Christmas Food - Page 5

classicman · 11-21-2008, 12:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sundae Girl

I'm A Celebrity... is sponsored by Iceland (cheap frozen food store, not the country) so after watching no tv for months I'm now watching two hours every night with 16 Iceland ads served up in between.

SG - they aren't really celebrities and that isn't really food - resist the temptation - RESIST! You must.

Aliantha · 11-21-2008, 04:30 PM

If you've got staples, why don't you make yourself some fruit mince pies (the ones without the mince.) All you need is water, butter, flour and sugar for the pastry and then make some fruit mince with mixed fruit. Stick the mixed fruit in a pot...bring it to the boil with some water, sugar and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves etc. Let it go syrupy and then fill your little prepared pastry shells. Pop the lids on and bake for 10 mins. Voila...your own simple little Christmas treats.

Sundae · 11-21-2008, 05:31 PM

I'm not a mince pie fan to be fair. And Mum has no mincemeat in the cupboards. And left me no fruit either (she did ask, I got veggies instead). As for the rest - they're not staples in my Mum's house

She has chilli, vanilla essence, curry powder, Italian mixed herbs. I think that's it. She grew up in the 40s.

With all of us gone, she just buys mince pies in batches of six - makes much more sense. Also, I loathe my own shortcrust pastry. Bleugh.

Aliantha · 11-21-2008, 05:34 PM

Oh well...it was just a thought.

Trilby · 11-23-2008, 08:13 AM

Ok. The weird menu is set: hot, home made roast beef sandwiches, hash brown casserole, mediterranian salad, pasta salad, salt rye wit spinach dip, lasangne, chips, assorted nosh's like veg and dip, chocolates, olives, nuts, cheeses.

Urbane Guerrilla · 11-28-2008, 03:33 PM

I just made my first shortcrust pastry last week. I was pretty pleased. My mom used to make it sweeter, I think by mixing some sugar into the flour before cutting in the Crisco, which she always used. Next time, I guess.

A "cider crust" substitutes chilled cider for the ice water. And there's a lot to be said for 'fridging the mixing bowl. This works best with a massive crockery one, but it's helpful even with a stainless bowl. Everything goes in cold.

There's a lot of lard around town. Think I'll try that method sometime.

Urbane Guerrilla · 11-28-2008, 03:37 PM

And fruitcake has to be 1) drunken, and 2) properly handled to keep it properly moist during its ageing process.

Stained-glass fruitcake is an excellent way to go: far more candied, boozed fruit than rich damp cake, of which there should be only just enough to hold the fruit together. That is a fruitcake that would change even Radar's mind.

Aliantha · 11-29-2008, 10:11 PM

I always put sugar into a shortcrust pastry for sweet pies and tarts.

If it's savoury I leave the sugar out.

dar512 · 12-01-2008, 12:11 PM

Not really a Christmas food per se, but we had a lot of this around the holidays in my family.

Cheese Dip
1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese
1 package Cream Cheese
1 tbsp milk or cream
onion powder or grated onion

Set the cream cheese out to soften a bit. Cream together the Old English, cream cheese, and milk or cream in your mixer. Scrape the beaters and hand mix in the onion powder or grated onion to taste. Hand mixing keeps it from getting bitter.

This recipe has been popular in my Mom's side of the family since the 30s.

Aliantha · 12-01-2008, 03:25 PM

sounds a bit like how you make french onion dip using packet soup mix. I don't know what old english cheese is, but we do have kraft cream cheese in a jar. I'm guessing it's fairly similar.

dar512 · 12-01-2008, 05:22 PM

It's a spreadable cheese in a jar with a sharp(ish) cheddar flavor.

Locoluis · 12-02-2008, 12:25 PM

Oh, Christmas cake.

Our version is a variation of the german Stollen, but with more candied fruits instead of nuts, and a darker dough. Here's a recipe in English

We just resort to buy it in the supermarket since we're not that talented at cooking in my family. It's always good anyways, even the cheaper stuff.

I haven't had proper german Stollen. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of nuts, but I guess it would be well worth a try. Maybe for a better year.

wolf · 12-16-2008, 12:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Locoluis

Oh, Christmas cake.

