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cupidmedia
Community Member

What's on your Christmas Menu?

I used to hate Christmas because I'd rather be in New Zealand with my family, but because my husband works in hospitality he can't get time off at this time of year. But a few years ago I decided to just have a nice Christmas regardless. I have a friend who doesn't have family herself to spend it with, who comes to stay for the weekend. And this year my in-laws are also coming for the day.

 

We are cooking:

  • Stuffed French Toast for breakfast (this is a tradition we have been doing for years for breakfast - it's an American recipe and involves an entire loaf of bread, an entire carton of eggs, and a whole block of cream cheese...)
  • Cranberry-glazed turkey with pumpkin and pecan stuffing
  • Roast mixed veg (potatoes, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, onions)
  • Gingered sweet potatoes with orange
  • Christmas Waldorf salad
  • Pavlova with fresh fruit, whipped cream, and fruit salad

Not many Aussies or Kiwis do turkey for Christmas - it's normally a ham - but my husband loves his turkey so I learned to cook one a few years ago and now I do one every year, usually with a different glaze and stuffing.

 

For non-Aussies/Kiwis, you probably don't know what a Pavlova is and boy are you missing out. It's kind of a meringue but that's doing it an injustice. It's also a bone of contention between our two countries - who made the first Pavlova? If you ever want to p*** off someone from Australia or New Zealand, just act like you think the other country invented Pavlova Smiley LOL

22 REPLIES 22
renata101
Community Member

Hi Jennifer, 

I agree with you. I'd rather be in New Zealand. 

I guess this is a bit of a cheeky posting. I love baking cookies. And there's one cookie that I especially like that no one else seems to go for. So with these, I get them all to myself.  Maybe they're just not as sweet or no one else likes pecans as much as I do. I make others too, but I always make sure to make a batch of these. I just sit back, make a nice cup of coffee and enjoy them. 

Chocolate-Espresso Snowballs

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 sticks softened unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
  • 2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 2 cups finely chopped pecans
  • Confectioners' sugar, for coating

 

HOW TO MAKE THIS RECIPE

  • In a large bowl, mix the butter, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Stir in the flour, cocoa, espresso powder and salt until thoroughly blended. Stir in the pecans. Cover the dough and refrigerate for 1 hour. 
  • Preheat the oven to 325°. Lightly butter 2 cookie sheets. Working in batches, roll the dough into tablespoon-size balls and place about 2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets. Bake in the upper and lower thirds of the oven for 15 minutes, until the tops are dry and the cookies are slightly firm to the touch. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack to cool completely; roll in confectioners' sugar to coat.

This recipe is from Food & Wine magazine:
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/chocolate-espresso-snowballs


**addendum: 1 stick or 1/2 cup butter is equal to 4 ounces, or 113 grams.

They sound great Renata! But I've never understood the US concept of a "stick" of butter, lol 🙂

 

I also have my famous Drunken Christmas Fruitcake ready to go after making it about 6 weeks ago, and I'll be making rum balls and also Tim Tam truffles (Tim Tams are chocolate sandwich cookies filled with a chocolate cream with a chocolate coating).

Roast turkey with rice and gravy.  I cook the turkey IN the gravy which I make from a roux and it's amazing.  Neighbors are bringing side dishes.  Dessert is this amazing chocolate rum marble cheesecake that I make.  Serving champange with pomegranite juice.

 

Made 6 loaves of pumpkin bread today to keep and also for the apartment staff (got to keep on their good sides! Get more done that way)

Mary, what time is dinner? That whole menu sounds delicious.  I am cooking Turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cheesecake and pumpkin pie.

Roast turkey with rice and gravy.  I cook the turkey IN the gravy which I make from a roux and it's amazing.  Neighbors are bringing side dishes.  Dessert is this amazing chocolate rum marble cheesecake that I make.  Serving champange with pomegranate juice.

 

Made 6 loaves of pumpkin bread today to keep and also for the apartment staff (got to keep on their good sides! Get more done that way)

UW strikes again.  Said I had to try to post again and so I did!  Oops.

I'm presenting an astronomy lecture at at upmarket game reserve on Christmas day, and my fee includes Christmas lunch there. It's going to be very good. 

e_luneborg
Community Member

This year my boyfriend (who is German) will attempt to cook some proper Norwegian christmas food. (Cooking is not really my thing.)

 

In Norway most of us either have ribbe (which is pork ribs) or pinnekjøtt (which is salted and dried lamb ribs, that you then steam for hours and hours). I grew up with ribbe, so I have to have that for christmas, but I prefer pinnekjøtt. So I usually have both. 🙂

Ribbe they have in Germany as well, and of course sauerkraut which is the most importand side dish. So that part of the meal I'm sure he can cook perfectly. More worried about the pinnekjøtt...

download (3).jpegdownload (2).jpegYummy!

 

In some other parts of Norway they also eat other kind of traditional food, like these dishes:

download (5).jpegdownload (4).jpegimages.jpeg

1) Rakfisk - Rotten or fermented fish   (tried this - not good)

2) Lutefisk - Fish prepared in lye   (tried this as well - just weird, and not that good)

3) Smalahove - A whole sheeps head   (never ever gonna eat this)

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atlinguist
Community Member

I am Austrian, but I will be cooking a (Brazilian) "moqueca" with king prawns, white bread -- and plenty of hot spices! -- on the evening of the 24th. (Should make for a fun night.) I just love it!

