Who's cooking / baking for the holidays?
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I took the Christmas cake that I made in October out of its tin today. 14.5 lbs of boozy goodness. I broadened the scope of the picture so wtg can see my ceramic tree.
Yesterday I made a Cherry-Walnut cake that someone on the overnight thread I visit posted last week. I haven't had this cake since I was a child.
A few days ago I made fondant centers for chocolates. I'd better dip them today. Wintergreen, Maple (I know, sickly color, but they'll look better in chocolate), and orange.
This year I made my Tourtière pie filling in October and froze it. Got to remember to take it out of the freezer today.... in fact I'm going to do that now!
The industrial revolution cheapened everything.
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Christmas dinner at @bernard 's!! All the goodies look fabulous, in particular the Christmas cake.
We're having our Lithuanian Kūčios (Christmas Eve dinner) tonight. Various types of herring, beet and bean salad, Salad Olivier, šližikai, (poppy seed biscuits with poppy seed milk), and kisielius (cranberry kissel). Tomorow is a bit up in the air.
Lithuanian Christmas traditions:
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My sister is smoking 18 lbs of prime rib on her Traeger tomorrow. The family is pot lucking the rest; I’m hosting at my house. I’m only responsible for roasted brussels sprouts (with Chinese sausage!) and a flourless chocolate torte. A friend is bringing mashed potatoes, another sister is bringing sweet potato gratin and mini oreo cheesecakes. My brother always brings a shrimp ring for before…
But we’ll also have our kids over for brunch first! Bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon, capers…scrambled eggs, mimosas, presents.
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I took the Christmas cake that I made in October out of its tin today. 14.5 lbs of boozy goodness. I broadened the scope of the picture so wtg can see my ceramic tree.
Yesterday I made a Cherry-Walnut cake that someone on the overnight thread I visit posted last week. I haven't had this cake since I was a child.
A few days ago I made fondant centers for chocolates. I'd better dip them today. Wintergreen, Maple (I know, sickly color, but they'll look better in chocolate), and orange.
This year I made my Tourtière pie filling in October and froze it. Got to remember to take it out of the freezer today.... in fact I'm going to do that now!
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@Bernard It all looks fabulous. Really 14.5 pounds of boozy cake? That’s almost like a packed box of salmon roe from my cannery days! (20 lbs, but hey)
@AdagioM said in Who's cooking / baking for the holidays?:
Really 14.5 pounds of boozy cake?
Yeah, out of curiosity I weighed it. It's full of fruit, armagnac, sherry, and marsala.
It sounds like you are having quite a feast!
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Christmas dinner at @bernard 's!! All the goodies look fabulous, in particular the Christmas cake.
We're having our Lithuanian Kūčios (Christmas Eve dinner) tonight. Various types of herring, beet and bean salad, Salad Olivier, šližikai, (poppy seed biscuits with poppy seed milk), and kisielius (cranberry kissel). Tomorow is a bit up in the air.
Lithuanian Christmas traditions:
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@wtg Salad Olivier is a new one on me.
Looks great!
This recipe is pretty close to ours, though uur version skips the ham, at least for Christmas Eve.
https://valentinascorner.com/olivier-salad-recipe-russian-potato-salad/
We used to call it Babos Salad, named after an elderly Lithuanian/Russian lady who was an integral part of the Lithuanian community I grew up in. "Baba" is "grandma" in Russian; that's what we all called her. She used to use crab meat on top as a garnish. Great addition!
We use red potatoes, skins on. I dice the raw potatoes and steam them. Much easier than trying to dice them after they're cooked. Same for the carrots, dice and then either steam or zap in the microwave for a minute or two.
No cukes in ours; they tend to release too much liquid as the salad sits in the frig to chill.
