What was your holiday meal like?

[SoVerySoft]

I had Christmas dinner at a friend's family's house. Her mom cooked a gorgeous rib roast, with roasted potatoes and carrots (they were crispy and delicious!), one of those infamous string bean casseroles (I had never tried it before...it was great!) and mixed veggies.

Dessert was a giant chocolate ice cream cake, some Christmas candy and 4 desserts that I had made (gingersnap mini-cupcakes, eggnog cheesecake bars, rudolph treats, and mint mallow cups). I will post pics of them (and a review) soon in the food porn thread.

Were you celebrating a holiday this past weekend? Even if you weren't...What did you eat? :p

[jamie]

We had planned on doing Christmas dinner at our house and having Beef Burgundy, grilled asparagus, corn pudding, croissants and lemon something or other, but our plans got changed.

My friends that are like my adopted family were going through a divorce this year, and the mom really wanted us to come down. Her new biker boyfriend made homemade barbeque, baked beans, coleslaw and apple pie. She had made her very very very wonderful cherry chews and some haystack candy. My favorite part was the punch. Everything was toooo sweet though. Justin and I kept sneaking things from the appetizer plates like crackers and pretzels to cut through the sweetness. It was nice to be with friends though. And we got some strange but fun presents.

Can't wait to hear what you thought of the Eggnog Bars, Randi. There was a debate about them among the recipients. I came down liking them alot the frist couple of days and then not wanting to touch them again.

Looking forward to the pics.

[r-nadiv]

Seared Tuna with mango salsa, potato latkes, M&Ms.:eat1:

[jamie]

Seared Tuna with mango salsa, potato latkes, M&Ms.:eat1:


One of these days, I will finally get to try a latke. Not really a huge market for them here in the middle of KY.

[BBW Betty]

We had Christmas dinner at my in-laws. The meal was pretty traditional, but sooooo much stuff. Even if you just took a little bit of everything, you ended up quite full.

Ham, cheesy potato casserole, peas, corn, sweet potatoes, pineapple/pretzel salad (Grandma's specialty and my husband's favorite), two jello salads, fruit salad, buns, relishes--including pickled beets--pumpkin and apple pies, plus a trayfull of assorted candies. I think I must be forgetting an item or two. But nummy! And when the company is good, everything is even better.

[dreamer72fem]

We had our Christmas dinner in my aunt and uncles big farm house with about 20 people I guess. SOOOO much food...lets see what I can remember:
Turkey/stuffing, roast, ham, layer salad, baked beans, chicken and noodles (grandma makes the BEST), saurkraut and sausage, corn, green bean casserole, broccoli cheese casserole, oyster dressing, mashed potatoes, chicken wings, various pies, cookies and cakes, fruit salad and I am sure things I am forgetting.
Stacey

[r-nadiv]

One of these days, I will finally get to try a latke. Not really a huge market for them here in the middle of KY.

Oh, I wouldn't run out to try one. (Esp. my Bubbe's, though her recipe, famous now, was a killer. She put fruit in them.)

Think potato crockett. Apple sauce or sour cream is optional.

http://www.arctic.org/~adam/sites/fillet/96/12/stuff/latke.gif

[LillyBBBW]

One of these days, I will finally get to try a latke. Not really a huge market for them here in the middle of KY.

If you're anywhere near Louisville they sell them at Whole Foods. They call them Potato Pancakes though. If you're ever near it you can fish around in there and see if they have it at the deli counter. Strange thing though, I notice that they taste different from store to store depending on who's preparing them.

[ValentineBBW]

Our family meal consisted of Turkey, dressing, day-ahead mashed potatoes, wonderful turkey gravy, and christmas cookies for dessert. Simple but delicious!

[MissToodles]

Since my sweetie is a goy, I made homemade chicken parmgiana on Christmas Eve. I was going to make his mom's reciepe for candy cane cookies but I'm a good cook and a terrible baker. We just cooked perforated* cookies by tollhouse.

On Christams Day, we went to my mom's and had Chinese food. How cliched can one family get? At least we didn't sit around watching Woody Allen films. Oh for dessert, my mom bought this delicious mousse cake. I felt like diving head first into it and sweets aren't typically my thing.

I received an 8 piece box of Godiva this past weekend. For whatever reason, I was quite disappointed. They lacked the usual "oomph" and tasted way too sweet. I'm not sure if I lost my taste for Godiva or maybe it was an off batch. It's the thought that counts!

*How lazy can one get? We can no longer divide cookies from a tube, we need it done already. So what?, I'm one of the lazy bunch!

[Carol W.]

