Christmas Food Plans

[Mountain Goat]

Oh my god.

I'm not sure how many people we have this year and of what food limitations so can't yet make any decisions. But I'll probably do either a chicken, or cockerel (I've never had this but am interested) or guinea fowl. Also on the consideration list are porchetta and venison but I think it'll end up being a bird, to optimise trimmings. I mean, you can't really have chipolatas with porchetta. There's a chance I may have a vegetarian and am thinking about a pithivier with crown prince squash, mushrooms, hazelnuts and sage (and a gravy using barley miso and marsala) but I'd need to check her likes and dislikes so am trying not to get ahead of myself (and failing).

[bramblerose]

Epp, they sound divine! I need a good non fishy, non mushroomy starter that's not soup. I'm just wondering if those would be too heavy for starter though

[Derek Nimmo]

I mean, you can't really have chipolatas with porchetta.

I think you'll find you can

Epp, those look utterly filthy. In the best possible way, obviously.

[olive]

Epp, those look amazing!

I’m picking up my parents in the evening on Christmas Eve so I assume dinner will be nibbles as my sister and boyfriend will have arrived the night before.

Similar to Rosa we’ll have a Christmas Day breakfast and a late lunch so never bother with starters as we tend to have a lots of nibbles knocking about throughout the day.

I haven’t thought too much about Christmas yet as we need to get through Thanksgiving first. It’ll just be the 4 of us this year which I’m quite looking forward to as Christmas tends to be so hectic for us it’s nice to a have a holiday just pleasing ourselves.

[Kenickie]

What's the difference with a cockerel? I mean to eat. ;)

[Epponnee Rae]

I like the sound of your pithiviers, Goat. Minus nuts for me please.

What will you do for Thanksgiving, olive? Will you do the traditional or something else? I am going to friends as usual and as it’s potluck I have been assigned sweet potato casserole of all the bastard things!

[Mountain Goat]

I'm not sure Ken, I've never had it, but the farmers say it's a bit more gamey and a stronger flavour. Which is also how I would describe guinea fowl as compared to chicken, so I don't know how they compare to each other.

I will skip your nuts, Epp.

[ParisGal]

Hope you've stocked up on marshmallows, Epp!

[Epponnee Rae]

Ugh, PG, I know! I’m tempted to make a pecan version even though I wouldn’t be able to eat it (bonus?) because the marshmallow thing offends me so much!

[Mountain Goat]

That is officially the worst Thanksgiving dish. It makes green bean casserole look acceptable.

[Morganna]

Green bean casserole? Yum

I got the supplement with the pie recipe yesterday, and want to do them at some point over the holidays - they look fantastic. J doesn't eat cheese, though, so it's no good for Christmas Eve.

I've ordered quite a lot of easy things for CD and to go with the leftovers. I did an order from Thyme, and got vegetarian roasts, a couple of stuffed turkey crowns (they each serve two, so are obvioulsy not whole ones), and six veggie pies in various flavours. I will also do a Donald Russell order soon, with more frozen things that can be eaten as and when. I've given up on cooking lots of food at once, as J and S come and go, and I end up throwing a lot away. I can't cater for all the differences in menus (veggie, will eat anything, no cheese, massive picky nightmare) and have food on tap, so they will have to fend for themselves. I'll cook massive amounts of vegetables, and what hasn't been eaten after a couple of days will go into soup. Loki will be here too, so he can hoover up any unwanted leftovers.

I'm pretty sure J&S will both be here on Christmas Eve, and we'll probably get a takeaway, so I don't have to cook whilst I'm prepping for the big day.

[viggy]

Christmas eve is nibbly buffet food at my friend's house.

Christmas day we'll just have a normal breakfast, cheese board with crackers etc about noon, and maybe some crisps, chocolate, ad hoc mince pies with Baileys coffees to keep us going til salmon mousse and crusty bread about 4pm as starter, followed by turkey crown and all the trimmings, including my Mum's famous tinned peach, cheese and bacon stuffing

We then have a break and have pudding about 8ish, trifle or my Mum's apple pie.

[wendy james]

I haven’t made any decisions yet, and nobody has any opinions.

All we’ve established so far is that Sproglette is happy with a pile of veg and Yorkshire puddings, which means we can use mushrooms in the main for Elvis and me, if we so wish.

I might go for some sort of Scandi buffet type thing on Christmas Eve, and P can bake himself some cheese.

[Kleio]

Christmas Eve is normally a takeaway here but my favourite cafe is opening so we might pile in their for lots of cake

The idea of staggering Christmas food fills me with dread. Aren't you in the kitchen all day?

The children enjoy really fast breakfasts on Christmas morning as I expect it to be eaten before presents so it's usually pastries/chocolate brioche etc.

Lunch will be about 1pm and will be lamb and another joint I haven't decided on yet with vegetables, yorkshire puddings and vast quantities of pigs in blankets.

About 6pm I put out a buffet and we snack on that for the next couple of days.

I'm not sure what the children are doing this year as Christmas Day falls on a wednesday. I suspect BB is having them the weekend before or after but he's not mentioned any extra days yet. Sometimes he does, sometimes he doesn't. It makes organising the food a little difficult.

[olive]

What will you do for Thanksgiving, olive? Will you do the traditional or something else? I am going to friends as usual and as it’s potluck I have been assigned sweet potato casserole of all the bastard things!

Oh God, sweet potato casserole. Followed closely by green bean casserole.

My family won’t eat beef so we can’t have it for Christmas Day so I think we’ll have it for Thanksgiving instead. We’re going to smoke it on the BBQ, I think. I’m leaning towards potato gratin or hassleback potatoes, maybe mac& cheese? Green beans in some form, definitely salt and vinegar sprouts and maple glazed carrots.

[bramblerose]

The idea of staggering Christmas food fills me with dread. Aren't you in the kitchen all day?

Nope and even if we are in a little bit longer, a glass (or 2) of bubbly and chat happens. It's all quite civilised!

[Kenickie]

Cockerel does sound interesting then.

I think Kleio has the timings right.

[Kleio]

The idea of staggering Christmas food fills me with dread. Aren't you in the kitchen all day?

Nope and even if we are in a little bit longer, a glass (or 2) of bubbly and chat happens. It's all quite civilised!

Ahh, I'd be the only one in the kitchen and would have various children hanging off my legs insisting I did something with them NOW so I guess it wouldn't be as chilled and civilised for me.

I think Kleio has the timings right.

[Topcat]

Beer and takeaway curry on Christmas Eve at my sisters. There will be me, her and the smallest there for that, although smallest will not be having beer. She will have Children's Wine.

Xmas Day will be a properly decent fry up, fizzy stuff, beer, lunch whenever my mother decides to show up (roast turkey with all of the usual) and then in the evening will be raclette accompanied by a massive fucking ham that I bought from a butcher in Wells.

The kitchen is open plan so there is nobody missing out / avoiding having to talk to everyone else.

[ParisGal]

Children's Wine I remember being so excited at the idea of Schloer as a kid