I had never heard of pickles with oak leaves (agurkai su ąžuolų lapais), but this particular brand of them has become our favorites. Kėdainių Konservai products are quite available at international markets.
https://tasteitmarket.com/products/kedainiu-pickles-with-oak-leave
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The family saved their bones for me!
https://share.icloud.com/photos/095ZtiNnSrctUy0QvmSPeLUxQ
Ham is (was?) a Honeybaked and there was lots of meat left on the bone. My experience with Honeybaked has been hit and miss but the meat on this particular ham is outstanding! Very fine grain, not quite deli ham but close. Not as sweet as others I’ve had, which I view as good.
Rib bones are from last night and also have a lot of meat on them. Seems this family doesn’t fight over the bones and gnaw on them like animals as was the custom in the Miller household.
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Honeybaked must have their hams butchered to order. I have never seen a ham bone shaped like this one.
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The family saved their bones for me!
https://share.icloud.com/photos/095ZtiNnSrctUy0QvmSPeLUxQ
Ham is (was?) a Honeybaked and there was lots of meat left on the bone. My experience with Honeybaked has been hit and miss but the meat on this particular ham is outstanding! Very fine grain, not quite deli ham but close. Not as sweet as others I’ve had, which I view as good.
Rib bones are from last night and also have a lot of meat on them. Seems this family doesn’t fight over the bones and gnaw on them like animals as was the custom in the Miller household.
@Steve-Miller said in Who's cooking / baking for the holidays?:
Rib bones are from last night and also have a lot of meat on them.
I'm drooling....
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I made broccoli — actually not my fave vegetable to cook, but the grandkids WiLL eat it. Chopped, parboiled, then ice bath, drained, and later sautéed and cheddar added. It was not bad. Maybe more work than I needed it to be.
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I made broccoli — actually not my fave vegetable to cook, but the grandkids WiLL eat it. Chopped, parboiled, then ice bath, drained, and later sautéed and cheddar added. It was not bad. Maybe more work than I needed it to be.
Brotha, I feel ya!
There are like 3 vegetables the grands will eat, and only one or two preparations at that.
No matter. If they’ll eat it, we’ll make it.
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I've started preparing my Brussels Sprouts in this manner, and I absolutely love them.
Throw a handful of halved Brussels Sprouts in a small saucepan with a half inch of water (add more as/if needed), cover and steam/boil until slightly tender. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Throw in a good knob of butter, a handful of roasted chestnuts, plenty of fresh ground pepper, salt, and a few teaspoons (or more) of maple syrup. Let cook but keep a good eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Yum!
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I've started preparing my Brussels Sprouts in this manner, and I absolutely love them.
Throw a handful of halved Brussels Sprouts in a small saucepan with a half inch of water (add more as/if needed), cover and steam/boil until slightly tender. Remove the lid and let the water evaporate. Throw in a good knob of butter, a handful of roasted chestnuts, plenty of fresh ground pepper, salt, and a few teaspoons (or more) of maple syrup. Let cook but keep a good eye on it so that it doesn't burn. Yum!
@Bernard I can vouch for that technique. I can’t recall where I saw it, maybe some macrobiotic cookbook. Carefully braise/steam the vegetable first, till partially done, then add oil and seasonings. You get better control of things like garlic and onion, which can overcook or burn if you add them first, and herbs and seasonings stay more vibrant.
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My extended family likes Brussels sprouts this way:
Halved, sheet pan, 425 degree oven. Drizzle liberally with olive oil, and less liberally with toasted sesame oil, a good grind of salt and pepper. Roast 10 minutes, stir. Roast 5 minutes, stir. Add Chinese sausage (lap xiong, sliced on the diagonal in 1/4” pieces, number of sausages up to you), drizzle all with oyster sauce. Stir. Roast 5 more minutes. They’re done, tender, some crackly leaves for interest. Delish!
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So my sister family visited yesterday and we had beef, new potatoes, roast veg again and leftover goose & gammon
Desert was brought, including a marscapone lemon delice which has a white chocolate biscuit base (top, Waitrose £18) that melts in the mouth as the huge lemon flavour overwhelms; also chocolate snowflakes and macarons.
And of special note, a home-baked blueberry topped lemon cheescake. Gluten free, no vegetable oils, very nice complementary flavours and everyone could eat it.
