OT - Christmas Dinner in the USA

[jbarter]

Hi there all you beyond the pond. Do you do the same turkey dinner again for Christmas or do you have a different meal rather than repeat Thanksgiving?

[Flyingcursor]

Glad you asked.

Some people have turkey and others have ham. Some do both. I'm sure there are others who are completely different. I made prime rib a couple of years ago.

What are some of the traditional Christmas meals from other countrys represented on this board?

[rebl_rn]

It all depends. A lot of people do a similar meal. Ham is also very traditional for Christmas. (But then it's traditional for some people for Thanksgiving, too). In my family, we don't have a traditional Christmas meal, it has always varied. My brother has started a tradition with his family - they have a themed Christmas every year, and the food and games etc, all revolve around that. It started when my nieces were into American Girl dolls, and every year they would pick a different doll and have a Christmas to go with that era and culture. A long time ago they ran out of dolls, and now my nieces have outgrown them. So they have found different themes. A couple of years ago it was Harry Potter. Last year it was Survivor. They've done Disney, I can't remember what all else. I think this year it's Dickens. My brother is an excellent cook, so whatever the theme is it's a delicious meal.

[The Weekenders]

Just a bit less ironclad than the turkey at Thanksgiving, but its often served at the buffet tables through the season at parties and on the day. My family tends to do roast beefs but we are cow-folk. The other Weekender, who is 100% Italian-American, has the addition of homemade ravioli along with the turkey etc. Mind boggling caloric intake and food mixing.

[Redwolf]

When I was growing up, my family always had the turkey dinner for both meals (but ham on Easter). Now that I'm grown, and further, a vegetarian, we have different special-occasion meals for all three holidays: millet loaf with mashed potatoes, brown gravy and green beans almondine for Thanksgiving; Tempeh Chianti and rosemary roasted potatoes for Christmas; and pasta primavera for Easter.

Redwolf

[Will O'B]

Hi there all you beyond the pond. Do you do the same turkey dinner again for Christmas or do you have a different meal rather than repeat Thanksgiving?

There's been quite enough talk about what the smug Americans do for the holidays. Now it's your turn . . . what do you good people have for your Christmas dinner? Is it that infamous Christmas goose? (I feel a pun in there somewhere, but can't quite see it) How do you folks on the opposite side of the pond spend the Christmas holidays? Come on now, fess up.

Will O'Ban

[avanutria]

Due to many, many changes in both location (how out of character, I know) and company, I don't have an American 'traditional' Christmas dinner - but I get to try a traditional British Christmas dinner this year!

I have seen lots of Christmas Crackers (not food) and mince pies and various 'puddings' (desserts) in the shops, but I don't know much about the whole event yet. I am attending a couple of pre-Christmas get-togethers, perhaps I will have a better idea soon.

[toughknot]

Usually a goose and a duck, lots of biscuits or bread , mashed taters,gravy, corn ,green beans, carrots,yams or sweet potatoes, squash, cranberry sauce, pumpkin and cherry pie and if I can find it, rhubarb pie.
My Grandmother always made a ham ,a goose,a duck ,and a turkey with all the above but she was feeding the almost entire extended family.

[DCrom]

Hmmm - we're pretty eclectic (whaddya expect in a family that's American-Euromutt on one side and Chinese on the other?).

We do Turkey several times a year, just because we like what we can do with the leftovers (turkey sandwiches, turkey linguine, Singapore-style chow fun with turkey, turkey soup) - but we usually do something else for Christmas.

Over the years we've done ham, prime rib, duck, and cornish game hens - probably ham by a slight margin. Besides the usual breads, relishes, and appetizers, typical side dishes include baked rice (sort of a pilaf thing), a curried sweet potato casserole, and pineapple custard (obligatory with ham. but we usually make it with everything). Add stuffing if the main course is turkey, and mashed potatoes with both turkey and prime rib.

Salad is usually a sweet/savory one with romaine lettuce, sweet onions, mandarin orange slices, avocado, and toasted slivered almonds, served with a balsamic vinegarette.

Dessert is normally pie - apple or cherry (both, if we have enough guests).

I think I've put on a couple of lbs just thinking about the menu.

[Jay-eye]

There's been quite enough talk about what the smug Americans do for the holidays. Now it's your turn . . . what do you good people have for your Christmas dinner? Is it that infamous Christmas goose? (I feel a pun in there somewhere, but can't quite see it) How do you folks on the opposite side of the pond spend the Christmas holidays? Come on now, fess up.

Will O'Ban

When I was a veggie (8 years - repented now) it was curry (quorn tikka massalla - medium to hot) served with either basmati rice or couscous and naan breads. But now I'm back eating dead flesh again it'll be turkey-lurkey with the rest of my family. Goose is great but you need someone who grows their own for the best flavour, don't you? Plus, from a supermarket they cost twice the price of a turkey and don't taste so good. We get a big 'un, plus maybe pork, loads of home made onion and bread crumb stuffing inside the bird, piles of roast potatoes with leeks, courgettes and brussel sprouts from the veg patch, peas, carrots, cauliflower and stuff. Then bring on the Christmas pudding (yuk!) or hot mince pies (yum!) to follow, with thick cream and Bailey's poured over instead of custard (we even call Bailey's mince pie gravy in our house - how sad's that?), much red wine (and DON'T on any account forget the large G&T during the preparation of the meal) strong coffee with brandy in to follow. Then for some reason I've never managed to work out we all fall asleep and miss HM Queen on the tv! So you can see it's quite a frugal Christmas for us poor British relations, really - third world country dontcha know. All contributions gratefully received.

