Many people throughout the world celebrate Christmas. It is certainly a degree of diversity in how people celebrate Christmas and this is especially so with the foods that are traditionally eaten. Claudia, one of my blogging friends who lives in North Carolina wrote a post about preparing food for Christmas. Claudia is originally from El Salvador and I found it so interesting to read
here about the foods that her family prepares at Christmas.
When I was growing up, Christmas dinner was always Italian style. We would have pasta first, then a chicken stew which I think was called Chicken (Pollo) Stufato. It was delicious and quite rich with lots of butter and olive oil in the rich tomato based sauce. Chicken was a treat here in Australia in the 1950s and 60s; it was quite expensive. (Even though DH's family had 'chooks' in the backyard, his family still didn't eat a lot of chicken either.) Mum would always make a plum pudding and serve it with homemade custard for dessert ...mmm still love that!
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| Christmas Eve at our place 2011 |
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| Not one, but two plum puddings! |
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| The cake all decorated by DH's cousin |
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| Brandy truffles; a family favourite |
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| Some rocky road made by my brother's partner; the white chocolate one is VERY popular! |
It was probably when I was still at primary school that I discovered that my friends (from British backgrounds) also had chicken for Christmas dinner but they had it roasted and served with gravy and baked vegetables. I then would complain to my mother that I wanted roast chicken not stufato...too bad, so sad, we continued to eat chicken stufato.
When I married and left home I cooked Christmas dinner for the family for 28 years. I used to roast chickens or some cut of meat such as a rib fillet, and a big pan of roast vegetables and of course serve plum pudding and brandy custard. For a few years after that I would go to my brother's house and we would have a BBQ meat and seafood lunch with lots of salads.
When I met DH, suddenly I was part of a big family! I did continue doing a hot roast meal for about 6 years but in the last few years have succumbed to what many Aussies do, have a buffet meal with cold meats and salads...oh and of course, I must not forget the the plum pudding and custard (and icecream and jelly if I'm really being 'naughty')
Maybe readers might like to comment on their Christmas menus?
