Category: Christmas Food

The following provide just a taster of favourite festive foods, from around the world:

Austria

Austrians celebrate Christmas in grand style with a Christmas Eve supper of carp simmered in a ginger and beer-flavoured sauce and seasonal vegetables, followed by Topfenpalatschinken (sweet cheese crepes topped with an apricot caramel sauce) for dessert. The traditional fare on Christmas Day is roast goose with all the trimmings.

Australia

Australian Christmas dinners vary from state to state and from one group of people to another. In general, however, traditional Australian festive fare consists of roast turkey, with ham and/or pork. Christmas pudding (containing a lucky token) and mince pies are also served for afters.

Bulgaria

As with many other European countries the main Christmas meal is enjoyed on Christmas Eve rather than on Christmas Day. A typical Bulgarian Christmas dinner consists of twelve different meat-free dishes such as beans, nuts, dried fruit (usually plums), cakes and Banitza (cheese and spinach filo parcels).

Brazil

In Brazil, chicken, turkey, pork and ham are all popular meats for the main Christmas meal, served with rice, salad and dried fruits.

Czech Republic

Christmas is celebrated on Christmas Eve, in the Czech Republic. Following a typical starter of cod roe soup, a main course of carp or Wiener Schnitzel is served with potato salad including carrots, peas, celery, onions, eggs, pickles and mayonnaise, or with sauerkraut and dumplings. Linzer (sweet vanilla flavoured delicacies) are popular for dessert.

Finland

Codfish cooked in a creamy, spicy sauce, served with boiled or mashed potatoes, and roast pig, ham and vegetables are typical Christmas dishes, in Finland.

France

In France, Christmas fare varies from region to region. The Parisians, for instance, are fond of oysters and foie gras for their main Christmas meal, whereas in Alsace, goose is favourite. In other regions including Burgundy, Christmas food is similar to a traditional British Christmas dinner with turkey, cranberry sauce and chestnut stuffing, followed by Christmas pudding and mince pies. But the French tend to take their festive fare one step further, with a mouth-watering array of sweet pastries and petits fours.

Germany

Christmas Eve, fondly referred to as “dickbauch” (fat stomach) is when the Germans gather together to enjoy their main Christmas meal. German and Austrian Christmas dinners are very similar, consisting typically of gebackener karpfen (carp), or roast goose served with potatoes, cabbage, parsnips and pickled vegetables. Sweets include Christbaumgerback, sweet, sugary dough delights cut into festive shapes and baked until crisp, as well as Stollen, the traditional German Christmas cake.

Greece

Pork is the most popular meat for a Greek Christmas feast, served with sweet loaves called Christopsomo (Christ Bread).

Greenland

Christmas treats, in Greenland range from lamb to a dish of small auks, (seabirds, wrapped in sealskin until they decompose before they are ready for cooking), or whale steaks. After the meal Mattak (whale skin with a strip of blubber inside) is passed around the guests.

Italy

A traditional Italian seven-course Christmas dinner (Cennone), may consist of antipasto, anchovies, various fish, pasta especially spaghetti, meat (only occasionally), salads, fresh broccoli, fruits, cheese, sweets and magnificent cakes and pastries that vary from region to region.

Malta

Turkey and plum pudding are traditionally served for dinner on Christmas Day, in Malta. Timpana (pastries filled with minced meat macaroni) are also popular.

New Zealand

Barbecued meats such as pork, lamb or venison served with roast vegetables including sweet potato and pumpkin, salads and coleslaw are all popular Christmas fare, in New Zealand. For pudding, hot fruit compote with custard and ice cream is a “hot” Christmas favourite among New Zealanders!

Poland

Christmas in Poland is celebrated on Christmas Eve (Wagilia) with a traditional feast of twelve different dishes, each representing a month of the year. Oplatek (Christmas wafers or sacred offerings) are also shared. Fish dishes, especially herring, pike and carp are generally served instead of meat, at Christmas time. Other Polish festive favourites include fish or mushroom soup, or red borscht (beetroot soup served with soured cream), sauerkraut with wild mushrooms with pierogies (crescent-shaped, stuffed dumplings with a variety of fillings), and kutia (a rich dried fruit compote) for dessert.

