Christmas Dinner, Past & Present

[Jughead]

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - what was your family tradition, and what is it now? Who made it? Did you have to travel to get to it?

I make Turkey and all of the timings.....


The thing that makes it "christmas" for us is we purchase a st. honore cake.

That is some cake! Wish I could trade. All we're having for dessert on Christmas is homemade apple pie with ice cream (a la mode). It pales in comparison to that mouth watering cake!

 

[HenryBHough]

We have the family over for a delicious dinner of pastelillos.

They're like empanadas, except the spices are different. Possibly my favorite food ever.

Which look ever so much like Cornish Pastys (a workaday lunch) not to be confused with pasties, the tassels of which are notorious for becoming stuck in yer dentures.

 

[Destroyer2]

We have the family over for a delicious dinner of pastelillos.

They're like empanadas, except the spices are different. Possibly my favorite food ever.

Which look ever so much like Cornish Pastys (a workaday lunch) not to be confused with pasties, the tassels of which are notorious for becoming stuck in yer dentures.

Heh, they do, don't they?

The major differences are that they are much smaller, more doughy, and there's more empty space inside with the filling.

Also pastelillos don't get stuck in your teeth.

 

[BDBoop]

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - what was your family tradition, and what is it now? Who made it? Did you have to travel to get to it?

Cool thread!!!

There is a dinner I make at Christmas-time that is a specialty in Switzerland, called Raclette, which is a sort of cheese fondue.

/looks at watch

So if I start walking over there now, barring any choppy seas in the North Atlantic ... ... ... Will you serve it at my funeral?

 

[Statistikhengst]

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - what was your family tradition, and what is it now? Who made it? Did you have to travel to get to it?

Cool thread!!!

There is a dinner I make at Christmas-time that is a specialty in Switzerland, called Raclette, which is a sort of cheese fondue.

/looks at watch

So if I start walking over there now, barring any choppy seas in the North Atlantic ... ... ... Will you serve it at my funeral?

Raclette is like a mini-grill that you set on your table, with heating element under and a grill on top. You grill any kind of meat you want on top and meanwhile, in little mini-pans that are pizza-slice shaped, you fill those pans with veggies of your likely, like cut pickles or carrots or broccoli and then place a thin piece of Raclette cheese on top. Those little pans (usually 8 of them) essentially bake on the bottom while the meat is grilling on top and every 5 minutes or so, you then have a small meal. Usually also served with small potatoes. All kinds of sauces can go with it. There is a great oil from Austria called "Körbiskernöl" (Pumpkin Seed Oil) that is just awesome with this dish.

This kind of meal encourages great conversation while you are cooking your own mini pan to your own liking.


It is also tradition that everyone helps to clean and scrub the raclette stuff immediately after, for raclette cheese residue is really hard to scrub off when it hardens.

So, it is fondue only in the sense that the cheese melts.

You can buy raclette devices and have them delivered in the USA.


Here is what is can look like. I have this model, from Severin:

 

[Destroyer2]

Hot damn.

That is one sexy grill right there.

 

[Statistikhengst]

Hot damn.

That is one sexy grill right there.

Dude, those things are awesome. It is totally fun to cook together and make your own creation. Sometimes, in spring, I hold a raclette and card party at the same time. We play romme and do raclette. A really good dry red wine goes well with it too!

 

[Statistikhengst]

Christmas Eve was at home with my father's family. It was roast beef mashed taters 4 or 5 veggies and pies. LOTS of pies. And presents! Yay presents!
When everyone had left, Mom, my sister and I would walk across the street to Midnight Service. Sis usually slept through it, though I was always wide awake and attentive, as I remember.
The following morning, after Santa had left more presents, we loaded up for the trip to my mom's parents', later, her sister's house, where, lo and behold, Santa had left more presents. My sister and I felt very special to receive 2 visits from the fat man. I remember feeling a bit guilty, but a bicycle or a train set usually made me forget that.
Following opening up our gifts, it was to the table for a turkey dinner with mashed taters, 4 or 5 veggies and pies. LOTS of pies!

I love pie!

Yum!

 

[BDBoop]

Hot damn.

That is one sexy grill right there.

I know, right!? Times like this I am relatively certain I was a man in a previous life.

That, and my love of Fleet Farm.

 

[BDBoop]

I was just thinking. We spend a decade, two at the most, just burning up with anticipation for Christmas and Santa's visit. Then there is a decade (if that) of meh. Christmas. Then we have little ones and see Christmas through their eyes.

But after that it's got nothing to do with the presents. Not to me, anyway. I'm all "GRANDS!!! I get to see the grands!"

So in a sense, Christmas is generational, as seen through the eyes of a child. Other than that, for me, it's just another day.

 

[bodecea]

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day - what was your family tradition, and what is it now? Who made it? Did you have to travel to get to it?

Father standing at top of stairs, makes us wait...goes down, turns on lights...comes back up and says "looks like Santa didn't come this year"....we kids began to mouth it with him after a few years.

 

[bodecea]

Meals...more breakfast....pigs in the blanket with hot mustard, coffee cake and strudel.

 

[Destroyer2]

Just made a huge batch of shortbread cookies dipped in chocolate for tomorrow~.

You can never have enough cookies at Christmas, true fact.