Just returned from the other sis & BIL’s Christmas Eve gathering (the joys of having 87 yo mom–I get to duck out early). There were meatballs, roast beef, lasagna; bruschetta, garden salad, quinoa salad, cheeses, meats, assorted olives, mushrooms, etc. And a table full of homemade cookies, fudge, and candy. Also a table full of various wines and coolers of beer (I went for the Victory Hop Devil). It’s the weirdest Christmas ever in the Philadelphia area with temps in the 70s, so the party spilled into the backyard–a good thing as there were 4 generations of two families plus SOs, friends and neighbors.
Never did ask what’s on the menu for tomorrow. Mom’s bringing the fish course of mustard roasted flounder stuffed with crab. I’m bringing the deviled eggs, chocolate mousse pie and assorted home made cookies and toffee.
My gathering has been moved to the 30th as the Navy won’t let my nephew come home until the 29th. I’m sure I’ll figure out the menu by then?
Harters, have you ever tried braising turkey? I don’t like it as a roast, as it is often dry, but I’ve made lovely braises with the dark meat.
As a historian, you might tell us how turkey supplanted goose as the alpha festive fowl. I suppose it was cheaper to produce.
I’ve bought surprisingly good cheap wine from Lidl in the Netherlands and Belgium (where I was in Germany, there wasn’t a Lidl handy, but I found decent cheap white wine at another supermarket). No Lidls here in Québec, and while there is wine, beer and cider in grocery stores here, there is an overbearing wine and spirits monopoly, meaning among other things restrictions on discounts.
Harters
(John Hartley - a culinary patriot eating & cooking in Northwest England)
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Not an area of great expertise, I’m afraid. But I believe you’re right about cost. Traditionally, beef wouid have been the main festive meat for many of the British population. Goose would have been available as a fairly expensive meat for folk living in urban areas but, of course, would have been raised by cottagers in more rural areas for their own consumption. Turkey was a luxury item here until the 1950s, when mass production started to reduce prices.
Well, I’ve had a few “mystery bottles” from my father’s collection (i.e.: he thought they were dead and gave it to me to try in case they weren’t.)
So I went along with a few of my wine enthousiast friends and opened a “Mouton Rothschild 1961”, a “Vosne Romanée 1961 La Grande Rue” and an old american wine (it had no label). The Vosne Romanée was dead on arrival (it tasted like water), the Mouton was still very good (TONS of fruit) but was a little tired (you could taste its vigour fading away) and the american was maderized (the wine turned and tasted like porto). I have another mystery bottle waiting for me: a Grand Echezeaux 1982.
I’m saying “momofuky style” because I’m using the molds and acetates from my “momofuku milk” cakes experiment and i will be assembling the Marjolaine like a Momofuku milk cake instead of its traditional arrangement (I don’t have a marjolaine mold).
