Share your Christmas menus!

[Zerbie]

It's that time: time to post your Christmas menu!!


I know we have all varieties of tastes and styles here, including at least one gourmet. Post your goodie list so we can all swap ideas we like for next Christmas!

Who's first?

[Daniel]

Made with ribeye steak, red wine, onions, carrots, parsnips, celery and herbs, topped with mashed potatoes that have a sprinkle of Gruyère cheese. A touch of crème fraîche goes on before serving.

Also saw Paula Deen on the Food Network last night. She wrapped bunches of string beans in a slice of bacon and popped them in the oven (350%) until the bacon cooks- say 10 minutes. And I thought- gee- I could do that! So I am.

Comfort ye!

Served with salad, country bread and wine.

Dessert? Flaming (!) Christmas Pudding accompanied by port wine.

While shepherd's watch their flock by night.....

[Rick336]

We're having turkey, ham, greens, potatoes, cake, cookies, egg nog, and buttermilk pie.

Yum, yum!!

Rick

[christa08]

I'm going to Daniel's house for Christmas

[pnggrad79]

Down here in the South, we are having rain, rain and more rain. No seriously, we are having ham, mashed potatoes, corn, mac and cheese, rolls, and some sort of dessert (haven't decided yet what kind). I am seriously thinking of putting something on the mashed potatoes like cheese, bacon bits, etc. It has never been done, but my wife really likes it when she orders it at a restaurant.

We are really plain Jane around here. Any suggestions about ways to spruce up the mashed potatoes?

[Daniel]

Making some eggnog. Never have done it. But there is a recipe in the NYTImes. In fact, the website has an archive one can search. Cool, huh? There is a recipe there for oranges that sounds wild and wonderful- one has to soak them for three days ahead of time though. For the 3rd day of Christmas?

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/refere...ndex.html?8dpc

Here's the eggnog recipe!

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/200...IDESHOW_6.html

[nmwolfboy]

Okay, Daniel. What time is dinner?

We're having our main holiday dinner tonight. On the menu: smoked turkey, candied yams, green beans w/ almonds, and two kinds of pie - pumpkin & mince, with a hard sauce for the mince pie and whipped creme for the pumpkin. And an abundance of good wine & company!

Merry Christmas (Happy Hanukkah, Blessed Yule, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Festivus, etc.) to all!

[Daniel]

Originally Posted by nmwolfboy

Okay, Daniel. What time is dinner?

We're having our main holiday dinner tonight. On the menu: smoked turkey, candied yams, green beans w/ almonds, and two kinds of pie - pumpkin & mince, with a hard sauce for the mince pie and whipped creme for the pumpkin. And an abundance of good wine & company!

Decadent! And oooooh so wonderful! I'm coming over now!

[tdogg]

I'm going to Daniel's too. What time did you say to be there?

Well, maybe not what with all the travel troubles this week. So instead, my wife & I will spend the day with my sister and her children, feasting on turkey, ham, mashed & gravy, stuffing, green beens, spinach dip (my specialty) and cherry and chocolate empanadas for dessert. With whipped cream!

So, Z, what is on YOUR menu?

[Zerbie]

Yum!! I'm so hungry!!

Our big Christmas dinner is tomorrow when the fam' gets here. This is the first time we're hosting Christmas at our house. Still, it will be a small gathering.

I have no grand ideas for sprucing up mashed potatoes - they're really not something I care for much, therefore I never make them. But, what would it be like if you dressed them with a sprig of fresh rosemary? That might contrast nicely with the blandness of potato.

Btw - I LOVE mince pie and had a hard time not buying some again (since we had 2 mince pies at Thanksgiving.) I was determined that everything consumed this Christmas feast was going to be home made.

The Zerbie Christmas 2008 menu is as follows (everything made by Zerbie unless otherwise noted):

Leek & Mushroom Soup
Greens with Pomegranate & Olives (with caper-citrus vinaigrette and toasted pine nuts)
Cornish game hens & stuffing (DH does these, I don't cook meats)
Green beans with slivered almonds
Mashed Rutabaga (Mom makes this)
Orange Roasted Beets
Maple Parsnips
Braised Red Cabbage
Three Kings Bread
Fruitcake

We also have some imported Pfeffernüsse and Lebkuchen for desserts - YUM!!!

Beverages: Cabernet Sauvignon and assorted sparkling waters

[u-dog]

Standing Rib Roast
Yorkshire pudding
Mashed potatoes
Green beans with slivered almonds
Brussel Sprouts
Pie

[tdogg]

Originally Posted by Zerbie

I have no grand ideas for sprucing up mashed potatoes - they're really not something I care for much, therefore I never make them. But, what would it be like if you dressed them with a sprig of fresh rosemary? That might contrast nicely with the blandness of potato.

I love mashed potatoes - I mix them up with some butter and a bit of milk, salt & pepper. Like them just like that w/ or w/out gravy. But, you can always mash up some garlic, or even shred some white cheddar cheese to mix in. I love the white cheddar in mashed (although any cheese works quite well). That will spruce up the bland quite nicely.

[Gennee]

Roast beef
kale
potato salad
biscuits
apple cider
scallions
peach cobbler


I never turn down food. Maybe we all should meet somewhere.

Gennee

[BenL]

Just the two of us for Christmas luncheon. I made a small baked ham and served it with couscous flavored with pineapple juice and ground cloves, accompanied by fresh green beans. For dessert: Christmas cookies of many varieties. Charley is Swiss and bakes for days before Christmas.

Then we went to Clark University for a gathering of international graduate students who had nowhere to go on Christmas. It was organized by one of the students and her partner. The student's mother, an Italian national, was visiting from Geneva, where she lives. She made Vitello tonato, only she used thin pork cutlets instead of veal. (The only recipe I could find is in French, but I know Zerbie can translate. Too bad she's vegeterian. It was an incredible dish.) There was also tofurkey for the many vegans present, a big bowl of tortelini in a cream sauce, a plate of stuffed eggs, green beans and garlic, glazed carrots and many more dishes I can't remember.

Dessert was distictly European. There were almond clusters that reminded me of peanut brittle, but a lot darker in color. Mama made a wreath of fried dough balls and nuts held together by honey cooked until it forms a firm but not brittle candy. Very sweet, both of them. I didn't get a name for either of these.

Then on to an Italian-American household, where we were served tea with Italian cookies. Yum.