Wow! I'm salivating just thinking about it. Less than 3 weeks......

Have a great Christmas however you celebrate!


j.i.

[vomitbunny]

Here in the south we have chitlins stuffed with souse. Some people use those little vienna sausages. You pronounce it like Vie-eenie. Rymes with beenie weenie. Then some stuffing made with cheetos. If you want a vegtable with that, you usually make macaroni and cheese. Usually served with our famouse egg nogg or boiled custard, made out of whiskey and ice. Some fancy types fix fried hot bologna and tater tots, but that's beyond the means of most of us. Thems for folks that live in double wides. Rumor has it thet they have twinkies for dessert too. But I wouldn't know. Gramma says them folks gonna burn in hell anyway, alla them worldly goods and stuff, sos I'll just do without no twinkies.
On new years, we have our own version of Hoppin John too. But Granny says Hoppin is too close to Dancin, an' God hates that. So we just eats pork rinds and beer nuts. In the John. Things just ain't been the same since Pappy lost his pro-stetic leg. We couldn't keep up the payments. Deer huntin season come, an' I needed a new scope.

[spittin_in_the_wind]

Here in the south we have chitlins stuffed with souse. Some people use those little vienna sausages. You pronounce it like Vie-eenie. Rymes with beenie weenie. Then some stuffing made with cheetos. If you want a vegtable with that, you usually make macaroni and cheese. Usually served with our famouse egg nogg or boiled custard, made out of whiskey and ice. Some fancy types fix fried hot bologna and tater tots, but that's beyond the means of most of us. Thems for folks that live in double wides. Rumor has it thet they have twinkies for dessert too. But I wouldn't know. Gramma says them folks gonna burn in hell anyway, alla them worldly goods and stuff, sos I'll just do without no twinkies.
On new years, we have our own version of Hoppin John too. But Granny says Hoppin is too close to Dancin, an' God hates that. So we just eats pork rinds and beer nuts. In the John. Things just ain't been the same since Pappy lost his pro-stetic leg. We couldn't keep up the payments. Deer huntin season come, an' I needed a new scope.

You're just full of baloney. We usually have prime rib. Blackeyed peas for New Years.

Robin

[TomB]

Here in the south we have chitlins stuffed with souse. Some people use those little vienna sausages. You pronounce it like Vie-eenie. Rymes with beenie weenie. Then some stuffing made with cheetos. If you want a vegtable with that, you usually make macaroni and cheese. Usually served with our famouse egg nogg or boiled custard, made out of whiskey and ice. Some fancy types fix fried hot bologna and tater tots, but that's beyond the means of most of us. Thems for folks that live in double wides. Rumor has it thet they have twinkies for dessert too. But I wouldn't know. Gramma says them folks gonna burn in hell anyway, alla them worldly goods and stuff, sos I'll just do without no twinkies.
On new years, we have our own version of Hoppin John too. But Granny says Hoppin is too close to Dancin, an' God hates that. So we just eats pork rinds and beer nuts. In the John. Things just ain't been the same since Pappy lost his pro-stetic leg. We couldn't keep up the payments. Deer huntin season come, an' I needed a new scope.

You're just full of baloney. We usually have prime rib. Blackeyed peas for New Years.

Robin

Would that be "fried baloney"?

We do the turkey thing.

All the Best, Tom

[RonKiley]

We have no set meal. We usually have ham, roat beef, or roast pork. This will be acompanied with cranberry relish, mashed potatoes and gravy, pineapple carrot gelatin salad, green bean casserole, mixed fruit, custard, and pie (could be any kind I like mince meat but no one else does). This could vary greatly. One of my favorites is pork cooked with saurkraut and dumplings (my Pennsylvania dutch side). Of course at our place there will be no alcoholic beverages of any kind. Whatever you have enjoy it and play a few tunes.

Ron

[fearfaoin]

Here in the south we have chitlins stuffed with souse.

Shut up. Ew. *shudder*. I hate souse; it's bad enough people eat the feet, do they have to eat the snout?

But Granny says Hoppin is too close to Dancin, an' God hates that.

Fine, don't shut up... that was pretty funny.
I hear the Southern Baptists have condemned sex while standing up... too close to dancing...


My wife's from the coastal region of NC (Wilmington), and she says there's a tradition there
stemming from the Depression, when people couldn't afford geese/ducks/turkeys for Xmas,
so they went out and "gigged a trout". This involves a sharpened stick, a river, and lots of
patience. So now trout is a traditional Wilmington, NC Christmas dinner in some families.
Thankfully, not in hers.