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Post by lagatta on Dec 20, 2013 0:12:11 GMT
Tod, I was pleased to find your austral Snoek - I knew it meant a pike in Dutch, but there are so many types of fish called pike, in different parts of the world. Our pike here are freshwater fish (also very tasty). Of course it will be the Summer Solstice for you, so lots of fresh veg.
I don't think I'm making the duck tourtière this year; I am very tired. It takes a lot of work - fun work, when I'm up to it, as the duck has to be braised first and then stripped, and the bones added to the braising liquid to make concentrated stock. I bought some goat's milk ricotta and another goat cheese, and may make a sort of tart with those and some leek I've already prepared; perhaps some spinach or chard as well.
Bixa, the upper classes there must have had great lashings of gout. I doubt Joseph and Mary Peasant could afford so much animal protein, but I guess there couldn't have been as wide a selection of produce as people nowadays have, even in northern climes. Was cabbage too "common"?
I went for quite a long walk to buy my goat's yoghourt, to a Greek grocery I like - and which is extremely popular, due to their prices on cheeses, fresh produce and other essentials - in another district, but not terribly far away. I have to walk - feeling very out of shape as soon as the bloody snow pushes me off my bicycle. I did take the bus home, but not because I was tired - I had bought a 3litre tin of Greek extra-virgin olive oil for $13 Canadian, which is a very, very good deal here. This means I don't have to buy the stuff until Spring. There was a rush of people, and I put some things in my cart that I thought better of and had to put back.
I was at Le Chaînon, a charity/thrift shop in the area I walked down to, dropping off some items and looking at others - unfortunately no finds today. There were a couple of women talking about the difficulty of feeding vegetables to their children and trying to "sneak" them into innocuous stodgy foods. I've always liked vegetables...
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Post by lagatta on Dec 20, 2013 0:42:32 GMT
Here is a simple recipe for a torta pasqualina, an approximation of what I'd make with the ricotta, other cheese and veg, though I have the dry type of ricotta, so I'd add fewer eggs. I have som leeks prepared, but need some kind of dark green vegetable: www.italianfoodforever.com/2012/04/torta-pasqualina/Ligurian pasqualina is pascualina in Argentina and some neighbouring countries. I might simply buy a pascualina tapa around the corner, and make a free-form pie (the pascualina crusts would make a much larger pie than I want). |
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Post by mich64 on Dec 20, 2013 2:27:45 GMT
We will be having dinner at my sister-in-law's. My niece is a vegetarian so I offered to bring some vegetable dishes. She asked for turnip and yams so that is what I will bring.
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Post by lagatta on Dec 20, 2013 10:40:08 GMT
There should be some kind of non-meat dish with protein. It is easier if she isn't a vegan.
Turnip is really not something I'd choose for a celebratory meal, but to each her own...
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Post by bjd on Dec 20, 2013 12:56:50 GMT
I just reread this thread before going to the supermarket. No ideas at all and I don't want to go near the place on Monday or Tuesday.
Just two of us this year so I don't want to make anything huge which will leave me with leftovers for days. But I still feel I should do something a bit special. I don't mind the cooking -- it's the planning I don't like.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 20, 2013 17:01:03 GMT
I am ready ready ready! But!! I have invited my extended family to Sunday lunch (THIS Sunday!)as I will be roasting two, yes TWO, lamb shoulders, with roast potatoes and all vegetables in season ( and out).
The most delight for me will be making fresh mint sauce from the mint in my garden.
I am serving icecream cones for desert. Liquers and coffee.
Come Monday I will be getting the dining area spruced up and sparkling so that on Tuesday I can concentrate on cleaning the crayfish, etc. etc. etc.
I plan to have a "sit back and enjoy your efforts mom" Xmas day!!
