A Very British Christmas

Somehow Christmas and England go together. Maybe it's because that one of the best Christmas stories of all, "A Christmas Carol" is set in London of the 1840's , written by that great British writer, Charles Dickens. Or maybe it's because some of our culinary  traditions have come from there. Whatever it is, recreating a very British Christmas is easy to replicate.

The British are big on turkey. It's mentioned in "A Christmas Carol" with Scrooge having a boy buy the biggest turkey in the market for the Cratchit family. You could easily make this, if you're not sick of the Thanksgiving leftovers. If not, the Brits love ham and a good beef roast. The last is always served with the mouth watering Yorkshire pudding. This is kind of like a giant popover being made with ,eggs ,water and flour. A half cup of pan drippings from the beef gives it a buttery , rich flavor. Serve it heaped with slices of the meat. Brussels sprouts and mashed potatoes round out the meal. Of course it wouldn't be a holiday meal with out mince pies. This may not be for some thanks to the suet or beef fat added in. You can omit it if you want, and just leave in the dried raisins, currents and various peels such as candied lemon and orange. What to drink with all of this? A sweet port wine has been gracing British Christmas tables for three centuries.it originally came from Northern Portugal, from the Douro Valley.It was during Britain's early 17th century battles with France that they discovered this sweet, rich brew, They hated anything French , including wines and turned to Portugal for them. Of course sloe gin is a must , both on Christmas and on Boxing Day, the day after Christmas.

The Great British Baking Show Master Class  shows have introduced us to a variety of holiday treats. One luscious one is Tunis cake, popular in the northern part of the country. It is a Madeira cake, another holiday bake topped with a thick layer of chocolate ganache. If you want to go full on British Christmas , then think about a steamed pudding. This is an elaborate make with fresh breadcrumbs baking powder and suet blended with raisins, currents and candied lemon and orange peels. Baking soda is added to give the pudding rise and flour is used for body. it's more of a steamed fruit cake, boosted up with  brandy. The batter is poured into a buttered or greased pudding bowl. It's then steamed for six hours in a hot water bath.It's served with brandy butter, a mix of butter, confectioners sugar hot water and brandy. This can also be served with mini mince pies too. Trifle is another fun British dessert that graces holiday tables. It's a boozy mix of Madeira or pound cake, cream, sherry, English gelatin and strawberries. (you could use Jello if you're in the states), Sometimes the meal also ends with a plate of rich Scottish shortbreads.

A British Christmas is a fun one. The dinner will make you burst. The desserts are just as rich and filling. It's a memorable way to celebrate the holiday  - with a Dickensian kind of flair.

Fish And Chips The Perfect Friday Meal.

One of the benefits of a Lenten diet Is eating more fish.Mostly many go for the safe and sensible kinds of grilled salmon and seared scallops. However – there is one dish that defines a fish dinner – fish and chips. That East End favorite is a great Friday night meal.

Mention fish and chips and images of London come to mind. Many ,including us Yanks, think it’s the quintessential British food. It actually isn’t, first arriving in Britain with the Sephardic Jews around the 1600’s. The influence was the Portuguese pescado frito, deep batter fried fillets which the Jews cooked on Friday night to eat on their Sabbath – Saturday. Potatoes didn’t come into the mix until the Columbian Exchange of 1492. Fish  - mostly cod and sliced spuds were the food of the working classes throughout coastal Britain. Charles Dickens was the firs t to mention chips in his 1859 masterpiece A Tale Of Two Cities. A year later the first fish and chips eatery or chippy opened in London.They were first sold and still are sold in old newspapers with a good dousing of malt vinegar. The Americans discovered it thanks to the seafood companies of Mrs Paul’s and Gorton’s, however their offerings are a pale imitation of the real thing.They have what’s known as fish fingers  - which are fish sticks while the real deal is huge triangular pieces of plaice a type of North Atlantic fish.

