There's seldom a time when it's so important to get food right as it is at Christmas. And in many families, the traditional Christmas dinner is central part of the festivities.
We all remember the triumphs and disasters over the years: the dry, stringy turkey, the lumpy gravy, the overcooked brussels sprouts, smelling and tasting of sulphur. But time tends to blot out the more unpleasant memories -- and thankfully we can also mostly remember the good things too, like being allowed to eat chocolate before breakfast, mince pies and Christmas pudding with brandy butter, smoked salmon and cheese footballs.
The lesson to learn from all this is that Christmas is not a time to experiment. People want traditional food, cooked mostly as it always has been by the people who know how to do it. By all means allow the children to experiment with Christmas cookies but do not let them loose on the mince pies. Newly weds can certainly be allowed to help with preparing vegetables or cooking the sausages or bacon but they should not be allowed any where near the potatoes or gravy.
Every family has its gravy traditions. Mine involves tomato ketchup and Marmite, which probably sounds strange to anyone without the good fortune to have been born in the United Kingdom. Roast potatoes also require an experienced hand. They should be golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you are concerned about saturated fat I suspect you wouldn't be eating roast potatoes anyway -- but olive oil does give a good crisp finish, providing the potatoes have been parboiled and shaken in a metal colander to create the rough texture this cooking method requires. In this way you can have your proverbial cake and eat it -- which brings me on to cake and mince pies.
Christmas cakes should be made in November and the mixture stirred by every member of the household -- even the dog if you can manage it. This tradition is called stir up Sunday and it allows everyone to make a wish and to feel that they have had a part in the creation of a cake which typically will last them at least until Easter! The cake once baked is kept in a tin and fed at regular intervals with whiskey or brandy. Then it is ready for icing. The icing can be as professional looking or as homemade as you like. I would recommend using Royal Icing which allows you to create little peaks so that you don't have to worry about the surface being smooth and can also create enchanting snow scenes to house all the little cake ornaments you will inevitably collect over the years.
Mince pies are a must for a traditional English family Christmas. They can be bought or home made but should not be too large in order to avoid an extreme sugar overload and to allow people to consume more than one without appearing too greedy.
Personally, I would always use short crust pastry, but I do know however that for some people flaky is a must.
Every culture has its high days and holidays, and traditional food is one of the great joys of the Christmas season.
We all remember the triumphs and disasters over the years: the dry, stringy turkey, the lumpy gravy, the overcooked brussels sprouts, smelling and tasting of sulphur. But time tends to blot out the more unpleasant memories -- and thankfully we can also mostly remember the good things too, like being allowed to eat chocolate before breakfast, mince pies and Christmas pudding with brandy butter, smoked salmon and cheese footballs.
The lesson to learn from all this is that Christmas is not a time to experiment. People want traditional food, cooked mostly as it always has been by the people who know how to do it. By all means allow the children to experiment with Christmas cookies but do not let them loose on the mince pies. Newly weds can certainly be allowed to help with preparing vegetables or cooking the sausages or bacon but they should not be allowed any where near the potatoes or gravy.
Every family has its gravy traditions. Mine involves tomato ketchup and Marmite, which probably sounds strange to anyone without the good fortune to have been born in the United Kingdom. Roast potatoes also require an experienced hand. They should be golden and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. If you are concerned about saturated fat I suspect you wouldn't be eating roast potatoes anyway -- but olive oil does give a good crisp finish, providing the potatoes have been parboiled and shaken in a metal colander to create the rough texture this cooking method requires. In this way you can have your proverbial cake and eat it -- which brings me on to cake and mince pies.
Christmas cakes should be made in November and the mixture stirred by every member of the household -- even the dog if you can manage it. This tradition is called stir up Sunday and it allows everyone to make a wish and to feel that they have had a part in the creation of a cake which typically will last them at least until Easter! The cake once baked is kept in a tin and fed at regular intervals with whiskey or brandy. Then it is ready for icing. The icing can be as professional looking or as homemade as you like. I would recommend using Royal Icing which allows you to create little peaks so that you don't have to worry about the surface being smooth and can also create enchanting snow scenes to house all the little cake ornaments you will inevitably collect over the years.
Mince pies are a must for a traditional English family Christmas. They can be bought or home made but should not be too large in order to avoid an extreme sugar overload and to allow people to consume more than one without appearing too greedy.
Personally, I would always use short crust pastry, but I do know however that for some people flaky is a must.
Every culture has its high days and holidays, and traditional food is one of the great joys of the Christmas season.
Unusual ideas for Christmas presents are always welcome. If you're looking for a holiday gift for a keen golfer, how about a set of personalised golf balls? Customized golfing accessories are a popular choice for Christmas or a birthday.
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