaten egg whites gently but thoroughly.
Butter a small, rimmed baking sheet or roasting pan (10X14) and dust it with flour. Pour the batter into the pan and smooth it evenly with a knife. Bake 10 minutes. Spread a damp towel on a marble slab or table. Run a knife around the edge of the baked cake and turn the pan upside down on the towel, leaving the pan on top of the cake until it is cool. Make the butter cream, using 5 egg yolks, and add to it the dissolved instant coffee. Spread the cake with the butter cream and roll it up lengthwise like a jelly roll. Place seam side down on a long serving tray and cut off both ends diagonally. Put the remaining butter cream in a pastry bag fitted with a flat cannellated tip. Force the cream lengthwise over the surface of the cake to give the appearance of bark. Place a 'knot' here and there. Decorate the cake with almonds and a sprig of holly made with strips of angelica and little rounds of candied cherries. Sprinkle very lightly with green sugar."
---The Complete Tante Marie's French Kitchen, Translated and adapted by Charlotte Turgeon [Oxford University Press:New York] 1962 (p. 127-8)

One final bit of trivia is that the Yule Log is usually consumed after Christmas Midnight Mass after a feast called Le Reveillon. 

Finally, as with most established European traditions, these Christmas practices made their way to America via immigrants who arrived from the Old World.  The traditions spread within the communities in which they were practiced and enjoyed to become part of the American Christmas experience.

So whether you eat, or burn your own Yule Log (or simply watch it on your cable television Yule Log channel), you'll know a little more this Christmas about its origins to share with your friends and family.

My Three Songs: 10/25/10

1. Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker (from the album "In the Heat of the Night")
2. Eagles - Life in the Fast Lane
3. Soundgarden - My Wave

Theme :: The microwave oven.  Tappan introduced the first microwave on this day in 1955.  Blame them for the fact that you have no idea how to cook a meal for yourself, you no longer sit down for a meal with your family every night, and you constantly shove "food" like Hot Pockets, Totino's Pizza Rolls, and popcorn with poisonous "buttery" topping.

On the other hand, you can do cool stuff like this:

Go Get Her, Ray!

You're hungry for a delicious snack that will get your energy up, but may also bring about the end of the world.  You must choose the form of the sugary Destructor.  So you try to think of the most harmless thing. Something you loved from your childhood. Something that could never ever possibly destroy us.  What just pops into your head?

It's the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man.

And now, you can finally purchase Stay Puft marshmallows.  They're "gourmet."  They're officially licensed.  And they're caffeinated, which means that you'll be able to stay wide awake through the coming of Gozer the Gozerian (or a screening of Ghostbusters 2).

I just ordered a box for myself.  I'll let you know how they taste in 7-10 business days.

Fried BEER???

I need to try this.  I really, really need to try this.

Fried Beer - Beer-filled pretzel pocket is deep-fried to a golden brown. One bite and the escaping beer serves as a dipping sauce. 21 and over, ID required.

 Gotta go to Texas to get 'em though... Here's the link.

Wafflesicles? Hell yes, wafflesicles!

Screw those old-school waffle makers with their round or square waffles that you have to cut up and eat with a fork.  I want my breakfast foods the way God intended: on a stick.

Just get me a wide-mouth bottle of Aunt Jemima that fits in the cup holder in my car, and I'll be dipping these things while driving in no time!

The Wafflesicle Maker Has Changed Breakfast Forever

The ULTIMATE Snack Stadium

This... Is... AWESOME.

Not sure when I'll have the occasion to build one of these, but next time I host a football gathering at my place you'll definitely see one on my table.

Check out the instructions on how to build your own here.

Bacon-wrapped Water Chestnuts... who knew?

I need to thank my wife.

Today at work, we had a catered banquet to recognize service milestones (5, 10, 25 years, etc.) for several people in our radio group. It's something that happens every year, traditionally at our annual staff Holiday Party. This year however, like many companies across the country, our Holiday Party was canceled due to budget constraints in the tough economy. I understand. While a night of dinner and drinks with co-workers is nice, it's better to know that we work for a company that values keeping personnel over keeping parties when it comes to budget time.

