It
is time once again for my annual Christmas column, words that
usually force my editor to reach for a large glass of brandy with a
splash of eggnog. But this year I will forego my annual rant
on the over commercialization of the holidays, and instead focus on
the one thing that makes this time of year so special. Tradition,
regardless of faith, this time of year is about gathering with
friends and family and perpetuating traditions handed down
generation-to-generation or even starting new ones with your family.
There are many traditions I enjoyed as a persnickety child – going
to the church that has been around since revolutionary times and
climbing the bell tower to ring the church bell announcing to the
world that it is Christmas day or breaking my toys and complaining
that my siblings made out better than I did. Tradition.
This being a food column I will focus on food traditions. Food
forms powerful memories with all of us. How else can you explain
canned green beans mixed with cream of mushroom soup and topped with
French’s canned fried onions? Tradition. But in some families, you
can be disowned if you eliminate time honored dishes.
Real Christmas cookies are a tradition that is losing ground
to pre-made dough or the pre-fabbed cardboard tasting variety. I
loved as a child seeing the variety of ethnic holiday sweets from
Pfeffernüsse to rugula. It made
me learn to appreciate the diverse traditions that families hold
dear.
Another food tradition that has been reawakened since moving back
to New Jersey is “La Vigilia” or the Feast of Seven Fishes. This
iconic Christmas Eve meal is celebrated by Italian –American
families, and the reverence for tradition borders on fanaticism.
When asking people what dishes they serve, the answers vary greatly
from family to family with all insisting that theirs was the
traditional old country feast. Most families include some variation
of the following foods: mussels; fried calamari; Baccala (dried salt
cod; sardines; anchovies and clams. The seven fishes represent the
seven sacraments of the Catholic Church. The term la vigila
means the vigil representing the wait until the birth of the Christ
child, although it can mean the wait between courses. This meal is
not a quick affair. These dishes are complex and cooked and simmered
for hours. This meal is about celebrating family – the meaning of
Christmas and tradition.
We all have our own traditions. I love the smell of roasting
chestnuts and have been known to force feed my family goose from
time to time. Goose is a wonderful bird often derided as greasy or
fatty. Not true when properly cooked it is rich, succulent and a
staple of Scandinavian households. For a successful goose, score the
skin in a diamond pattern and rub with bitters and sea salt for a
delightful brown crispy skin. Serve with lingonberry jam-stuffed
baked apples.
No Christmas celebration is complete without libations. A warm fire
and a cold night call for a warm drink or a drink that will warm you
through and through. My years in the mountains led me to perfect
hot buttered rum that could even melt the Grinchs’ cold heart.
Coffee drinks can be helpful when trying to assemble toys in the
early morning hours. Don’t worry. They are probably just extra
parts. Irish cream and coffee can make this process much more
enjoyable. This year start a new tradition and make your own Irish
cream it is quick, easy and you can customize it to your own tastes.
This Christmas season enjoy the following recipes along with your
family and friends and, until the New Year, Bon Appétit. |
Hot Buttered Rum Batter
½ Pound butter
1 Pound dark brown sugar
1 Pound white sugar
3 Cinnamon sticks
½ Teaspoon cloves
½ Teaspoon nutmeg
½ Teaspoon allspice
1 Pint vanilla bean ice cream
1½ Ounces dark rum
In large sauce pan melt butter.
Add sugars and spices. Cook for 8-10 minutes over medium heat until
mix is smooth and caramelly. Turn off heat. Fold in ice cream until
completely melted. Refrigerate. Store covered.
To make drinks in Irish coffee cups: Place 3 tablespoons of rum
batter. Mix in 1½ ounces or a jigger of dark rum. Top with boiling
water. Stir. Enjoy. Repeat as often as necessary.
Homemade Irish Cream
2 Cans sweetened condensed milk
1 Cup heavy cream (for a lighter version substitute milk)
1 Teaspoon instant coffee
1 Tablespoon Hershey’s syrup
1 Cup or more to taste Irish whisky
Place all ingredients in
blender. Blend on high speed. Refrigerate. Serve on rocks or in
coffee.
Pfeffernuesse Cookies
3½ Cups all-purpose flour
2 Teaspoons baking powder
1½ Teaspoons cinnamon
1 Teaspoon ground ginger
½ Teaspoon baking soda
½ Teaspoon salt
½ Teaspoon ground cloves
½ Teaspoon ground cardamom
¼ Teaspoon black pepper
1 Cup softened butter
1 Cup sugar
¼ Cup dark molasses
1 Egg
Powdered sugar to dust
Grease cookie sheets.
Cream butter and sugar. Sift all dry ingredients into the bowl.
Reserve. Mix
butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg and molasses. Beat
well. Gradually beat in flour, a little at a time until dough forms
into ball. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Form into-inch balls. Place on
cookie sheets. Bake at 350° for 12-14 minutes until golden brown.
Remove. Place on rack. Dust with powdered sugar. Makes 4 dozen
cookies.
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