Traditional food for Christmas. Traditional Christmas food
I found a little time and energy to write a post. Writing posts is probably very easy and simple for someone, but not for me. Sometimes there is neither strength nor time.
In general, the first half of the week passed "in the kitchen", one might say.
By Wednesday morning, the previously planned ones on the list were prepared:
- gastronomic panetton
- focaccia
- chocolate lights
- "gingerbread" honey-ginger
+ even managed to bake, not planned, details of a honey-ginger future house for home celebrating NG
All of this, along with other dishes of the "Christmas" dinner, was eaten yesterday at my husband's office with cheers. Among them was a call to repeat such a dinner next year, an offer to "feed" everyone like that every day, and a particularly warm assessment of the "gingerbread" (from what was left from lunch) by the office concierge, who asked my husband to pass it on to his wife, i.e. me that such "tasty and aromatic sweets he had never tasted before."
In general, everyone liked the focaccia and the chocolate lights from the food I cooked.
There are a lot of photos of all the "dishes" and the recipe for "lights" under the cut.
The preparations began with honey and gingerbread, the dough into which I kneaded back on Saturday. On Sunday, I baked them and painted them as best I could (I was already pretty tired, so my fantasy was practically at zero)
In the evening, a pattern was made for the future gingerbread house.
On Monday I worked on chocolate lights and baked the details of the house. I will show the house literally in one photo, because there is still work and work on it. 
Well, now I'll turn directly to the chocolate lights. Recipe and some photos.
For shortbread cookies:
500 gr flour
300 gr softened butter (or margarine)
300 g sugar
4 egg yolks
1 bag of vanillin, a pinch of salt
For cream (sparkle filling):
300 gr milk chocolate
250 gr cream (fat 32-35%)
half a glass of rum
To cover:
2 packs (125 g each) of chocolate glaze
Cooking shortbread dough for the base of "lights". Grind sugar with yolks, add salt, vanillin, diced butter, and gradually adding flour, knead the dough. From ready-made dough form a ball, wrap it in foil and put it in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Then roll the dough into a layer about 0.3-0.5 cm thick and cut out round cookies (about 4-5 cm in diameter) from it. 
Bake the base cookies in the oven until cooked at a temperature of 180 g, about 6-10 minutes (depending on the oven). Then cool completely.
Preparing the cream filling. In a small saucepan, bring the cream to a boil, remove it from the heat as soon as the first "gurgles" appear on the surface. Add to the hot cream, broken into small pieces milk chocolate and stir continuously until it is completely "melted".
Pour the resulting mass into a well-chilled (in advance) bowl, pour in half a glass of rum and begin to beat with a mixer at maximum speed. If the cream does not whip, that is, it is still warm, you can put it in the freezer for 5-10 minutes. As a result, you should get a cream with persistent peaks, so that you can form cones-lights from it, but here it is also important not to overdo it with whipping, otherwise it will taste "grainy".
Using a pastry bag, form "lights" out of the cream on a sand base. Put them in the cold for 2-3 hours.
Melt the chocolate icing (I already had it ready) and dip every "light" in it. From above, you can decorate the lights with chopped walnut or confectionery sprinkles.
At me, this time, the lights were "pure" chocolate. 
Well, on Tuesday I baked focaccia and collected gastronomic panetton. This time my focaccia was not very airy, but despite this, I really liked it. 
Now I will move on to more detailed description panettone. Generally the best known, of course, is the sweet Italian panettone, but there is also a gastronomic panettone, or "salty" - one of the traditional Christmas dishes.
To prepare it, you need, first of all, a "loaf" white bread in the form of a tall kulich, which is cut into disks approximately 1 cm thick. Further, the gastronomic panetton itself is formed, the fillings can be completely different - meat, vegetable, fish.
I, just, panettone was for "all tastes."
We bought the bread ready for stuffing. 
And she came up with the fillings herself, proceeding from the fact that among the normal "eaters" there should also be a vegetarian.
I decided to start with "meat" fillings, gradually switching to fish fillings, and then to vegetable-vegetarian ones.
The first layer was made from the only one sold in Italy smoked sausage called "Hungarian" (do not be surprised, sausages are traditionally made only dry-cured here), laid on a thinly spread layer of mayonnaise. 
The second layer was a thinly spread layer of mascarpone and Parma ham. 
Then the fish layers were thought of, so I decided to separate them from the "meat" with a layer of fried vegetables in the form of zucchini in order to neutralize the taste.
Behind them was a layer of tuna with capers and finely chopped chives and parsley on a pillow of mayonnaise. 
Then there was a layer of lightly salted smoked salmon on a pillow of soft cream (Philadelphia cheese, a little cream and finely chopped chives). 