In that spirit of valuing employees (or employee-owners as we're called in this ESOP company), it was decided that those celebrating service milestones should still be recognized during an in-office event. So at 11am, the announcement was made over the intercom system in our building that food was available in our conference room. The table had been made-over, with formal silver platters of hors d'oeuvres, warming dishes filled with stuffed portobello mushrooms, and at the end of the table, a gentleman sauteeing and serving sliced beef tenderloin. It was a complete transformation. As one co-worker put it, "Who's getting married in the conference room?"

So in addition to the amazing beef and the fantastic stuffed potato skins, I picked up a few small items of unknown content that had been wrapped in bacon and skewered with a toothpick. Turns out they are my new all-time favorite hors d'oeuvres: bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, and bacon-wrapped olives. Crispy, crunchy, juicy, uber-flavorful morsels of salty, bite-sized heaven. And as I was going back for seconds, I realized that ten years ago, I never would have tried them.

I used to be a picky eater. Some might say that I still am. It used to be that if a meal wasn't clearly defined as to what it was, what was in it, and if I knew that I liked it - I'd turn my nose up at it. Kraft Macaroni and Cheese. Chef Boyardee.

But having been with my wife for the past eight and a half years has definitely broadened my horizions. Knowing even before our first date that she was a vegetarian forced me to work outside my comfort zone. No easy steaks or burgers on the grill, no meatballs or ground beef in the spaghetti sauce, no hot dogs or Chicken Helper. I can still eat this stuff, but when I'm cooking for both of us I need to think outside the butcher's department.

The first time I cooked a meal for Sarah at my old apartment in Champaign, Illinois, during the summer of 2000, I found myself sauteeing portobello mushrooms for a pasta sauce. I don't know that I'd ever seen a portobello mushroom, let alone eaten or cooked one before. It was grand experimentation, tossing in whatever herbs and spices seemed to make sense from my meager spice rack. It worked well enough - she's still with me in 2009 anyway. And I discovered that my old repulsion toward mushrooms may have been misplaced.

Over the next couple years, more foods I never would have touched before started creeping into my diet. Broccoli. Pesto sauce on pasta. Hummus and pita chips. Indian food. Mediterranean tapas. I found myself watching Food Network with Sarah. Then No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on Travel Channel. Then more recently Top Chef on Bravo, my mouth watering over dishes I've never had, prepared in ways I'd never imagined, with ingredients I've sometimes never heard of. And I want more.

So a thank you to my wife. Without whom, I'd probably still be passing over the bacon-wrapped water chestnuts, and maybe at best picking apart the bacon from the olive and brushing them off to eat separately.

Of course I can still always go for some mac & cheese.

Chapter 76.8: Buy Me Some Peanuts and Crackerjack

This is the type of helpful travel tip that even non-baseball fans can sink their teeth into. The New York Times has posted an interactive map of the culinary delights available at all the major league baseball stadiums throughout the United States (and Toronto).

While I feel bad for my friends who are fans of the White Sox (not one item on their menu is recommended; the Times says bring a six pack and barter for a dog outside), I can agree with the assessment that the dogs at Shea are edible but way too expensive. (I think everyone can buy a full pack of hot dogs and possibly also the buns for less than the price of one dog at the game.)

I've gone to enough games and eaten enough expensive hot dogs to have decided that I don't need to have a dog and a beer at every game I attend any more. At the prices these days, I'm hard-pressed to attend more than one or two games anyway. But it's nice to fantasize, and if you do go to a game, why not have a game plan about the stadium menu!

Chapter 70.1: Turkey Time!

Ah, Thanksgiving! One of those uniquely American holidays that we should all be thankful for. Not only does it allow most of us to enjoy a four-day weekend, it also focuses on two of my favorite things: family and food. (I'd add football too, because it sounds good with the other "f" sounds, but I'm really a baseball guy.)

This year, my wife and I have gotten a break. For the first time in a few years, we've not volunteered to host Thanksgiving. I'm really glad, too, because work for me was very busy, and with the new kitten, Oreo, we've had a lot more tasks taking up our time than usual.

But enough about me. It's time for us all to go over the river and through the woods to the in-laws' house. Watch some football, drink some beer, eat lots of food, and laugh into the night. Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! And if you're waking up early to partake in the various Black Friday sales, drive carefully. There are other nutjobs on the road too. Man, what's the deal with all the 4 a.m. store openings this year? That's a different topic...