Foods of the World Forum Homepage
Forum Home Forum Home > Other Food-Related Topics > Around the Kitchen Table
  New Posts New Posts RSS Feed - Holiday Cooking?
  FAQ FAQ  Forum Search   Events   Register Register  Login Login

This site is completely supported by donations; there are no corporate sponsors. We would be honoured if you would consider a small donation, to be used exclusively for forum expenses.



Thank you, from the Foods of the World Forums!

Holiday Cooking?

 Post Reply Post Reply
Author
Message
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Holiday Cooking?
    Posted: 18 October 2017 at 16:43
Hard to believe we’re already into the holiday season. Rosh Hoshana, the Jewish new year, already is passed. Diwali, the festival of light and arguably the most important celebration in the Indian year, starts tomorrow. Then, before you know it, All Hallow’s Eve., Thanksgiving, the 12 days of Christmas, and the lunar new year.

That’s a lot of room for celebratory cooking and eating.

I’m interested in what your plans are? Are there dishes you make that are traditional to any particular holiday? Will you---silly question---be partying?

As much as time allows, I’ll be making celebratory breads for each holiday. There are dozens of them, particularly as regards Christmas. For instance, I'll definitely be making Lussekatter (St. Lucie's Buns) for December 13. But I’m sure, as we get down to it, that there will be special savory dishes as well.

How about everyone else?
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
Sponsored Links


Back to Top
Hoser View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 06 February 2010
Location: Cumberland, RI
Status: Offline
Points: 3454
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hoser Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2017 at 03:11
We have no plans for Halloween, but Thanksgiving will be rather traditional and spent with friends.

On Christmas we will have our traditional open house. I'll be making my smoked mixed nuts, pickled fish,ham, baked beans and a myriad of finger food dishes.

Have not decided on new years yet....it will be either cioppino or 
french-Canadian ragout.
Go ahead...play with your food!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 October 2017 at 09:08
Nothing major planned yet.

We'll probably do the standard turkey and sides for thanksgiving. I might step out on a limb and do something different but it would just be for me. Too many picky eaters in my extended family. 'That's not how mom/grandma made it!' blah, where's your sense of adventure.

Usually Christmas is prime rib, but was done by my mother in law. She passed away 7 days before Christmas last year, so now I'm not sure what we're doing. If anything at all. Might still be too raw of a wound to try to open up just yet.
Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
gracoman View Drop Down
Chef
Chef


Joined: 09 August 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 885
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 October 2017 at 08:22
When I was a kid a gazillion years ago, my Maternal Grandmother would steam a cracker pudding made from common crackers every Christmas until these crackers disappeared from market shelves.  I have her recipe which isn't much of a recipe at all and it is different from every cracker pudding recipe I've seen online.  Most cracker pudding recipes I've seen use Saltines and coconut and are oven baked.  This one has neither of those ingredients nor is it baked.  The closest recipe I've seen was I believe in the New England Historical Society's site.  I have another close recipe in my Grandmother's 1915 copy of Fannie Merritt Farmer's Boston Cooking School cookbook.

I found a source for common crackers several years ago although I'm pretty sure they are smaller than the originals.  I remember both of my Maternal grandparents eating common crackers in milk many times when I was growing up and they broke these crackers up due to their size.  The pudding recipe calls for eight common crackers.  It doesn't seem like eight of the crackers I've ordered would amount to many servings unless they are used more as a custard thickener than a main ingredient so I may have to do bit of finagling when push comes to shove.

Any who, I'll be trying to duplicate this Grandmother steamed childhood memory Christmas dessert.  She used an ancient rectangular steamer but I'll use a round Mason Cash Pudding Basin that I ordered for the occasion.   There really isn't much choice tin the small world of pudding steamers these days.  
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 October 2017 at 09:30
Interesting Gman, I'd never heard of common crackers, though now that I read a little about them I have seen miniature versions served with chowder out here on the coast in some places. Definitely NOT the oyster crackers that are so commonly served with soup.