Our version is a variation of the german Stollen, but with more candied fruits instead of nuts, and a darker dough. Here's a recipe in English

Did that become popular in Chile after WWII?

(I also have noticed that one of the most popular card games in South America has a German, rather than Spanish or Portuguese name. I play Ecuador rules Telefunken.)

glatt · 12-16-2008, 08:33 AM

This is the recipe for the curried walnuts I sent for Cellar secret santa. I think they are really yummy. You think you are going to eat just one or two, and before you know it, you've had a few handfuls.

1 lb walnut halves (4 cups)
1/2 cup sugar
2 1/2 T corn oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 1/4 tsps cumin
1/4 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp chili powder

Preheat oven to 325 F. Blanch walnuts in boiling water for 1 minute and
drain well. While still hot, put in a bowl and toss with the sugar and
corn oil. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange in single layer on a rimmed
baking tray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 5-10 minutes. When
nuts are browned and crispy, put them into a bowl. Combine seasonings
and toss with the still warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to
cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

Urbane Guerrilla · 12-09-2008, 09:25 PM

Cider, and hard cider, in American parlance. Doubt it would matter in the quarter-cup quantities typical for a double-crust recipe (top and bottom crust). Sounds like SG just really never got into piecrust -- one of those things.

Cider crusts play well with fruit or apple pies.

How are you on graham cracker crusts or gingersnap crumb crusts, SG?

Now me... one of our treats as kids was eating the raw piecrust trimmings when Mom made a pie. Cain't tell me not to like piecrust!

Flew up to Denver to visit Mom over the weekend. Made a lemon meringue pie per the recipe in the Latest Recipe Thread, using lemon and lime juices squeezed from the fruit and not out of a bottle. Everyone including my younger brother's Significant Other (they flew in from Maui for the same weekend) AND Mom raved over it. I think the mantle is passed to me.

11-21-2008, 04:30 PM	#2
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	If you've got staples, why don't you make yourself some fruit mince pies (the ones without the mince.) All you need is water, butter, flour and sugar for the pastry and then make some fruit mince with mixed fruit. Stick the mixed fruit in a pot...bring it to the boil with some water, sugar and spices like nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves etc. Let it go syrupy and then fill your little prepared pastry shells. Pop the lids on and bake for 10 mins. Voila...your own simple little Christmas treats. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

11-21-2008, 05:34 PM	#4
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	Oh well...it was just a thought. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

11-23-2008, 08:13 AM	#5
Trilby Slattern of the Swail Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 15,654	Ok. The weird menu is set: hot, home made roast beef sandwiches, hash brown casserole, mediterranian salad, pasta salad, salt rye wit spinach dip, lasangne, chips, assorted nosh's like veg and dip, chocolates, olives, nuts, cheeses. __________________ In Barrie's play and novel, the roles of fairies are brief: they are allies to the Lost Boys, the source of fairy dust and ...They are portrayed as dangerous, whimsical and extremely clever but quite hedonistic. "Shall I give you a kiss?" Peter asked and, jerking an acorn button off his coat, solemnly presented it to her. —James Barrie Wimminfolk they be tricksy. - ZenGum

11-28-2008, 03:33 PM	#6
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	I just made my first shortcrust pastry last week. I was pretty pleased. My mom used to make it sweeter, I think by mixing some sugar into the flour before cutting in the Crisco, which she always used. Next time, I guess. A "cider crust" substitutes chilled cider for the ice water. And there's a lot to be said for 'fridging the mixing bowl. This works best with a massive crockery one, but it's helpful even with a stainless bowl. Everything goes in cold. There's a lot of lard around town. Think I'll try that method sometime. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

11-28-2008, 03:37 PM	#7
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	And fruitcake has to be 1) drunken, and 2) properly handled to keep it properly moist during its ageing process. Stained-glass fruitcake is an excellent way to go: far more candied, boozed fruit than rich damp cake, of which there should be only just enough to hold the fruit together. That is a fruitcake that would change even Radar's mind. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

11-21-2008, 05:31 PM	#3
Sundae polaroid of perfection Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: West Yorkshire Posts: 24,185	I'm not a mince pie fan to be fair. And Mum has no mincemeat in the cupboards. And left me no fruit either (she did ask, I got veggies instead). As for the rest - they're not staples in my Mum's house She has chilli, vanilla essence, curry powder, Italian mixed herbs. I think that's it. She grew up in the 40s. With all of us gone, she just buys mince pies in batches of six - makes much more sense. Also, I loathe my own shortcrust pastry. Bleugh.

