Day 23 - Christmas: What will you be cooking?

[Huma0]

Hello all, for those of you who celebrate Christmas, and those of you who are also responsible for the cooking of the traditional Christmas meal, what are your plans for Christmas lunch or dinner?

What is traditional in your country and do you feel it's best to stick to that, or do you go "off piste" and do something different?

I tend to stick to traditional, but that doesn't mean turkey. Here in the UK, most people think of a roast turkey as the required main course for a Christmas meal, but actually, that is an imported American tradition. Goose would be a far more traditional British option, but not many people go for that anymore (expensive!). I don't actually know anyone that loves turkey, so I usually go for a different bird.

What if you are vegetarian or vegan? Last year, due to Christmas kind of being cancelled here in London, I spent it with my one housemate who was officially a pescatarian (although mostly ate vegan food) so I had to get creative. It turns out better than I thought.

Anyway, I am rather late in planning the Christmas meal I am shortly to cook for my family. We are talking about people from different cultures who have very different preferences. Ideas and inspiration would be greatly appreciated.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Huma0 @Ann72 @Helen427 

Mlinci are thin, dried flatbread that is broken up into pieces and mixed with the roasting juices from a roast turkey. The juices make the mlinci soft and somewhat like noodles. They suck up all those delicious juices and carry the turkey flavor.

here is a receipt 🙂 https://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-recipe-roast-turkey-with-mlinci/

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

Mmm. Never heard of that before. I will investigate!

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

By the way, I have been to Croatia and was lucky enough to sample local food, but I simply cannot remember the names for any of it!

I did eat well though 🙂

[Laurelle3]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 again I am learning from community forum friends. Looked up puricasa milincima being a crispy unleaven flatbread served with your turkey and sarma being minced turkey wrapped in vine leaves. I will have to try this receipe.

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Laurelle3b

sarma is made with pork + beef mixed meet, not with turkey meet. And it is cooked in water with added red paprika and a few spoons of flour. It has to be cooked a day in advance and then cooked again the next day bc the same as beans or cakes or french salad... it is better the next day when all the flavors settle together 🙂

My mum is 90 yo but she is still cooking sarma for Christmas. (she doesn't cook anything else anymore, she has her dinner delivered every day during the year but she doesn't let anyone else cook sarma. It is my grandmother's receipt from a very old cookbook 🙂

I am in charge of Franch salad and today is the day when I will mess up my entire kitchen (I also rarely cook)

I will also bake chocolate muffins (if anyone needs a new receipt for muffins let me know, it is THE BEST muffin receipt in the world (chocolate, cherries and nuts) and everyone who ever tried them always asked for the receipt 😉 Of course, muffins are not traditional Croatian meal 🙂

Silvia has an American friend over Christmas and they will prepare some vegan dishes and cakes together bc he is a vegan. We are all curious to try 🙂

[Helen427]

Meanwhile down under in New Zealand, most people have Christmas meals out side in the fresh air and Summer sun.

Some people have traditional foods from their country of origin, others a mixture.

Pavlova's ( @Laurelle3 , @Kath9 and you other delightful Australians ) are often a feature for dessert.

They are nice if one cuts out the sugar dominance, and tops them with an abundance of fresh fruits in season like cherries, blueberries, strawberries, raspberries some freshly whipped cream and / or icecream produced from our cows on the farms of New Zealand.

Remember Desserts were created as Treat foods.

@Mark116, it's good for the brain to convert different measurements we use across the world.

To make smaller or larger portions, just divide or multiply them along with cooking times.

There's some fabulous traditional and simple recipes using only a handful of ingredients in Papers Past NZ archives as there is likely to be in one's own country newspaper archives.

Venison is yum, one of my favourite meats.

Roasted Persimmons are a good alternative to apricots with meat.

@Huma0 @Colleen253 @Branka-and-Silvia0 @Mark116 @Ann72 

[Huma0]

@Helen427 

Yes, I imagine that if you come from the southern hemisphere, Christmas food traditions could be very different. My cleaners are from Brazil and they told me that Christmas Day to them means barbecue!

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

@Huma0 

Christmas in winter is totally OK with me... but the carnival is certainly more fun in summer than in winter 🙂

[Huma0]

@Branka-and-Silvia0 

True! Especially in Brazil. Those folk know how to throw a party!

[Huma0]

@Helen427 

Your description of pavlova reminds me of a traditional British summertime dessert called Eaton Mess. Have you heard of it?

[Ann72]

Yum!  I've only heard of it in novels @Huma0.  Must try to find some next time I come over.

[Huma0]

@Ann72 

That photo is not so 'messy'. It can definitely be done much more easily if you don't want it to look pristine.

I will definitely whip it up for you when you come to stay with me 🙂

[Ann72]

I will dream of that day @Huma0! 🙂

[Laurelle3]

@Huma0 Eaton mess another new recipe layered cake with topping of cream,  meringue and strawberries. Yum!

[Huma0]

@Laurelle3 

Yes, the above photo shows a take on Eton Mess with cake, but traditionally, there's no cake, just meringues, strawberries and whipped cream, although people often add other summer berries (and in the example below looks like they have added strawberry compote). Then it's all just thrown together, hence the 'mess' part of the name.