Fish and chips is a relatively easy dish to make. You do need a  fryer however a regular skillet will work just fine.  Use the oven for a healthier version.Start off with the potatoes. They need to be fried first. Russet potatoes are the bet choice for the chips. Peel them and cut them into fries the size of your index finger. First fry them for only two or three minutes then remove from the hot oil. Let them drain thoroughly. Now it’s time for the fish, Combine flour and baking powder along with salt and pepper. One cup of milk and one egg are also added to create a batter. Let the mixture stand for a good twenty minutes. Dredge the fillets in  this until they are thoroughly coated and fry in preheated oil. (you can use the oil from the potatoes) When the fish is frying, add the chips for the last five minutes  until all are golden and crispy. Malt vinegar is the condiment of choice however it is a bit eye opening if you haven't had it before.Ketchup and tartar sauce are your best bet. For a true English experience serve it with mushy peas  - mashed peas with butter and cream.

Get your Brit on with homemade fish and chips. It's a tasty and fun meal for a Lenten Friday night supper. Make it and enjoy a taste of the United Kingdom.

Toasty Party Drinks

Somehow imbibing in a cold party cocktail doesn't sound so hot , especially if you or your guests have slogged through sleet and snow. Bring some cheer and warmth into the picture by mixing up some hot ciders and punches.These Victorian drinks have lasted through many a Christmas season and you can bring them back.the best part, they're far from being Victorian.They have spice and sass along with a good kick.In other words they are the perfect holiday libation. One of the best hot drinks is mulled cider.This is simply taking regular Apple cider and mixing it with all spice berries along with clove cinnamon and some nutmeg.For a more fresh from the tree flavor, add an apple studded with cloves.A cup of dark rum gives it the much needed kick.You can float orange slices on top for some color..If you want a pulpier cider, add some fresh apple juice straight from your juicer.Another variation is adding amontidillo sherry as well as honey , again preferably dark to temper the taste. Cider can include the hard alcoholic variety or applejack and it too, can be heated.It does have to have the soft cider as a base however you can add more of the hard stuff and less of the soft version for a boozier version.Spices are still required as well.If you're having a more intimate party of six or eight you can think about serving applejack toddies.It's boiling regular cider with with cloves and cinnamon.The applejack is then added and the mug is then garnished with cinnamon stick. Hot punches are a nice way of warming up a crowd ,both figuratively and literally..One of the best is Charles Dickens, version.,Although everyone knows this great English author as the creator of that holiday classic "A Christmas Carol" he is also the originator of tasty punch, worthy of old Fezziwig himself.It is a heady blend of both rum and brandy along with brown sugar and lemon?It does come with a warning.The punch has to be lit with a match after it has simmer for a few minutes over a low flame.Also there is the added step of chilling it overnight and then rewarming it for your guests..There is also the Smoking Bishop punch mention in A Christmas Carol, and it had been around for at least one hundred years before Dickens even mentioned it in the story.Coleridge even called it a drink divine..This ruby port mixed with lemons and oranges along with a variety of spices.There is the usual. Clove and cinnamon but Ginger is added for zing as is mace.Red wine is used as temperer of sorts and also there is sugar thrown in.This is a more involved recipe because the fruit has to studded with cloves and then roasted.Two pots are needed to cook up both the red wine and spices.There is a 24 hour cooling time before it's reheated and served. An easier drink is the Jamaican tea punch.Basically it's brewed tea with Jamaican rum added. Fresh squeezed lemon or orange juice is added along with some sugar for flavoring. Nothing beats a cup of mulled cider or hot punch. On a blustery snowy night.These bring heat to any party ,perfect fr thawing out frozen guests.They reflect tradition. But also the liveliness that comes with that. .

Merry Christmas To All My Fellow Foodies

December 25th.


Merry Christmas. Enjoy this holy day and holiday with good food, family and friends and great foodie gifts. Enjoy your new Rachel Ray or Paula Deene cookbook or that new food processor. A favorite writer of mine (and the man who I always thank for introducing me to writing) Charles Dickens had written in his 1843 “Christmas Carol””Keep Christmas in your heart the year long.” Follow his words , today and always.

Liz