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Post by tod2 on Dec 20, 2013 17:10:20 GMT
Lagatta - I had no idea the famous cape sea fish called SNOEK was related to the Pike family. I only have a largish chunk frozen but will do the following recipe. It will probably turn out to be a sort of starter.... braai.com/recipes/how-to-braai-snoek/ |
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Post by lagatta on Dec 20, 2013 17:46:32 GMT
Sounds great, but no braai up here this time of year! As for snoek, it is just because I encountered the name in the Netherlands: nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snoek |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 20, 2013 17:56:33 GMT
I am still totally undecided, but if my Chinese supermarket still has the bags of frozen crab claws from Madagascar, I might go for that. Since I will eating alone this year, I can make a crab cracking mess with nobody to see me.  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 20, 2013 19:25:01 GMT
It's good that you're making so much food, Tod, as I'm going to ditch the perfectly lovely invitation I have for Christmas day & come to your house instead. Roast lamb! Crawfish! And the side dishes ~~ I moan in happy anticipation!  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2013 1:28:58 GMT
We're going to my father's for the holiday. My non-red meat eating brother won't be there, so we're having prime rib and Yorkshire pudding. Potatoes, gravy, brussels sprouts, don't know what else yet. Neither of my guys are big dessert/sweets eaters, so I think we'll get by with some gingersnaps and maybe a pumpkin pie. I'll make my Dad kippers and toast for Christmas morning. ;D
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Post by patricklondon on Dec 21, 2013 10:11:58 GMT
My parents' generation would have been amazed at the idea of snoek for a festive meal. Some dried or tinned variant of it appeared in the UK in the later stages of WW2 food rationing in the UK, and despite the government's best efforts, they just couldn't get people to like the stuff. They still talked about it decades later in much the way four-year-olds talk about broccoli.
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Post by tod2 on Dec 21, 2013 10:40:09 GMT
Lizzyfaire - we would love to come for a kipper breakfast! Are they the genuine all head, eyes, fins, the lot.....or those fillets?
Patrick - How does that link grab you?.....Any resemblance to Snoek
of the past??
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Post by tod2 on Dec 21, 2013 10:50:17 GMT
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Post by Deleted on Dec 21, 2013 11:53:10 GMT
Oh, they're just fillets, I'm afraid. I don't think I'd be able to find the entire fish anywhere on Vancouver Island. Kippers used to be my father's favourite way of getting us up on a Sunday; my brother and I would have to go running outside to avoid the smell!
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2013 15:26:43 GMT
At the Auchan hypermarket today, I observed some of the holiday food. I probably would have taken even more photos, but I have been told in the past that photography is forbidden in the store.  They hit you with the pastry first -- traditional bûches de Noël.  The caviar and truffle case is only present at this time of year.  I had to wait a while for the mob to leave the canapé cases.  Here is just part of the cheese selection.  I had never seen horse roasts before. All of the horsemeat was imported from Argentina.  Then there were capons, whole foie gras, duck...  The turkeys they sell here are just the size of geese at best.  deer, boar and bison (20% off!)  boar, crocodile, kangaroo, even beef... the French will eat any dead animal for the holidays.  To wrap this up, I thought I'd show the mustard selection as well.  |
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 23, 2013 16:36:59 GMT
Were you there really early? Everything, except for one rummaged-through part right above the word saucissons is so tidy. Turnip is really not something I'd choose for a celebratory meal I might choose it for a last meal, just to make me feel better about dying -- knowing that I'd never have to eat it again. |
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Post by bjd on Dec 23, 2013 16:37:08 GMT
At the market on Saturday, the lady I buy eggs from was doing a roaring business in poultry. People had obviously ordered in advance.
This is probably the only time of year I see turkeys at the supermarket.
I just noticed Bixa's post about turnips. I feel that way about brussels sprouts. Actually, a combined meal of turnips and brussels sprouts would make a happy final meal, for the same reasons as Bixa.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2013 17:27:41 GMT
Were you there really early? Everything, except for one rummaged-through part right above the word saucissons is so tidy. Yes, it opened at 8:30 and I was there around 9:15. By the time I left the shopping mall at 11:00, cars were backed up almost a kilometre waiting to even get to the car park. |
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2013 18:15:55 GMT
The good think about living in a university town is that many folks leave for the holidays, and not just the students. Our grocery store wasn't too crowded this morning, but we kinda ended the peace when eleven of us showed up to shop.  |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 23, 2013 18:23:42 GMT
With a group like that, you should have split up, with some of you hunting for possums and muskrats to roast on a spit in the backyard while the others fired up the still. Oh, that's right -- you don't live in that Florida. ;D |
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2013 18:32:01 GMT
No.....that would be Mississippi. ;D
I mentioned earlier, I don't know exactly what we will be eating, only what I'm responsible for making. There will be at least 12 of us, but at one point I counted 15 coming. Who knows!
