Themed Christmases Part One

Are you dreading a boring Christmas dinner? Then think beyond the usual fare. Have a themed holidsy dinner with different foods from around the world. It's a fun chamge up that's even more exciting than those Christmas gifts.

Most people would choose an English style holiday meal thanks to Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol". The 1843 ghost and redemption story hints at a great feast of turkey and steamed pudding and it can easily be replicated here. In fact their holiday meal was probably the basic for our Thanksgiving. Along with the bird there is stuffing, gravy , brussels srpouts and cranberry sauce. You could give it a Northern English falvro by subbing in Yorkshire pudding a savory whole pan popover for the stuffing. You could also serve a great joint of roast beef too instead of the turkey. The steamed pudding which is actually a cake is really the star of the whole meal. This dessert is really a steamed cake made with the usual batter ingredients of eggs, flour milk and sugar along with vanilla for flavoring. It;s poured in a large parchment paper line bowl which itself is placed into a sauce pan halfway filled with water. It's then steamed for two hours , Afterwards its' inverted upside down and is covered with brandy and a sprig of holly.The pudding is set afire and served flaming to the table. Custard or ice cream is usually served with it.

Another idea  and this depends where you are is the Australian Christmas barbecue. The Aussies go wild with the grill  since the holiday falls at the beigninng of summer Down Under. It's bring out the burgers and dogs along with chicken kebobs and shrimp. Cold oysters are another treat if you want to be authentic. They also make a potato gratin or scalloped potatoes,This dish is good even with any kind of Christmas main course. It's layering sliced potatoes with butter, cheese and cream and topping it off with crunchy bread crumbs or even crushed potato chips. WHat to finish off a big summer meal ? A fruit trifle is a popular choice.It's layers of any kind of fruit, gelatin or custard and fresh whipped cream. If you're really ambitious try the Pavlova, named for the early Twentieth Century Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova.  This layered cake of meringue, again fresh whipped and usually strawberries is a light and airy showstopper. Another warm weather Christmas meal is a Jamaican one. The main course is ham while the sides are a fun baked mac and cheese along with a fresh salad. Dessert is a yummy sweet potato pudding which is the crustless version of the pie.

These are just the beginning of an iinternational Christmas. Pick one and run with it. You can have fun with a traditional meal or a summery barbecue. Go wild. It's Christmas.