11-29-2008, 10:11 PM	#8
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	I always put sugar into a shortcrust pastry for sweet pies and tarts. If it's savoury I leave the sugar out. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

12-01-2008, 12:11 PM	#9
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	Not really a Christmas food per se, but we had a lot of this around the holidays in my family. Cheese Dip 1 jar Kraft Old English Cheese 1 package Cream Cheese 1 tbsp milk or cream onion powder or grated onion Set the cream cheese out to soften a bit. Cream together the Old English, cream cheese, and milk or cream in your mixer. Scrape the beaters and hand mix in the onion powder or grated onion to taste. Hand mixing keeps it from getting bitter. This recipe has been popular in my Mom's side of the family since the 30s. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

12-01-2008, 03:25 PM	#10
Aliantha trying hard to be a better person Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Brisbane, Australia Posts: 16,493	sounds a bit like how you make french onion dip using packet soup mix. I don't know what old english cheese is, but we do have kraft cream cheese in a jar. I'm guessing it's fairly similar. __________________ Kind words are the music of the world. F. W. Faber

12-01-2008, 05:22 PM	#11
dar512 dar512 is now Pete Zicato Join Date: May 2003 Location: Chicago suburb Posts: 4,968	It's a spreadable cheese in a jar with a sharp(ish) cheddar flavor. __________________ "Against stupidity the gods themselves contend in vain." -- Friedrich Schiller

12-02-2008, 12:25 PM	#12
Locoluis Neophyte-in-training Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Santiago, Chile Posts: 3	Oh, Christmas cake. Our version is a variation of the german Stollen, but with more candied fruits instead of nuts, and a darker dough. Here's a recipe in English We just resort to buy it in the supermarket since we're not that talented at cooking in my family. It's always good anyways, even the cheaper stuff. I haven't had proper german Stollen. Honestly, I'm not a big fan of nuts, but I guess it would be well worth a try. Maybe for a better year. __________________ Sueños del Sur

12-16-2008, 08:33 AM	#14
glatt ™ Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Arlington, VA Posts: 27,717	This is the recipe for the curried walnuts I sent for Cellar secret santa. I think they are really yummy. You think you are going to eat just one or two, and before you know it, you've had a few handfuls. 1 lb walnut halves (4 cups) 1/2 cup sugar 2 1/2 T corn oil 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp pepper 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper 1 1/4 tsps cumin 1/4 tsp coriander 1/2 tsp ginger 1/4 tsp ground cloves 1/2 tsp chili powder Preheat oven to 325 F. Blanch walnuts in boiling water for 1 minute and drain well. While still hot, put in a bowl and toss with the sugar and corn oil. Let stand 10 minutes. Arrange in single layer on a rimmed baking tray. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, turning every 5-10 minutes. When nuts are browned and crispy, put them into a bowl. Combine seasonings and toss with the still warm nuts. Spread nuts in a single layer to cool completely. Store in an air tight container.

12-09-2008, 09:25 PM	#15
Urbane Guerrilla Person who doesn't update the user title Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: Southern California Posts: 6,674	Cider, and hard cider, in American parlance. Doubt it would matter in the quarter-cup quantities typical for a double-crust recipe (top and bottom crust). Sounds like SG just really never got into piecrust -- one of those things. Cider crusts play well with fruit or apple pies. How are you on graham cracker crusts or gingersnap crumb crusts, SG? Now me... one of our treats as kids was eating the raw piecrust trimmings when Mom made a pie. Cain't tell me not to like piecrust! Flew up to Denver to visit Mom over the weekend. Made a lemon meringue pie per the recipe in the Latest Recipe Thread, using lemon and lime juices squeezed from the fruit and not out of a bottle. Everyone including my younger brother's Significant Other (they flew in from Maui for the same weekend) AND Mom raved over it. I think the mantle is passed to me. __________________ Wanna stop school shootings? End Gun-Free Zones, of course.

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