Christmas food and recipes by natalia smirnova
- 1. Christmas in England. Christmas food and recipes.
- 2. Christmas in England Roofs covered with snow, red-breasted robins on thickly frosted branches and fluffy cats leaving deep footprints on their solitary walks through deep snow ... popular Christmas cards conjure up an image that most of us have never seen! But Christmas in England can be a magical experience, full of traditions and fun and delicious food. Maybe it's time you visited us and found out for yourself.
- 3. History and TraditionsHistory and Traditions Christmas has been celebrated in England forChristmas has been celebrated in England for over a thousand years. But what makesover a thousand years. But what makes Christmas wonderful traditions:Christmas wonderful traditions: counting down to the big day by using adventcounting down to the big day by using advent calendars,calendars, sending Christmas cardsending Christmas card listening to Christmas musiclistening to Christmas music Beautifully decorated trees are a symbol ofBeautifully decorated trees are a symbol of Christmas in England. lights in the streets andChristmas in England. lights in the streets and at home brighten everything more than in anyat home brighten everything more than in any other time of year.other time of year. Christmas stockings are such a traditionalChristmas stockings are such a traditional part of an English Christmas. They come in allpart of an English Christmas. They come in all shapes and sizes, from luxury, whimsicalshapes and sizes, from luxury, whimsical stockings that are a gift in themselves, tostockings that are a gift in themselves, to gorgeously decorated felt Christmas stockingsgorgeously decorated felt Christmas stockings that the children will love, to all manner ofthat the children will love, to all manner of handmade Christmas stockings.handmade Christmas stockings.
- 4. Christmas Food Celebrations, crowds and food have always gone together. And there are few celebrations that draw on traditional food as much as Christmas. We have traditional Christmas foods for every part of the Christmas celebrations. Mince Pies, a sweet pastry crust filled with mincemeat are offered at tea time, carol concerts and Christmas parties all the way through the Christmas season. Dainty canapes and the best of English cheeses are served at Christmas parties and family gatherings alike.
- 5. While Christmas cake and the world-famous Christmas pudding - flamed with cognac and served with cream and brandy butter - usually round off the festivities - supported by more mince pies and maybe a traditional sherry trifle, syllabub or chocolate. Many of the traditional Christmas foods, such as mincemeat, Christmas cake and Christmas Pudding are better for being made weeks in advance and being left to mature. Fragrant with Christmas spices, studded with dried and candied fruit, and laced with alcohol ... these are truly festive foods that would have done a Medieval king's table proud.
- 6. For most families, recipes for Christmas dinner include roast turkey with all the trimmings - that's sprouts, roast potatoes, carrots, chipolata sausages wrapped in bacon, chestnuts, and bread sauce and cranberry sauce. This is followed by either Christmas pudding or a Christmas trifle and later tea, coffee and mince pies.
- 7. On Boxing Day, a baked ham could take centre stage, served cold with salads and pickles and Cumberland sauce. There could also be smoked salmon, or a large pie. But away from the very traditional, there are many variations. Not everyone likes turkey. Goose and duck - very popular in the Middle Ages - are still the preferred choice in many families, as is fish. And the many Vegetarians in England are developing their own traditional dinners. And all around the house there will be nibbles, and mince pies, and sweets and nuts and - of course - chocolate! Christmas would not be Christmas without chocolate. And as for drinks... mulled wine and mulled cider go extremely well with mince pies and keep out the cold, while a claret cup would make a very good starter to the Christmas festivities.
- 9. Cadbury Chocolate Christmas Gifts Cadbury chocolate is a firm favourite in English homes and many visitors to our country love it, too! You give Cadbury's Roses to say thank you, or bring a tin of Quality Street to cheer up a party. And Christmas in England certainly wouldn't be complete without Cadbury Chocolate. There'll be tins of it dotted around the office during the run-up to Christmas. There will be boxes of it under the Christmas tree. It's all about generosity and indulgence ... and there are a couple of very old-fashioned sweets and games that will take some of us back a few
- 10. Christmas Pudding The Traditional Grand Finale Christmas puddings as we now serve them are another 'tradition' invented by the Victorians. In medieval England puddings were popular and eaten all year round and not just at Christmas time. Made with suet, dried fruit and sugar, a traditional Christmas pudding keeps extremely well and can be made several weeks or even months in advance of Christmas. Michael Barry's Cookery recipes are considered the best ones in the world. They are rather easy and with them cooking becomes a real pleasure. Michael Barry's traditional Christmas pudding recipe is apparently the one that's been used by the Royal Family since the beginning of the 18th century. It's very rich, but keeps very well. The other recipe is the one for a No-fat Christmas pudding. It's much lighter and also Vegetarian, but - because of that lightness - doesn't keep.
- 11. Traditional Christmas Pudding This one is so rich, it should definitely remind you of Christmas past, but it keeps up to a year in a cool place, so if you make too much, you can be sure your puddings won't spoil. The recipe makes enough for 1.5kg of pudding. It will fill two medium-sized (16in) pudding basins, or a large (20in) one. 175g (6oz) shredded suet 175g (6oz) soft brown or demerara sugar 175g (6oz) seedless raisins 175g (6oz) stoned prunes 175g (6oz) self-raising flour 100g (4oz) chopped mixed peel 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp mixed spice 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 4 large eggs 150ml (5 fl oz) milk Mix all the dry ingredients together. Beat the eggs and the milk until frothy then stir into the dried ingredients until thoroughly mixed. Allow to stand in a cool place (not the fridge) for 12 hours. Put mixture into pudding basins and cover with a layer of folded greaseproof paper. Tie with string. Cook, covered in a water bath, for 3 hours. Keep 4-5cm (1-2in) simmering water in the pan at all times. If using a pressure cooker, cook for 1 1/4 hours. Allow to cool and store in a cool, dark place. Before serving, steam for an hour in a saucepan (or for 30mins in a pressure cooker). Flame with brandy and serve with all the usual asides.
- 12. No-fat Christmas Pudding As mentioned above, this pudding is much lighter and completely fat-free. It's also vegetarian, so make this one if you have non-meateaters coming round. This pudding will not keep for very long. So don't make it more than 2-3 weeks before Christmas. To serve four: 2 medium-sized apples 2 bananas 50g (2oz) walnuts 50g (2oz) almonds 50g (2oz) hazelnuts 4 eggs 150ml (5 fl oz) milk 450g (1lb) mixed dried fruit juice and grated rind of 1 lemon 1 tsp mixed spice 1 tsp salt 450g (1lb) freshly made wholemeal breadcrumbs 50g (2oz) soft brown sugar Grate the apples without peeling them. Peel and roughly chop the bananas and nuts. Break the eggs and whisk with the milk. Mix all the ingredients together and stir well. Place into one or two well-greased pudding basins and cover with folded greaseproof paper. Tie round with string. Steam for 3-4 hours in a covered pan with 5cm (2in) simmering water. Check the water level at intervals and don't allow to boil dry. Then cool and store.
- 13. Left it too late? It happens. Sometimes, time just flies and it's Christmas before you know it. But that doesn't mean that you and your family have to miss out. There are some truly delicious ready-made Christmas puddings out there, and The Lakeland Christmas Pudding is definitely one of them. Lakeland say - very proudly - that sales of this particular pudding climb every year as more and more people discover how good it is. So if you left it a bit late, or can't face the hassle of making your own ... maybe give this one a taste test.