Portugal

The Portuguese are partial to a speciality dish called Bacalhau (dried salt cod). For dessert, Rabanadas (bread soaked in wine, sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar and fried in eggs) or Bolo Rei (a fruit cake with a topping of glazed fruit and chopped nuts), are traditionally served at Christmas.

Scandinavia

The focus, in Scandinavian countries, is on sweet foods more than on savoury dishes. Pepparkakor (cinnamon and gingerbread biscuits) in the shape of stars, moons, hearts, even pigs, are traditionally baked for Christmas.

Sweden

In Sweden, the main celebratory meal, consisting of pork, ham, fish (usually herring) and brown beans is served on Christmas Eve, rather than on Christmas Day.

Spain

Similar in many ways to Portugal, Spanish festive fare focuses on seafood. White sea bass roasted in olive oil, onions and lemons and sprinkled with breadcrumbs is a traditional Christmas dish. Almonds and marzipan both feature prominently in most traditional Spanish Christmas “puddings” and sweets. Turrón, (nougat made from toasted sweet almonds and honey, similar to nut brittle) is particularly popular.

Ukraine

In the Ukraine, it is customary to serve a special twelve-course supper, on Christmas Eve. Traditional courses include borscht (beetroot soup), various fish dishes, cabbage stuffed with millet, and dried fruit compote topped with honey and crushed poppy seeds.

Christmas Dinner Past & Present

Did you know that…

• In Britain, during Elizabethan times, the well-to-do would feast on roast swan, peacock, boar’s head and goose, for Christmas dinner?

• More and more people, in Britain today, are foregoing the traditional Christmas dinner of turkey with all the trimmings, in favour of vegetarian options such as chestnut patE, borscht, savoury strudel parcels, chestnut stuffed mushrooms, cranberry sauce and walnuts, or vegetarian Christmas lasagne?

• In some European countries, including Slovakia and in the Netherlands, Saint Nicholas’s birthday, December 6th, is also celebrated, with sweets pastries and goodies handed out to children who have been particularly well-behaved, throughout the year. Naughty brats are traditionally handed pieces of coal, potatoes or onions!

There are always people who round out your Christmas shopping lists with big round question marks because you have no idea what to purchase for them. For instance, the aunt or uncle you see once a year during the holidays and outside of which have no idea what kind of lives they lead. These people can be hard to buy presents for because you have no sense of what they like, outside of egg nog. This year, for those hard to buy for people, you might consider giving a traditional Christmas food gift, because nearly everyone enjoys food!

You may also consider giving a Christmas food gift to the people you work with every day as well because even though you may share half your day with them, outside of work most people do not really know their co-workers. Christmas food gifts are also great safety gifts since guessing sizes for clothing and clothing tastes can be a tricky matter as well. This way, you can purchase something for your friends and relatives that will not leave them with another gift left in the box with a return tag.

One very traditional Christmas food gift is holiday sausage and cheese. There is no clear reason why cheese and crackers are so widely associated with Christmas, but for some reason, it seems to be the number one food gift that appears on the local store shelves in bright red and green packaging. Whatever the reason, cheese and sausages make wonderful Christmas food gifts because everyone enjoys these two items pretty much.

If you are handy in the kitchen, you might consider cooking up some cookies and fudge to hand out as a Christmas food gift. People love receiving homemade goods because many people do not have the time or skill to make these items themselves. Plus, it takes a little more thought and time to prepare a homemade Christmas food gift and so most people seem to enjoy receiving them more. Everybody, regardless of their connection to you, enjoys knowing you thought of them during the holiday season.

