Traditional Food

Posts Tagged ‘Christmas’

Christmas time’s favourite phrase must be “do you remember when…?” as families catch up and remember past times with wry smiles, chuckles and the occasional foot stamp preceded by pantomimic exclamations of “oh no I didn’t!”.  The rush of memories flooding back as we dig into the purchased Christmas Cake of despair when the taste of an overly-sweet dry cake makes us hark back to stickier times when Christmas cakes were moist, moreish, fruity and baked at home, with love.

Barbara Walker, Co-Manager of the Jamaican boutique hideaway spot Hotel Mockingbird Hill, whose organic Restaurant Mille Fleurs has been acclaimed by Gourmet Magazine, believes this is the one time of the year that those who ‘don’t cook’ should take a Sunday afternoon to get back into the kitchen.Â

Barbara says “I don’t have to go into the kitchen that often anymore and I am happy to leave the kitchen space to our wonderful trained Chefs, however the first Sunday of December is when I break that rule and the oven becomes mine, bearing in mind that I never bake.  There is nothing better than spending the afternoon stirring, whisking and beating whilst remembering my Mother’s wonderful Christmas Cake Recipe, which she is now passing on to her granddaughter. Just knowing that I can create something to share at Christmas, which is so good, that it is being handed down from one generation to the next without alteration – that is quite a rare accomplishment in today’s world.”

If you don’t have a family Christmas cake recipe to celebrate this holiday season why not try hers:

Barbara’s Rich Jamaican Rum Christmas Fruit Cake:
(for spices these are only guidelines – check and adjust to personal taste)

1.5kg finely chopped mixed dried fruit (use a blender or food processor if you prefer a smoother type of cake and preferably fruit that has been steeped in golden rum for a minimum of 2 weeks for before cooking date)
500 gm brown sugar
500 gm butter
750 gm flour (we use whole wheat but you could use white, if so you’ll possibly have to check the consistency) –if the mixture seems a little too wet add a little flour
1 tbsp. cinnamon powder
1 tbsp. nutmeg grated
1 tbsp.pimento powder (allspice)
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 doz. eggs
2 tbsp. vanilla essenceÂ
Pinch of salt

Method:
Cream sugar and butter until it is white and fluffy.
Seive the flour and mix in the dried spices, salt and baking powder
Alternatively add one egg at a time followed by a few tablespoons of the spiced flour mixture
When all eggs and flour are thoroughly mixed add the vanilla essence
Add enough of the fruit mixture until it gets a rich brown colour.
Put into baking tins which are lined with grease-proof paper and bake at a very low temperature 100C for approx. 2.5 -3 hours (and enjoy the aromas in the kitchen while the cake bakes!)

This cake is a moist cake so when you test it with a needle or pin, it will always be a bit sticky but check that the mixture is cooked through.

When cake is done, take it out of the baking tins immediately otherwise it will sweat. Leave to cool.

When cool, return to baking tin or to a storage tin and pour about 12 cl. (about 3 pegs or double shot) of rum and close the tin. Repeat this once a week till Christmas – the longer the cake is stored, the better it tastes!

The fun part about this mixture is that it can also make the Christmas dinner’s Christmas pudding: instead of baking all the mixture put some into greased and floured pyrex dishes, cover firmly with greaseproof our brown paper and steam -1½ hours in a pressure cooker or 2½ -3 hours in a bain-marie. When done, open up, pour over about 12cl of rum and put away for Christmas day. Repeat this once a week till Christmas – the longer the pudding is stored, the better it tastes! On Christmas day just warm up the pudding for about ½ hour in a bain-marie and serve with rum butter.

So an easy gift for your family & Father Christmas in 3 easy steps:

1.    Steep you fruit in golden rum
2.    Bake the cake and steam the pudding
3.    Let the cake soak “golden sunshine” rum in a minimum of 2 weeks leading up to Christmas.

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Recipe courtesy of Barbara Walker, Hotel Mockingbird Hill, Jamaica

To those of us that don’t know, crockpot recipes are among the best out there! Did you receive a crockpot as a gift at your wedding shower or perhaps as a birthday gift and have no idea how to use it? Crockpots are great kitchen tools that offer a convenience like none other. Many meals from basic chicken recipes to fancy Christmas recipes can be made in the crock pot. Crockpot recipes can be made ahead of time, say in the morning, and cooked slowly throughout the day. Then, when you come home from work, tired and worn out, dinner is waiting for you! Finding free recipes is easy.
There are many websites that offer them recipes free of charge to anyone. Things like fondue recipes and even specialties like Mexican recipes can be easily found. To find these websites, simply type “recipes” in your search box. Many will appear, browse through some until you find what you are looking for. Within the website, you will be able to search for what types of recipes you are looking for. To do this, type in “crockpot recipes” and the will appear. If you do not have the Internet, go to your local library to find books on the types of recipes you are looking for. Crockpot recipes are full of good ingredients. Make sure to purchase the correct flavorings or correct cuts of meat for your recipe. Fresh produce can sometimes be replaced with frozen, but make sure to follow the directions on the recipe.
Many times, you can through together a crockpot dinner from the things you already have within your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. Also, be sure to cut your ingredients to the proper size in order for the to cook properly. Cutting too small will cause them to over cook or turn mushy. Cutting too large, may keep them from being fully cooked. Lastly, make sure you read and understand how to use your crockpot. They have different settings for different types of food. Different types of meat will cook at different speeds. Same goes for vegetables. You need to understand how your crockpot works in order to prepare a delicious meal. Following the instructions on the recipe and understanding your crockpot will surely help you turn out a wonderful meal using simple crockpot recipes!