After that, I planned to make a layer of mascarpone, leftover salmon and red caviar. 
But opening a jar of caviar, recently purchased in Moscow time, a pillar of a very unpleasant smell rushed at me. Apparently, the caviar was far from the first freshness, besides, it looked suspiciously fine-grained ... In general, the whole jar was thrown into the trash bin ... ((
And I had to come up with an alternative layer on the go. I decided to separate all the previous layers from the next, and repeat the sausage-meat taste. For this layer, I cut both the sausage and the ham into small squares and put them mixed. 
This was followed by three vegetarian layers:
the first - from Caprino cheese with cream, a small amount tomato paste and black pepper with finely chopped red radicchio (chicory); 
the second - from mushrooms lightly fried in butter, and further stewed in cream, with freshly chopped parsley
the third - from fried to olive oil with zucchini garlic, sprinkled with freshly chopped parsley 
In general, I collected all the ordered "food" for lunch for my husband. 
And he "in return" also brought me a box with gifts. 
Inside which were:
Barbaresco bottle
Bottle of prosecco 
Several types of various sauces and creams 
And also a pasta based on Barolo (which we brought last winter from the homeland of Barolo - Piedmont) 
Sauces and creams make me think about them possible application at the upcoming festivals. Tomorrow I have a big shopping day.
Christmas is the most beautiful, mysterious and magical holiday of the year. There are many traditions and signs associated with this holiday. Christmas Eve is called Holy Evening. Each hostess tries to set as many treats as possible on the table.
Traditionally, all Christmas meals have to be prepared before the evening of January 6th. After the first star appears in the sky, the holiday begins. According to Orthodoxy, it is necessary that there are 12 dishes on the table. All meals should be lean. Each housewife decides what dishes to cook for Christmas, but the main and obligatory dish of this holiday is kutia. There is also a recommended list of delicious dishes that will delight any household or guest at home, and there can be a lot of guests on Holy Evening.
In the evening, according to tradition, it is necessary to lean dishes, and a Christmas meal may include meat dishes, but it, like an evening meal, must necessarily begin with kutya.
What is cooking on January 6
As we already know, there should be 12 dishes on the table, according to the number of the apostles. It is customary to cover the table with a white tablecloth. Place hay under the tablecloth. In the center, knead the Christmas grease, into which you need to stick a lighted candle. Dinner began after the first star appeared in the sky. This moment, very fond of children, they like to wait for the appearance of a miracle in the sky. The most important dish is kutia. Kutia is a cooked porridge made from whole wheat grains. Ready porridge watered with honey water or sugar syrup and add nuts, poppy seeds, dried fruits, preserves, jams to it. Millet can be replaced or rice. This food is traditional, no Christmas Eve should be without it.
There are many recipes for preparing this ritual dish. Experienced housewives have their own family recipes for cooking this porridge, passed down from generation to generation. Young housewives can try new recipes, of which there are a great many now, thanks to the vastness of the Internet.
Traditional Christmas sochivo
1 cup whole wheat
3 glasses of water
80 grams of honey
50 grams of raisins,
100 grams of poppy seeds.
Wheat, before cooking, it is necessary to rinse, sort out and pour boiling water over it. Drain the water, send the wheat to the pan in which the kutia will be cooked. Cook until tender, until the water evaporates. Kutia cook like porridge.
Poppy needs to be steamed by pouring boiling water. If desired, it can be crushed in a mortar. You can also mince the poppy seeds.
In addition to raisins, various candied fruits, nuts, pieces of chocolate, halva can be added to kutya. It is allowed to fill the kutya with a tablespoon of rum. Improvise. Choose ingredients according to your taste, desire and availability.
Uzvar
Traditionally, the uzvar is considered the master of the Christmas table. It is always paired with kutya. Uzvar is an old drink that is able to give strength, energy, saturate the body with vitamins, microelements. Uzvar improves the functioning of the heart, gastrointestinal tract and has a beneficial effect on the nervous system.
Preparation:
You need to take 200 grams of drying. It can be apples, apricots, pears, prunes, raisins. The washed drying is poured with three liters of water and brought to a boil. It is necessary to cook the uzvar over low heat for about 15 minutes. Then, if desired, you can add prunes, cherries, raisins and boil for another 15 minutes. After that, honey is added to the uzvar, covered with a lid and left to infuse for 2-3 hours. Uzvar is served chilled.
Lean borsch with beans
Borscht is favorite dish in Russia. Traditionally, borscht is a daily dish, but even Christmas Eve is hard to imagine without it. Since it is difficult to cook 12 dishes at once, borscht can be prepared in advance, from this its taste will only become richer and brighter.
Borscht can be cooked with beans, sprat, beetroot, mushrooms. It all depends on the preferences of the family and the availability of food from the hostess.