 

The dessert is a classic: what we call "Rehrücken" (a bit like a yule log, with chocolate and nuts.) Then, on the 25th it's duck and on the 26th the Austrian "Schnitzel". Chocolates (wrapped and hanging on the Xmas tree) throughout. 

Nothing you guys are talking about.  Being a Vegetarian nothing you guys talk about excites me. Talk about samosas and dal makhni or dosa's and I will be knocking on your door.

I first learned about Samosas during the New Orleans World's Fair in 1984 and fell in love with them!  Unfortunately, although there are now several fine Indian restaurants around, none of them serve samosas.  Sigh.


@Mary W wrote:

I first learned about Samosas during the New Orleans World's Fair in 1984 and fell in love with them!  Unfortunately, although there are now several fine Indian restaurants around, none of them serve samosas.  Sigh.


 Mary:  I will take you out of your misery.  There must be dozens of Indian Grocery stores in Big Easy.  Go to their fron food section and get a box of Punjabi Samosas make by Deep or Haldiram,

We use them all the time.  The receipe may call for deep fried, but we bake them (bit more healthy).  But being from LA you must be very adapt and fond of fried food! Smiley Wink

Prashant - I am sadly now 90 miles from New Orleans.  No Indian grocery stores nearby, just Mexican and a few Vietnamese.  Will look next time I got to the Big City!

Prashant, I had the best aloo paratha of my life the other night. So flaky and the spice was perfect. I'm lucky to have high quality Indian restos in my neighborhood that also deliver. What I love about Indian cooking is the depth of flavor in all the dishes - vegetarian and omnivorous alike. 

 

For Christmas we're traveling in Italy (and yes, I'm working a bit during the trip thanks to the beauty of online freelancing), so I think we'll do a pared down Italian dinner - maybe 3 or 4 fishes instead of 7 - for Christmas Eve. It's just our first day here, but I pretty much want to die of pasta and prociutto overload. For Christmas day we haven't decided what to make yet. Whatever it is I'll be happy to eat it with my little family in a part of the world we haven't explored before. That's the real gift. 

@Mellisa T:  Which restaurant was that?  Our son lives in Big Apple - Mid Town and him and his friends are always looking for places to eat.


@Prashant P wrote:

@Mellisa T:  Which restaurant was that?  Our son lives in Big Apple - Mid Town and him and his friends are always looking for places to eat.


Prashant, it was from Sapid in Brooklyn. Bombay Masala also is pretty good and reliable. If you tell those guys you want spicy - real Indian spicy, not American spicy - they listen. 

 

Vonda, it definitely is, but I have to tell myself I need time off... which is sometimes harder. I'm really looking forward to putting this computer away for 3 glorious days starting in about 45 minutes.  

Melissa, isn't it nice to be able to travel without telling your boss you need time off.

h3hdv7rlssvtxxzp
Community Member

Do you pay all of this with the income from UpWork?

 

I guess most of UpWork freelancers live really on low budget, so they dont really have funds for Waldorf and cream. What they earn will mostly burn away and not likely to generate much savings for X-mas dinner. It might be of course only me, who knows. For me at least, there is nothing, despite a lot of successful projects during the year. 

 

Seriously, that sounds like an awesome dinner. 

 

Personally for Xmas I prefer fish. What is more, I appreciate the people around me.  When you are on low budget, even a small set does taste pretty good. Usually I go 7-11 and buy a nice meal or two.

 

Merry Xmas all!

 

 

We are having tamales and chili. Traditionally this was our meal before church on Christmas Eve.

However, my son married a very nice Cuban girl and her family tradition is to do a pig roast on Christmas Eve. So, if I want to be with my son and his family I must eat piggie on Noche buena and save the chili for Christmas Day.

Prior to this marriage, I roasted a duck for Christmas.

My family's thing is cold meats and salads (ALL made from scratch by yours-truly)...followed by me extra special trifle....

 

The leftovers usually last to the next day, but as the kids are leaving to go see their mom (stepson) and dad (own kids)...methinks I need to come up with a few creative ideas regarding the leftovers problemo. Thinking a variety of quiches...


@Irene B wrote:

My family's thing is cold meats and salads (ALL made from scratch by yours-truly)...followed by me extra special trifle....

 

The leftovers usually last to the next day, but as the kids are leaving to go see their mom (stepson) and dad (own kids)...methinks I need to come up with a few creative ideas regarding the leftovers problemo. Thinking a variety of quiches...


 I fully concur with the cold cuts and salads idea- in fact, I've been doing it for several years. One can understand that people north of the equator might want a hot lunch on Christmas, but slaving over a hot stove in our climate is just silly, and that goes for the entire summer...

cdstallcup
Community Member

I'm in San Antonio, so our tradition in Christmas Eve is posole and tamales. I especially like the posole - it's a pork and hominy stew (though I also make a vegetarian version, Prashant, for my son's girlfriend and one of my friends). You fill a deep bowl half full of posole, then top it with diced jicama, shredded cabbage, jalapenos, avocado - whatever you want on top. It tastes spicy and fresh.

 

Next day, we'll just do easy stuff like cheese spreads and sliced meats for folks who want to come and go. Thanks for this thread, I'm enjoying reading everyone's plans -

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