.....we always have the same things on Christmas Day, and our delight in them never abates:

For breakfast, coffee, half a grapefruit apiece with sugar on it, and tons of cookies.....a wide variety of cookies. Everyone present contributes to the selection.

For dinner, a turkey dinner: turkey, homemade stuffing and gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, tossed salad with Italian dressing, olives, pickles, celery, and rolls. Homemade apple pie for dessert. Seven-Up to drink.

Supper: coffee, and pie. Apple, pumpkin, mixed berry, chocolate cream, whatever anyone has decided to bake. And red jello with fruit cocktail in it.

This menu is the one we've followed since I was a kid back on the farm, and keeping it is a way of maintaining a link to those wonderful Christmases of childhood. Occasionally, over the years, we've departed here or there from tradition, but invariably, we're sorry when we do it, and the next year we go back to the old standbys.

Oh-candy canes and chocolate coins, nuts and a fruit bowl are always present as well!

[jcas50]

My Christmas Day dinner started with Shrimp Cocktails, then Spinach and Bacon Salad with Hard Boiled Eggs and Hot Bacon Dressing. Next came the shots of Jaegermeister, followed by Champagne. Then on to Whipped Sweet Potatoes with Marshmallows, Roasted Red Potatoes, and an enormous Rib Roast (it just came out of the oven when my SSBBW cousin came in the door, and she exclaimed - "What, no gravy?" and proceeded to tell us what ingredients she needed to whip up two boats full of delicious Beef gravy - I love my cousin!) - she also brought two huge trays of homemade shrimp and crab ravioli with a tomato sauce that was really heavy on the red wine. Then along the way we had eggnog, portugese rolls, vanilla coke, more red wine, pineapple, coconut and mango salad, cranberry orange relish (yeah, yeah - I know it should be served with poultry - but I love and I made it anyway. How can you go wrong with a bag of cranberries, a cut up navel orange and 3/4 cup sugar, chopped up in a blender. That is it and you'll never have better cranberry relish. )

Then for desert we had a chocolate orange pound cake, vanilla ice cream, and a variety of cookies and chocolate candies. I don't think I mentioned the nuts and the fried cheese patties or the fruitcake which we all love. Alton Brown's version without the candied citron is great - why not dried cranberries, cherries, etc. But I love any fruitcake - I remember the TipTop fruitcake slices that my Mom used to put in my luchbox as a kid. I wish they were still around!

Anyway I had a great Christmas.

[SoVerySoft]

One of these days, I will finally get to try a latke. Not really a huge market for them here in the middle of KY.

They aren't hard to make - and freshly made, crispy outsides with tender insides are unbeatable.

Here are 3 recipes from eGullet's Recipe Gullet:

A simple one (http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r897.html)

A tad more complex (http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r1519.html) (includes photo)
btw, "schmaltz" is chicken fat (in case some folks don't know that.)

Here is one (http://recipes.egullet.org/recipes/r166.html) that falls somewhere between the 2 on the complexity scale.

(edited to add the 3rd recipe)

[r-nadiv]

Yum. Way better-looking than Bubbe's (whose New Year's Apple Cake was and still is famous in Brooklyn).

The other Chanukah thing is sufganiyot, jelly donoughts. (The original idea being to eat anything made in oil, 'cause of the oil that lasted 8 days... .) That's tonight's din. :eek:

[LarryTheShiveringChipmunk]

tasty...nuff said (:

[moonvine]

I had cheese and triscuits:P

[jamie]

Thanks y'all for the latke information. I don't know if I trust myself frying anything, Randi - I haven't even made fried chicken for myself, for some reason, there is an intimidation there.

Lilly - thanks for the heads up about Whole Foods. I knew there was one up there, but hadn't thought about them having them. Our idea of potato pancake is left over mashed potatoes mixed with eggs and flour and fried up until they are all fluffy and golden. Mmmms.

R-nadiv, thanks for sharing your nightly treats, they sound yummy.

I am enamored with the idea of other region/culture's food traditions. Although the area where I live is slowly growing, there are few options when it comes to culinary adventuring. When Justin lived in Memphis, we were able to have lots of different things, my favorite being Russian, now I am dependent on the rare trip away.

This year I found out that I *hate* Korean food, love Middle Eastern and could probably live in Vietnam.

[SoVerySoft]

Thanks y'all for the latke information. I don't know if I trust myself frying anything, Randi - I haven't even made fried chicken for myself, for some reason, there is an intimidation there.

Oh my, I hadn't read that far in the recipes. I just saw the ingredients (not really paying attention to the quantities). No wonder mine never come out good...I don't fry them in that much oil - I would just fry them like I would a burger in the frying pan. I haven't tried making them in many years.