Besides exchanging gifts and getting together with the people we love, Christmas is also that time of year when special recipes are made. There are certain foods that have a ‘Christmas feel’ about them, often creating lots of holiday nostalgia. Christmas festivities have been carried down for centuries but where did it all begin exactly?

A fun Christmas food is the much-loved gingerbread house. Kids adore it and decorating the gingerbread house is a Christmas tradition shared in many households. Gingerbread men were highly popular in Elizabethan England, as women prepared the dessert to depict their husbands, as a sign of appreciation. They were made with flour, butter, ginger, baking soda, ground cloves and cinnamon for flavor, with the addition of sugar and molasses for sweetness. But, it was the German bakers that created the gingerbread house for the first time for Christmas celebrations and is believed to appear in approximately the same period as Martin Luther started the tradition of having candlelit Christmas trees. After the Brothers Grimm released their famous Hansel and Gretel story in 1812, the tradition of making gingerbread houses exploded around the globe.

Candy canes are another type of sweet food that is closely connected to the celebration of Christmas. It is said that this custom came from Germany around 1970 when the children in a local church choir received white candy in the shape of a shepherd’s crook in order to keep them quiet during the service. In the beginning of the 20th century, a candy manufacturer in Indiana thought about adding peppermint flavor to candy canes and using red stripes to make them more attractive. These sweets are still highly popular during Christmas, being used as a treat, for decorating gingerbread houses, or even for decorating the Christmas tree.

Buche de Noel or the Christmas Log, as many know it, is a special type of cake that is baked for Christmas in particular. It is believed that the tradition of making this cake is closely connected to the burning of the Yule log, which took place centuries ago, although no one knows for sure when the preparation of this type of cake started. If we take a look at the ingredients, it is very likely that the Christmas Log began to appear somewhere in the 19th century. The cake’s recipe includes eggs, sugar, flour, melted butter, chocolate butter cream, instant coffee, and hot water. It can be decorated with candied cherries, green sugar, and various candies.

Eggnog is still one of the most popular traditional Christmas beverages, also being among the oldest. How old is eggnog? Some believe that the first recipe for eggnog appeared in the 16th century, but under names like “posset” or “Syllabub”. The first written recordings of eggnog appeared only in the 18th century, making reference to the ‘milk punch’ that was prepared two centuries back, a sign that the beverage started to be appreciated on a larger scale. Eggnog is made out of eggs, brandy, rum, milk, and white sugar. Of course, the recipe can vary according to each person’s personal preferences.

These hearty foods are testament to the cold environment from which they originate. In Australia, with long hot summers, the Christmas Day cooking has developed into an outdoor barbecue, often with salads and cold beverages. Either way, Christmas food is all about sharing with family and celebrating!

So, you’ve had enough of the conventional unhealthy food you’ve been eating on Christmas Day or Thanksgiving Day year in, year out? You want to be able to celebrate in style but you desire a different approach in the food department – a healthier approach.

You’ve decided to have a Raw Food Christmas party for a change but are not quite sure what you can make? Perhaps you are a raw foodist or just like the idea of eating fresh and healthy food for a change. You want to abandon the overcooked stodgy food that makes you feel tired and lethargic afterwards and reaching for the alcohol to digest it (well, acid is a corrosive force!)

The thing about raw food today is that it doesn’t have to just be lettuce and fruit. Of course, that is very healthy but in temperate climates your body will eventually demand something more satisfying and filling. The answer is ‘raw gourmet food’. There are numerous raw chefs and even novices out there creating a style of prepared raw food that is inventive, classy and delicious. Why not give it a try? All you need are a few basic ingredients: – fruit, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and seasonings. You can elaborate later with raw cacao, coconut butter, raw sweeteners etc.