A good read here:
https://newengland.com/today/food/new-england-made/common-crackers/

Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 October 2017 at 19:19
Sic Transit Glorious Mundi (and Tuesday will likely be worse )

When I lived in Boston, in the late 1960s, the were still commonly available. Probably wasn't the '80s before they started disappearing from shelves.

As to size: Don't know what you've found, Gman. But Common crackers were about the size of a Ritz, in diameter, probably half that in thickness.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
gracoman View Drop Down
Chef
Chef


Joined: 09 August 2013
Status: Offline
Points: 885
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote gracoman Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 October 2017 at 21:11
My grandparents lived in rural Maine.  Common crackers disappeared from the shelves, I'm thinking, early sixties but I have nothing to back that up other than a poor memory of when Christmas cracker pudding was no longer a thing in my Grandparent's house.

My childhood memories are subject to all sorts of yays and nays.  The Vermont Country Store claims to have kept this tradition alive and perhaps they have.


These crackers are awesome.  That is the best answer I have at the moment.

Perhaps, Brook, you may have a take on this.  I know nothing about steamed puddings but suspect my Grandmother's recipe was born of frugality.
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 October 2017 at 06:20
G-man, based on the photo, that's about how I remember them. Sizewise, at any rate.

I would guess your greats broke them up to make it easier to eat (and because that's how it was always done), rather than size alone.

You're probably right about frugality. But steamed puddings go back several hundred years, and some of them can be quite complex and rather on the expensive side. Historically they were made in pudding bags---muslin or similar bags used only for that purpose.
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
TasunkaWitko View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group
Avatar

Joined: 25 January 2010
Location: Chinook, MT
Status: Offline
Points: 9356
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote TasunkaWitko Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 October 2017 at 10:08
I'm just returning from a vacation to the Black Hill and SouthCentral Montana, and was glad to see this thread - thanks for starting it!

gMan - I'm still catching up on threads, but if you haven't already, could you please let us know how this goes? I'm interested, and this is one of those things that is 100% what this forum was created for; it's a very intriguing concept and - by the sounds of it - is attached to some great family memories.

As for us, we will probably keep things pretty traditional and/or basic:

I'm considering making Paprika Hendl for Halloween, but might instead go with Rod's Paprikás Csirke, which is more "home-style" in nature, and has a real appeal this time of year.

Thanksgiving will most likely be quite traditional, as The Beautiful Mrs. Tas loves a turkey dinner with all of the trimmings, and I enjoy watching the effort that she puts into it.

For Sankta Lucia (December 13th), I'd like to rekindle my Scandinavian blood with
Färsrullader
, which is in my opinion a slight variation of Köttbullar or even Potatis Korv; however, the intricacies of making those wonderful rolls of Nordic goodness might be too much for weeknight cooking, so I might simply go with the meatballs. According to the calendar, Chanukah is starting the same day, and perhaps I can tie something in, even if the meal won't be kosher.

For Christmas, I'd like ham, which I might do in an old Germans-from-Russia style that stretches all the way back to my family's roots in Alsace; it involves wrapping the ham in a pastry crust, and while I've had some good results with it, I'd like to improve on it a bit in order to transform this method into a yearly tradition. Chances are, a turkey will also find its way to the table.

If there is a bone and leftover ham, we will most likely make Portuguese Bean Soup on New Year's Eve; this recipe was shared by a good friend who passed away this year, and I would like to prepare this in his honour.

The past few years, we've gotten into the habit of doing Traditional English Roast Beef Supper for New Year's Day; this year (or - more properly - next year) will most likely be the same, as it is an easy dinner yielding very good results.

As you can see from the links, these are all dishes that I have made before; some of them many times. Mrs. Tas and I have gotten into the habit of eating much lighter and "healthier" dishes this past year or two, but on holidays or vacations we have an un-spoken understanding of taking a "break" from that regimen, and we both tend to return to old favourites when we do so.