I have to confess I am like you - I have never deep fried and have never made fried chicken!

[MissToodles]

I find the packaged latkes tasted perfectly fine. Brands like Streit make them. You usually add an egg and mix well. I would then shallow fry.

http://www.streitsmatzos.com/yearround.html

[Miss Vickie]

This thread's making me hungry. :eat2:

For Christmas eve we went early in the day and got some fun, festive, finger foods. I made the kids get stuff they'd never otherwise try so we had stuffed grape leaves, reindeer chili, several kinds of cheeses, Naan, thin sliced salami, Pokey sticks, Jaffa cakes, Hob nobs, Scottish oatcakes, and then we made stuffed mushrooms and bacon wrapped water chestnuts. I made homemade eggnog and it was delicious.

For Christmas morning, my sweetie made an English style breakfast and I made blueberry buckle coffee cake (as we do every year). Then we snacked all day on munchies and had a late dinner before my kids went to the airport to visit their dad in Seattle. Since we couldn't agree on a main course, we had prime rib (my first! It came out great!), a rotisserie chicken (my daughter's first! also great!) and some Alaskan king crab legs, which were lovely. We also had mashies with roasted garlic, rolls, and this yummy warm brussel sprout, spinach and bacon salad.

We're still eating leftovers. (groan).

[Yes2Dessert]

We're doing a combined New Year's brunch/latke party this year and I have been sent out for fifteen pounds of potatoes, half a dozen large onions, a couple of quarts of sour cream, and two large cans of Crisco, which, I was interested to see, total around 23,000 calories. I assume there will be some Crisco left over. On my own I'm adding a pound of domestic salmon caviar from Russ & Daughters on East Houston Street. Generally speaking I'm the only one who actually puts caviar on his latkes, which suits me fine, but I'd like to know if anyone else has tried this.

[r-nadiv]

...I'm the only one who actually puts caviar on his latkes, which suits me fine... .

This is a brilliant idea. Do you go easy on the oil so as not to overpower the taste and texture of the caviar?

[MissToodles]

Do you know there is a trans fat free crisco?

I'm not too crazy about the texture of caviar, it's one of those foods I can live without but I suppose it fits into the whole "have a prosperous new year" motif.

[Sandie S-R]

We have our big party on Christmas eve. That's when we open all our gifts with kids and grandson. Charlie (the grandson) and I started the day with baking cookies and brownies. For our dinner, I made a huge pan of my famous lasagne. Everyone loves it, Also a big salad with garlic bread, and cheesecake for desert.

On Christmas day Guy and I spend a cozy day at home. We had Eggs Benedict for breakfast (my fav). And then wonderful sweets and snackies all day. Then we finished off the Lasagne for dinner on Christmas.

Yummy stuff!!

http://www.zaftig-2000.com/sandie/photos/sandiepaint.jpg

[Fuzzy]

Traditional fare, at my mother's place, and later at a friends place. Turkey and all the trimmings, sides, rolls, and pie.

I was glad to not do any of the cooking. ;)

[Jeannie]

At first we talked about making traditional turkey and trimmings. Then we talked about going out someplace nice. Then it turned to grilling steaks at home, and then to spiral cut ham. This went on for several days.

Somehow we ended up making a big pot of pinto beans, cole slaw, and corn bread. That was definitely a first for Christmas day, but it was wonderful. :eat2:

[Wilson Barbers]

A friend sent us Omaha Steaks for Xmas, so we had grilled bacon-wrapped fillets, baked potatoes with sour cream, salad and pumpkin pie. Most of the day itself, we spent snacking on Hickory Farms cheeses and sausages with a variety of snack crackers. As "stocking stuffers," I'd gotten my wife a box of Fannie Mays and she'd gotten me a box of fruit gels, but we were both fairly restrained on these. All in all, it was a nicely well-fed holiday. . .

[saucywench]

....Think potato crockett. Apple sauce or sour cream is optional.

:) :) :)

That was a very hearty approximation, R, but I believe you were aiming for the word 'croquette'. My mother loves these (she calls them potato pancakes) and, as the following recipe notes, they are a good way to make use of leftover mashed potatoes.