I'm charged with chili, rice, and cornbread on Christmas Eve, and a breakfast casserole and coffee cake on Christmas morning. For dinner we will at least be having ham, a roast with vegetables, corn pudding, cranberry banana bread, and sweet potato casserole. I could probably copy and past my post from this time last year and it would be almost the same.
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2013 18:37:24 GMT
At Christmastime I always miss the stone crab claws my dad used to prepare. They were the best! For some reason I've never thought about serving them for meals at my house.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 23, 2013 23:05:50 GMT
Mmmmmmmm ~~ what I wouldn't give for some good Florida stone crabs! Here George Orwell, famous cookbook writer, addresses a Christmas classic:  Source, story, & readable recipe |
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Post by htmb on Dec 23, 2013 23:11:12 GMT
I suppose we should bring out the Mexican Wedding Cookies. ;D ;D ;D
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Post by lagatta on Dec 24, 2013 1:57:22 GMT
I didn't know they ate bison in France. More exotica, I guess.
How about caribou or reindeer (same species). Eat Rudolf!
I have never eaten those stone crabs. Pity.
We are making something really "à la bonne franquette" (improvised) for Christmas Eve. I have a savoury tart (like a quiche, but less egg) made, incorporating goat's ricotta, leeks, other greens, other cheeses and will probably simply buy a bbq duck (buying one costs no more than cooking a duck). Vegetables - definitely no turnips, nor any brussels sprouts (I actually like the latter, but fresh from the market in the autumn, and ROASTED). Good bread, and a friend is bringing dessert.
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Post by mich64 on Dec 24, 2013 2:49:45 GMT
Bixa, my husband just today was mentioning that he wished that someone still made fruit cake. His favorite Christmas treat. This is the recipe I have for it! One of his co-workers used to bring him a loaf every year but has since retired. I have not made it since we were first married but now that our mother's no longer are doing it, I should do it next year.
Lagatta, I noticed a whole freezer at our Sobey's dedicated to exotic meat for fondue. There was elk, bison, kangaroo and others that I can not remember. Your tart and bbq duck sound delicious!
I have to admit, I do not know many that enjoy turnip, perhaps it is the pepper and butter I top it with that makes me enjoy it so much.
My husband's cousin invited us to dinner this past Saturday night as we will not see them due to my husband working. He broiled a rib roast and made Yorkshire pudding. His wife made a roasted red pepper soup, baked biscuits, asparagus wrapped in bacon and creamed cheese mashed potatoes. Chocolate caramel cake and apple pie for dessert.
htmb I will be making a dinner on the 27th for my family coming for a visit. I too plan on a ham but with green beans, carrots, roasted garlic potatoes with a berry and apple crumble for dessert.
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Post by bixaorellana on Dec 24, 2013 6:01:30 GMT
Mich, I adore fruit cake. My sister in Texas makes the most perfect, moist, flavorful ones of all. At Thanksgiving she brought me two (2!) and I couldn't fit them in my suitcase to get them home.  I hope my mother hides them & saves them for me. I don't know why I've never cared for turnips. I like most root vegetables & also like bitter-tasting things, so you'd think turnips would be a favorite. Guess I'll just have to come try yours. Your Saturday meal sounds divine, as does the menu for the 27th. I'm still wishing fondly for more of that fabulous ham my mother had at Thanksgiving. (we don't get nice ham here) Htmb, if you wanted to share that corn pudding recipe, that would be really fine. (that's if you're not sneezing too badly from the powdered sugar on the Mexican wedding cookies) LaGatta, your savory tart sounds absolutely platonic. |
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Post by Don Cuevas on Dec 24, 2013 10:22:10 GMT
The lineup for this evening's Cena de La Navidad at our amiga y vecina Sra. Salud's casa appears to an appetizer of baked Queso Panela con Nopal al Ajo, with totopos or tostadas; then pozole de cerdo, with the usual garnishes and condiments; Ponche caliente; Sidra espumante dulce, and dessert, an Italian (!) Torta della Nonna. (If it comes out o.k. on my first attempts.)
The appointed time is 6:00 p.m., but we're betting that it would be pointless to arrive before 7:00.
If lighting conditions permit, I hope to get some photos.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 24, 2013 16:49:35 GMT
Bixa, perhaps you need to try tatties and neeps, which is a good Scots dish of mashed potatoes and turnips, together. Rather cuts the pungency of the neeps.
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I hope my mother hides them & saves them for me.