2020 Christmas Season holiday food

[rwsaunders]

Mrs. RW prepping her homemade Swedish meatballs for tomorrow’s meal. Don’t ask me, as neither one of us is remotely related to anybody North of the 60th parallel.

[rwsaunders]

The bread is ready...babka wreath in production...stay tuned.

[rwsaunders]

[kdawg]

Had a brisket in my smoker since 3am. Resting right now while the point is being turned into burnt ends. Another hour or so until we eat but it looks great.

First time doing a whole brisket so I’m pleased.

[mnoble485]

Dependable things:

Bears shit in the woods
Fat babies fart
The Pope is a Catholic

RW’s Christmas spread is fantastic.
I have become accustomed to your holiday pics and you have not disappointed. Please god, tell me that cinnamon “thing” tastes as good as it looks!

Thanks RW, made my morning.

Mike

[rwsaunders]

Please god, tell me that cinnamon “thing” tastes as good as it looks! Mike

Mike...chocolate babka...tastes like a chocolate croissant and it’s almost gone. I will post the recipe and progress shots as the Chocilate Babka thread, as it’s pretty cut and dry but man, the ingredients aren’t in the Weight Watchers’ guidebook. Truly made for us cyclists to consume...with a double shot of espresso. When I make it again, I will make two smaller wreaths as opposed to one large wreath and do a little better on the braiding...I was nervous. Your grandkids will enjoy for sure.

[robin3mj]

Looking good RW.

My wife is English so her Christmas time food lineup is as sacrosanct as our thanksgiving albeit spread over multiple days.
Christmas Eve pie (pork mince)
Rib of beef,Yorkshire pudding, sprouts, hedgehog potatoes etc.
cranberry orange tart.

And between stockings and opening presents there is smoked salmon on brown bread and champagne.

[echappist]

Looking good RW.

My wife is English so her Christmas time food lineup is as sacrosanct as our thanksgiving albeit spread over multiple days.
Christmas Eve pie (pork mince)
Rib of beef,Yorkshire pudding, sprouts, hedgehog potatoes etc.
cranberry orange tart.

And between stockings and opening presents there is smoked salmon on brown bread and champagne.

We actually bought a Christmas pudding made in England (my wife and I consume a lot of stuff from Britain, both literally and figuratively, including quite a bit from the Beeb), but we failed to set it alight. That was a disappointment, especially as the Armagnac we used basically just soaked the bottom of the damn thing. Now we'll have to study just how Mary Berry got hers to go aflame.

Also made osso buco with risotto. Problem is that the meat veered so much toward the "falling-off-the-bones" tender end of the spectrum that it was difficult to place a photogenic piece of shank on the rice (oh well, another first world problem for which we should be thankful). Washed all that down with tripel ale from Le Trappe and some Amarone. We could certainly improve the presentation aspect of it all, but having said that, it was still preferable to the osso buco we had at an Italian restaurant in Amsterdam last year, where the meat was still so tough that I had to use a steak knife.

Haven't eaten since last night (some 17 hours later), and I still don't feel that hungry. Going to burn off some kilojoules on Zwift now.

My wife will also be making some mincemeat pies later, so there's that.

[Paul Jacobs]

I have often struggled to light a Christmas pudding. Spirits with a high alcohol content, 50% alcohol by volume or above, make it easier as does warming the alcohol first. Take care when heating a pan of high alcohol content spirits or just heat a small quantity for safety.

[echappist]

I have often struggled to light a Christmas pudding. Spirits with a high alcohol content, 50% alcohol by volume or above, make it easier as does warming the alcohol first. Take care when heating a pan of high alcohol content spirits or just heat a small quantity for safety.

Interesting idea. We'll give that a try. We should have one of those lighters where the trigger mechanism is far away from the flame, but just couldn't find it. Instead, tried to light a wooden stick on fire, but that went nowhere. We have some Glenmorangie (43%) and Japanese Whisky (47%), but we do also have 95% ethyl alcohol, bought when stores were out of isopropyl alcohol and we needed disinfectant. I guess we could dilute that down and give it another go.

Btw, I recall you making osso buco a few weeks back. Did you have any luck getting the shank to your plate in one piece?

[Paul Jacobs]

47% whisky should work and a blow torch makes a good lighter, from the workshop or one of those sold for cooks to use for crème brûlée. I use one from my workshop for crème brûlée. As for osso buco, I raised each one with a large fish slice slid underneath.

[AngryScientist]

should have taken photos because the result was outstanding.

did our usual prime rib roast this year on my kamodo grill.

low and slow for 3 hours at about 260F, indirect heat with some beautiful aromatic wood on the coals. remove to rest, open the vents and let the temp rip. reverse sear for 7 minutes or so at 750F with the grill roaring.

i'm 100% sold on the low and slow method for good meat. perfectly even temp all the way through and super tender. the 750 degree reverse sear does magical things to the outside.

man, what a meal.

[rwsaunders]

The end of the Yule log...

[mnoble485]

I would post a picture of our Spam and DingDong Christmas dinner but I’m afraid I would be permanently (and rightfully) banned.
You guys really take things to the nth degree!

Mike

[caleb]

Wife over Christmas: "My grandparents always used to eat fish with the heads still on. We should do that."

Ask, and you shall receive.

[vertical_doug]

My wife's tradition January 1, Osechi





Lobster not complete without gold leaf cut in the shape of a cherry blossom.

(Just trying to keep one of our favorite Japanese places alive in the city)

[rwsaunders]

We have 15 family members coming in for Christmas Eve dinner, which was delayed a day, and is now back on, as Alaska Airlines was able to rebook my oldest’s canceled flight from Seattle to tomorrow morning. Keep your fingers crossed, as the flight update triggered Mrs. RW’s next phase of the food preparation this evening…Boeuf Bourguignon. I’m just dealing with the bread, wine and coffee. More pics to follow of course. What are you folks up to?

[mg2ride]

I'm cooking the meat for both sides of the family this year. Since it was in the 50's yesterday and the teens today I did all the smoking yesterday.

2 hams, A Pork Loin (cut in 1/2) and a Chicken on the Smoker


Seared the Loins on the Grill about Mid Smoke


A turkey in the oven because there was no enough room in the Smoker


My cookies don't present as well as some of the goodies in this thread but there is a reason they are called "Magic" bars. Best cookies ever.

[Tom]

Going pretty basic. Mail order ham, easy scalloped potatoes, skillet roasted carrots.

And a trifle. Cookies made of ground almonds, sugar and egg to be dipped in amaretto. Check. Raspberry puree. Check. Lemon and sherry infused cream to be whipped tomorrow in fridge getting stiff. Check. Custard cooking in water bath in oven. Check. Sheet cake to go. Assembly tomorrow. Sometimes dessert is the thing.

And I am going to walk down to the local deli to see what pickles or chutney they might have. I'm feeling a little condiment light.

[robin3mj]

We’ve got a houseful of Brits this week and are eating well.
Beef cheek pappardelle
Oxtail
Five spice chicken
Sea bass ceviche
Tomahawk steaks
Pizza
Crab bisque
And beef Wellington tomorrow