*is put in mind of something served in a coonskin cap* ;) :D

P.S. I'm trying to reach 100 posts this first day of 2006 (3 or 4 more to go--I would have over 100 by now if I hadn't gotten in a fit and deleted some), so you might find me stalking you in other, previous posts. :p

Potato Croquettes

A great way to use up leftover mashed potatoes. It works best if you can let the croquettes chill for an hour after forming.
leftover mashed potatoes
egg(s) (one per cup of mashed potatoes, roughly)
flour as needed
garlic and/or onion powder to taste (optional)
bread crumbs
Mix the egg(s), mashed potatoes, spices, and flour until the mixture is firm enough to handle gently. Pat them into a patty or roll them into a cylinder, roll in bread crumbs, then lay on a plate covered with wax paper. Refrigerate an hour if you have time.
Heat a thin layer of oil and fry the croquettes, about 5 minutes on each side. They should be browned and crispy on the outside, soft on the inside.
Copyright 2003-2003 Ellen Lawson Ferlazzo

[r-nadiv]

The Punjabi Varient-

*wishing I'd seen this before the holidays*

Aloo Tikki (Fried Potato Cakes)

Ingredients: - Potatoes - 1/2 kg boiled and mashed, Bengal gram - 1/2 cup (Channa daal), Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp., Ginger - a small piece, Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp., Salt to taste, Green chillies - 2-3, Red chillies - 1/2 tsp., Chaat masala - 1 tsp., Mixed spices (Garam masala) - 1/2 tsp., Chopped corriander leaves - 1 tsp., Ghee for shallow frying, Filling.

Method: - Soak Bengal gram for two hours, heat 1 tbsp oil or ghee in a pan-add Cuminseed, allow to splutter - Add chopped green chillies, red chillies and salt. Cover and let it cook on low heat till it is well cooked. Sprinkle water while cooking. It should be all dry. Add chaat masala - mixed spice and chopped coriander leaves. Allow it to cool. Boil, peel and mash potatoes with a pinch of salt. Take a ball of mashed potatoes, oil palm slightly, make shallow cup with the ball of mashed potatoes, place a tea spoon of gram filling in centre and seal well and flatten the ball. Heat oil in a frying pan or grease the griddle shallow fry each tikki on low heat on both sides. Serve hot with mint chutney. Goes very well with khatte-chhole.

[r-nadiv]

:) :) :)

That was a very hearty approximation, R, but I believe you were aiming for the word 'croquette'.

Indeed was. Thanks.

[Ray^UK]

Breakfast of freshly home baked bread with cream cheese and smoked salmon.

Dinner, large turkey breast joint, roasted, with roast potatoes, roast parsnips and brussels sprouts (and lots of gravy). Afters was a chocolate pudding (that is an English steamed pudding) with chocolate sauce and extra thick double cream.

Lots of snacks and sweets and things in between and afterwards!

[SoVerySoft]

Breakfast of freshly home baked bread with cream cheese and smoked salmon.

Dinner, large turkey breast joint, roasted, with roast potatoes, roast parsnips and brussels sprouts (and lots of gravy). Afters was a chocolate pudding (that is an English steamed pudding) with chocolate sauce and extra thick double cream.

Lots of snacks and sweets and things in between and afterwards!

Welcome, Ray!!!

That sounds soooo good! Did you cook? (and didn't invite me?? ;) )

[Ray^UK]

Welcome, Ray!!!

That sounds soooo good! Did you cook? (and didn't invite me?? ;) )

Thank you for the welcome :)

I did some of the cooking, but only a bit. I 'did' the brussels (they were fresh not frozen so needed top/tailing and the outside leaves taking off) and helped a bit generally. I microwaved the pudding I believe, and served it. Oh and carved the turkey and made the gravy.

And as for your invite - you would have been most welcome! But I suspect you had other plans for that day that didn't involve popping across the pond ;)

[sweetnnekked]

My roomie treated me to $100 worth of Chinese takeout while we watched videos and dvds of our favorite Christmas movies!!

[Boteroesque Babe]

We had several Christmas dinners at the homes of several of my kinfolk, and being that we're a carnivorous clan, I only remember the beasts we ate. Deep fried turkey, marinated venison tenderloin, a slow-cooked roast, the Smithfield ham I love, the non-Smithfield ham I love a little less, an interesting charcoal grilled vinegar yardbird, and authentic pork chop chili tostadas made by an authentic half-Mexican in-law. I also actually got my fill of shrimp cocktail, and had some really good stuffed shells with sweet Italian sausage at a party one night, where I also filled up on those little redneck cocktail meatballs. And enough Brokeback Mountain jokes to choke a horse.

Hmmm... can't think of a single animal I didn't eat over the holidays.

Brought home some boiled peanuts, Virginia apple butter, and the most amazing homemade apple sauce ever.

But the highlight may have been the footlong chili dog from the old haunt where I ate most every day in high school. Same flavor, same wood paneling, same vibe, but the Little River Band and Molly Hatchett on the jukebox have been replaced by Jay Z and (insert other Jay Z -like artist here).

Had to come home and load up on grains and greens, so's I don't get all clogged up with beastie. But you didn't hear that from me.