A raw fruit pie can be made by grinding 1 cup of whole nuts in a nut grinder or coffee grinder and then mixing with ½ cup soft dates. Press the mixture into a lined pie dish. For the filling, blend 2 bananas with ½ cup blueberries and ½ cup cashew nuts. Add 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and blend until smooth. Pour the cream into your crust. Set in the fridge for up to an hour. You can also decorate the pie with fresh fruits. This is a very basic recipe but you would do well to get a raw food recipe book to master the art of creative gourmet raw food. You might also consider attending a raw food class where you will learn all the basics in raw cuisine. It’s really quite simple once you become familiar with the ingredients. You can even make your own raw chocolate!

As an experienced plant food eater, what will I be making for my Raw Food Christmas Party this year?

*Apple Spice Punch

*Cream of Parsnip Soup with Petit Pain

*Pecan Nutloaf with Garlic Mushrooms and Pine Nut Sauce

*Honey Walnuts

*Chocolate Torte with Cream

*Festive Mince Pies with (B)randy Sauce

Over the New Year, I will make Mushroom Tarts, Crispy Kale, Cheesy Flax Crackers with Seed Cheese, Scottish Shortbread and Chocolates.

Is your mouth watering yet? You too could also create your very own raw festive feast for you and your family this year. Why not make Christmas and Thanksgiving a healthier celebration for everyone involved and include some tantalizing life-giving raw food on the menu? Once you’ve tried raw gourmet food, you will see how easy it is to eat healthily and still enjoy your food. So go on, try some raw food today. You and your loved ones deserve to be healthy. Have a happy and healthy festive time!

The holiday season of love and giving may very well come only once a year, however the spirit of this season keeps everyone buzzing throughout every season. Perhaps it is owing to the delight of seeing family again since the holiday is the greatest time to go home and get away from work. It could also quite possibly be attributable to that mountain of delights below that green tree. Amongst that bundle of joy, there are usually packs of appetizing foods, Christmas food gifts to warm one’s heart and sweeten one’s mouth.

Everyone knows when the season starts not only because of the cold air that touches our cheek but probably due to gift ideas wrapped in amazing papers in every store corner. There are plenty of gift ideas one may opt to use, dependent on varied factors such as the resources plus receiver as well. Fine foods, Christmas food gifts and wine gifts, for example are great gifts especially when attending a celebration. Candies and sweet stuff are the pleasure of every child in town.

Due to the fact people have so many different tastes and preferences, additionally, it follows that they’re going to be thrilled with various offerings at the same time. Listed here are the most common cooked foods, Christmas food gifts and fresh fruit that are certain to capture anyone’s heart.

1. Chocolates – Nothing can go wrong with this sort of sweet delights. This can be such as a chocolate bar, white or dark, a home made hot chocolate mix or possibly even home made chocolate candies and goodies. It’s always in fact not the cost that means something but the effort in making the gift special.

2. Fresh fruits – A gift basket of freshly picked fruits won’t only complement well an accompanying get-well-soon note. It can also be a great way to spread the wondrous Christmas spirit about. Healthy Christmas food gifts – fruits will not only cater to the emotional part of being loved but to the physical aspect at the same time since fruit is among the best part of anyone’s diet.

3. Cakes and cookies – Baking might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but in the interests of the celebration and giving season, it’s not at all such a difficult task to undertake. Cakes and cookies make up another ideal gift of Christmas foods. Christmas food gifts will definitely make any person, old and young, be pleased about the time and effort of the giver with each bite at such sweet treats.

4. Homemade recipe – Whether it’s your own or something copied from a cookbook, the time and effort is what matters. A sumptuous Italian recipe or an exotic Indian concoction is certain to arouse the receiver’s senses making them experience the sincerity of the giver.

Christmas food gifts shouldn’t have to be really highly-priced. The fact is, home made and prepared food for the tummy becomes food for the heart also. In the season of giving, it’s not the gift itself that matters. What counts by far the most will be the heart that generously extends out in the form of food to another heart that really enjoys the gift and is thankful for this sort of blessing. The spirit of giving is not measurable after all.

Jayne Waldorf has been an internet marketer for over four years. She lives in England with her husband and has two grown up sons. Her website provides year round gifts.