Christmas – it’s the most wonderful time of the year and that must be true if Andy Williams sang a song about it. But the lead up to Christmas is half the fun, (well that and the Gifts) and there are a variety of ways in which you can plan ahead to ensure that this Christmas is perfect.

Goodwill to all men (and women and children)
Christmas tends to bring out the joy in most of us and it can be a great excuse to get back in touch with those people who you don’t see for the rest of the year. Sending Christmas cards is often a good way of telling those distant relatives that you haven’t quite forgotton about them or a good way to butter someone up if you include them on your ‘popularity list’. Why not send your friends and family something a bit special in the way of cards this year and make your own? There are a number of card-making kits available for you to add your own design and signature, and their versatility means that they can also be sent as thank-you cards for those more generous friends and family. Don’t think of them just as cards but as a gift too.

Deck the Halls
Christmas is the ultimate party season and when you’ve put up the tree, hide the gifts below and plug in the fairy lights (and perhaps even an illuminous Santa Claus on the roof), don’t forget about the finer details that will help to crown you as king or queen of hosting. Choose from a selection of luxury Christmas tree decoration Gifts from the delicate and beautiful ’3 Ornate Polished Glass keepsakes’, to the ‘Snowlace Christmas Decoration’ an intricate white snow lace ornament for the tree. There are even more personal decorations to choose from such as the ‘Shopaholic’ Christmas Baubles; not quite as festive perhaps, but ideal Christmas gifts for anyone who likes to spend, spend, spend.

We all want some Figgy Pudding!
The food at Christmas seems to play more of a vital role than the occasion and the gifts themselves these days, but then who could really blame us when there are just so many delicious seasonal things around and when Christmas is the only time of year we allow ourselves to just go with the flow and eat whatever might be nearby. For help on making your own delcious treats, then Mrs Manley’s recipe books can give you some top hints and tips. From traditional Christmas recipes to goodies that even the kids could help out with, these little books can make lovely Christmas gifts for yourself or someone special.

Jingle Bell Rock – Christmas Game Gifts
After all that food and mulled wine, you can expect a lull in energy later on in the day so if you find that your guests are starting to close their eyes a bit and you’re bored of watching re-runs on the television, simply give them a shake and let the games begin. The Christmas Game Tin is a perfect gift and contains over 400 cards of parlour games, Christmas trivia and ‘corny Christmas Cracker Jokes’. For the more intimate dinner party gift then the ‘After Dinner Trivia Tin’ may have more appeal. However, if you want to do something a little bit more extraordinary this Christmas, you could get your guests to dress up and indulge in: ‘The Brie, the Bullet and the Black cat’ a superb murder mystery dinner party game that is sure to keep everyone on their toes. Christmas Gifts don’t come more original than that.

Don’t forget Rudolph
Oh, to be young again! For those lucky enough to believe in the real magic of Christmas, then why not embrace it and make this Christmas a truly special occasion? The ‘Dear Santa Mince Pie and Carrots Plate’ makes an adorable feature for any family Christmas. As tradition states, children should leave out gifts such as a mince pie and sherry for Santa and some carrots for his reindeer on Christmas Eve, this silver aluminium dish leaves a little message for him too and is sure to get everyone in the mood.

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Don’t forget to record your special day on camera for years to come. Despite new fashion trends for digital pictures, sometimes its nice to just sit and look through an album of memories, and so what better way to present them than in a Christmas Pudding Pocket Photo Album? An ideal Christmas gift, it comes covered in a faux suede colour for the Christmassy feel. It holds up to 40 photographs for you to look back and treasure…but don’t get too comfortable you’ve got next year’s Christmas to start planning for!

A christmas borscht recipe

Makes 8 servings.
In our times, Christmas is one of the last remaining times that a family gets to eat together for a couple of days or more. Traditional Xmas cuisine is just dandy, but before too long you really don’t want another meal based on Turkey.
That is when it is a good idea to cook a meal somewhat exotic, and this Christmas Borscht Recipe is perfect in that role!

Ingredient list
32 oz diced canned beets

3 cup water

1 celery stalk

1 carrot, chopped into quarters

1 bay leaf

1 garlic clove, peeled

1/4 teaspoon peppercorns

1/4 tsp salt

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon sugar

A small amount of dairy sour cream or dill for use as a garnish

Recipe instructions
Drain beets, reserve the liquid and put beetroot aside.
In a good sized pan mix the liquid from the beetroot, water, celery, carrot, bay leaf, garlic, peppercorns and salt.
Bring to a rolling boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
Remove solid ingredients with a slotted spoon.
Stir in reserved diced beetroot, lemon juice and sugar.
Carry on simmering for 10 minutes or until heated through.
Serve topped with sour cream (or dill sprigs as a garnish)
If you are looking for other tasty festive recipes, you can find a good collection at Christmas Recipes EU (http://www.recipes.eu.com/recipes25subcat0)
We hope you have a great Xmas meal and enjoy the festive season.

• 4″ x 9″ Notepad
• 12 Matching 4″ x 6″ Recipe Cards
• Christmas Design

Product Description
Stationery gift set contains a 4″ x 9″ magnetic backed notepad and 12 recipe cards tied with ribbon. Designed by artist Kate McRostie. Christmas Joy Collection…. More >>

Joy to the World Notepad & Recipe Cards Christmas Gift Set