Let’s
face it for most of us; once the gifts are given and received, Christmas is all
about the food. The whole lead in to
Christmas revolves around celebrating with friends, work colleagues, family and neighbours. All of these celebrations are centred around the food. People haggle
with much anguish about where they should go for the work break up dinner or
the girl’s lunch, which canapés would be best or what meat they should have on
the BBQ for the street party.
One of my
best girlfriends, who rarely cooks or caters, has gone mad this Christmas by
hosting a series of Christmas gatherings in the days leading up to Christmas
Day and is then hosting Christmas Day with all the trimmings. She is slicing, dicing, glazing, stuffing and
garnishing. I’ve never seen her produce
more than one platter of 12 savoy biscuits with gourmet toppings on them, so I
am waiting eagerly to see how this turns out for her!
These types
of behaviors go on right up until Christmas Day then it’s absolute food
anarchy. There is always way too much food and everybody eats way too
much. No matter where you go or where
you come from there are endless tables full of roast meats, vegetables, salads
and enough desserts to start a cake store.
It seems outrageous that for one day the majority of the population to
go extremes to cater for their loved ones.
Coming
from a Hungarian background on my mother’s side, the menu on Christmas day
seems even more ridiculous than what I have seen on the Australian side of my family. We always have to start with soup, even when
its 45 degrees in the shade. Then we
have all of the Hungarian staples along with some Australian dishes to round
out the main and then dessert course.
It’s a hot and cold buffet catering for every culture, age group and
dietary requirement possible. And that’s
only lunch! I don’t even want to get
started on Christmas dinner.
But I
love it. I eat too much, drink too much
then fall asleep on the couch, waking up 40 minutes later to realize I’ve been
asleep with my mouth open and once again missed out on doing the dishes!
In all of
this food absurdity there are some delights that only seem to appear at
Christmas time. I’m not sure why that it
but I know that when you try and eat some of these things outside of the
festive season they are nowhere near as good. So here are my top five food
favorites at Christmas time that need not bother at any other time of the year.
1. Sticky
Date Pudding with Caramel Sauce. My secret recipe that I share with no one – I’d rather make you one
than share the secret.
2. Cherries.
They need to come in a massive box
and be delivered by that cherry guy that you never see. The cherries just appear at the front door a
day or two before Christmas.
3. Aunty
Marg’s Trifle. I don’t want to know how she makes it so I can make it myself. Just
turn up with it each Christmas please!
4. Creamy
Cucumber Salad. My Hungarian grandmother makes this for
Christmas Day lunch and it’s the best. I
believe it’s Hungarian because she makes it and because it has paprika on the
top of it!
5.
Left Overs on Boxing Day. Need
I say anything except it all just tastes better the next day. It really does.
Merry
Christmas Friends!
Eat, drink and be
merry!
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