Christmas time is perhaps one of the best times in the year, and while it’s easy to get over excited about presents, putting up decorations and choosing the Christmas tree, there;s one job that almost everyone hates doing: buying a gift for the man in their life. By ‘man in their life’, this can mean partner, husband, brother, dad, brother-in-law or even neighbour, but while some men can be very easy to buy for, others can be extremely difficult, so what do you buy for the man who either doesn’t know what they want, or can’t quite decide what they would like for Christmas?

Vouchers
Of course, one of the easiest things to do in this situation is to give the gift of vouchers or a gift card for their favourite shop. This can help save a lot of time and money when it comes to choosing a gift, as you can find them quickly, and you can spend a set amount on them. However, while this may be easy for you, you run the risk of buying them a gift that isn’t very personal, and can seem a bit like an afterthought.

Food
Christmas time is the time of the year that we are all allowed to eat what and when we like, and so the gift of food in a Christmas food hamper, filled with treats, such as wine, cheese, chocolate, fruit, meat and other treats can be another great gift to buy the man in your life. If you cannot afford to buy a hamper from a professional company, then you can choose to make your own and fill it with their favourite foods, as this could work out to be a lot cheaper.

Clothes
While some people may advise against buying clothes for anyone at Christmas, if you know that person well, then you’ll probably be able to choose a few pieces that they can appreciate, such as a tie, a hat or even a t-shirt. Some clothes shops also have special mens Christmas gifts ideas, such as jewellery, wallets and watches, so have a look around and see what’s available.

Music
If you know that the person you are buying for has a favourite band or style of music, you can always try to outsource new releases by his favourite musicians – greatest hits collections are always very popular at Christmas time. However, make sure you’re not buying them an album that they already own; think retro, think about looking for old vinyls of the band or artist’s work, or even tickets to see them if they are playing next year.

Christmas food has a special appeal, not because they are prepared solely during the holiday season of Christmas but, because of the amazing richness of seasonal food. There can be no Christmas celebration without Christmas food. It is fun to experiment with various recipes during Christmas, modifying the traditional Christmas dishes and trying out the new ones. As soon as the holiday season starts, one is seen exhuming recipes from books and websites. It is indeed a great way of opening a whole new range of Christmas food for your guests. The involvements in culinary activities during Christmas inspire and ignite the holiday spirit in young and old alike.

There is no dearth of Christmas food. At the very click of the word on the websites, you will come face to face with an array of recipes. They are ideally suited for your much anticipated Christmas party. Don’t hesitate to add your own variations and flavors for a personalized touch. Your culinary skills will surely be acclaimed.

Given below are some of the Christmas foods, traditional as well as modern:

Christmas Cake
Apple-Glazed turkey
Christmas Pudding
Snowball Cookies
Christmas Tree Cookies
Chicken with Potatoes
Chicken Pot Pie
Apple Raspberry Spiced Cider
Festive Chocolate Dipped Pretzel Rods
Chocolate and Ricotta Tart
Fabulous Holiday Trifle
Chocolate Clusters
Glazed Ham with Port-Currant Sauce

More On Christmas Food

Apple Gazed Turkey:

Ingredients:

· 1-12 pound turkey

· ½ cup apple jelly

· ½ teaspoon cinnamon

· ¼-½ teaspoon red pepper

· ½ teaspoon salt

Directions: Preheat the oven to 325 degree Fahrenheit. Remove the giblets and neck from the turkey and place them on a roasting pan. Put the turkey on a rack and roast it until it is turned brown. Cover the turkey in a foil and continue to roast it until temperature in the thickest part of the thigh is 175 degree Fahrenheit. Melt the apple jelly in a small bowl and mix cinnamon and peeper in it. Brush the turkey with apple glaze and boil it 4 inches away from the heating element for about 3 minutes, until it is turned brown. Remove the turkey from the oven and allow it to rest for 30 minutes before carving.