Having said that, I would like to branch out a bit, as well. Because of a lot of the reading I've done lately, as well as Brook's outstanding thread on Sephardic Foodways, I'd like to start looking at some more recipes from the Levant, and traditional Jewish recipes in particular. My goal is too cook a few of those recipes for some of the holidays during the upcoming year; I'll probably start with a few that I am familiar with, such as Tarnegolet Bemitz Hadarim, and go from there. As mentioned before, Chanukah is coming up in December, but I might see about preparing this wonderful chicken dish for Yom HaAliyah, which will be on October 27th. This holiday commemorates the Aliyah, and it seems to me that such a recipe is a nice tribute to the many foodways and backgrounds that make up the modern State of Israel.

Beyond that, I cannot say - but those are my immediate goals....
If you are a visitor and like what you see, please click here and join the discussions in our community!
Back to Top
LiudwigXIX View Drop Down
Scullery Servant
Scullery Servant
Avatar

Joined: 06 August 2020
Location: Canada
Status: Offline
Points: 2
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote LiudwigXIX Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 23 November 2020 at 22:20
On holidays I enjoy to cook international food. I like European food, Italian food is awesome. I think that East European food I also great. You should try Romanian or Russian food, is very nice. Turkish and Greece food is not bad but is more like Asian sometimes, I do not like that cause is to spicy. I like kebab, in turkey and Greece they make it very tasty. Guys, if you are looking to find good set of dishes for your home ( that will look great ) then I can suggest you to check https://www.palmgear.com/best-rv-dishes/
Back to Top
HistoricFoodie View Drop Down
Admin Group
Admin Group


Joined: 21 February 2012
Location: Kentucky
Status: Offline
Points: 4940
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote HistoricFoodie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29 November 2020 at 05:46
With the kids grown and gone, and just the two of us, we don't do a full, traditional Thanksgiving.

This year, I did game hens (rubbed under the skin with anchovy butter, then cooked over charcoal and wild grape vines) Sides were parsnip mash and green beans.  As a sop to tradition, I did make up some of my cranberry conserve.  
But we hae meat and we can eat
And sae the Lord be thanket
Back to Top
Melissa Mead View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef


Joined: 17 July 2010
Location: Albany, NY, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1174
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Melissa Mead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 08 December 2021 at 15:09
My dad asked for homemade Mexican food for Christmas. Any suggestions for things that can be made a day or 2 ahead by a fairly novice cook? I suspect his tastes lean toward "Tex-Mex," but OTOH when he travels he always looks for "local color," so who knows?

I'm planning a Salsa Sampler for one thing. He loves homemade guacamole, but that would turn brown.

Thanks!
Back to Top
pitrow View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef
Avatar

Joined: 22 November 2010
Location: Newberg, Oregon
Status: Offline
Points: 1078
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote pitrow Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 13 December 2021 at 09:50
I'm not much of a Mexican or even TexMex cook, but it seems tamales could be made ahead of time and steamed for serving. Same with fajita fixins, cook them ahead of time and put them in a freezer bag or better yet a vacuum bag, then heat the bag up in simmering water when it's time. Actually just about any fajita/taco/burrito filling could be done that way. I'm a big fan of "street tacos" and they're pretty simple: meat of choice, diced onion, cilantro and salsa in corn tortillas. Mmm. I think that could be fairly easy to do everything ahead of time then just reheat the meat and tortillas and be ready to go.

Mike
Life in PitRow - My often neglected, somewhat eccentric, occasionally outstanding blog
Back to Top
Melissa Mead View Drop Down
Master Chef
Master Chef


Joined: 17 July 2010
Location: Albany, NY, USA
Status: Offline
Points: 1174
Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Melissa Mead Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 14 December 2021 at 15:57
Kind of what I'm thinking. Enchiladas, Chicken Pibil, taco fixings, and tamarind agua fresca. Maybe some rice, with or without beans.
Back to Top
 Post Reply Post Reply
  Share Topic   

Forum Jump Forum Permissions View Drop Down



This page was generated in 0.125 seconds.