Preparation:
Boil a glass of beans until tender. Or take ready-made canned beans.
Put 3.5 liters of water on the fire (you can take the water in which the beans were boiled). After boiling, add diced potatoes (4-5 tubers) to the water.
In the meantime, prepare the frying. Grate 1 large carrot, dice one onion and sauté in a skillet until golden brown. You must use sunflower oil for frying.
Take 2 medium sized beetroot. Beetroot must be grated. Fry one beetroot together with onions and carrots, throw the second into a saucepan with potatoes and beans. At the end of frying add half a liter tomato juice, or 100 grams of tomato paste.
At the end of cooking vegetables, add half of the chopped head of cabbage to the pan. white cabbage... The cabbage should boil. Cook for another 5 minutes. Add spices and salt to the borscht to taste. Of necessity citric acid or vinegar.
Pampushki
Pampushki or bread, a necessary addition to borscht. The pampushka is a round and small bun. Donuts are made from yeast dough... If there is no time to bake them, you can get by with bread or buy ready-made donuts in the store.
Onion or garlic sauce for donuts
It is customary to pour pampushki with a special sauce that makes them tastier.
Preparation garlic sauce:
5 cloves of garlic;
3 tbsp. l boiled water;
2 tbsp. l. oils.
Garlic is passed through a press, mixed with water, oil. Add dill or parsley, as well as spices, if desired.
Making onion gravy:
2 onions are fried in a pan until cooked, 1 tbsp is added to the onion. l. flour. Fry onions with flour for about a minute. Then 2 tbsp is added. l. sour cream, 1 teaspoon of tomato paste, salt, spices. All this is fried for a couple of minutes. Then water is poured in and the onion sauce is stewed for 5 minutes.
Cabbage rolls with millet and mushrooms
We are all used to stuffed cabbage rolls with rice and minced meat. But cabbage rolls with millet and mushrooms no less tasty dish... Cabbage rolls must be prepared in the traditional way, only rice and minced meat, replaced by boiled millet and fried mushrooms.
Fried fish
Fish is not only healthy, but also tasty, and since you need to meet Holy Evening without meat dishes, fish is perfect. It is necessary to fry the fish in flour, since the egg is not allowed on January 6th.
Bread
Regardless of whether there are donuts on the table, bread on the table must also be present. Bread can be served white, black, with the addition of spices, bran.
Christmas Olivier
Russian cuisine is poorly presented without Olivier. On Holy Evening it is necessary to cook it without sausage. This will not make his taste worse. But on Christmas day itself, Olivier can be served on the table with sausage, boiled meat or chicken breast.
The vinaigrette
This vitamin salad has many benefits for the body. All products in its composition can heal the body, strengthen it and fill it with energy. For the vinaigrette, you need boiled potatoes, beets, beans, carrots. Fresh onion, sauerkraut, vegetable oil. You can replace the beans with green peas. Also, the salad will need to be salted and pepper.
Fruits
For dessert, you can serve a variety of fresh fruits: apples, pears, grapes, tangerines, oranges.
Christmas dishes
On January 7, it is allowed to serve meat on the table, so on this day you can suppress chicken, duck, pork, various meat salads.
Duck with apples
Traditionally, you can bake a duck with apples in the oven. For this gutted duck is rubbed with a mixture of herbs, pepper, garlic and oil. Leave the duck to marinate for a couple of hours.
Mix apples, plums, quince, prunes, season with wine and stuff.
The duck should be baked for about 3 -3.5 hours, pouring over the resulting fat.
Dessert
Christmas cupcake counts traditional baked goods... The cupcake can be cooked 1 - 2 months before Christmas and left to ripen, or you can cook quick cupcake with tangerines
Recipe:
200 grams of flour;
4 eggs;
200 grams of sugar;
1 tsp baking powder;
125 grams of butter;
150 grams of dried fruits;
2 tangerines;
vanilla.
Preparation:
Margarine room temperature whipped with sugar mixer. After that, eggs, sifted flour, vanilla, baking powder and dried fruits are gradually introduced into the resulting mass. The tangerines take root for 2 minutes in butter and are added to the dough. The cake is baked for 1 hour in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.
The finished cake is sprinkled with powdered sugar and decorated with tangerines.
Bon appetit and a wonderful Christmas!
Read more about cooking rice kutia for Christmas in this one.
TO: To All Employees
DATE: December 1
RE: Christmas Dinner
I am pleased to inform you that our company invites you to the Christmas Dinner, which will take place on December 23 at noon, in a separate room of the Barbecue.
There will also be a bar with enough alcoholic beverages... We've brought in a small band to play traditional Christmas carols ... sing along if you like. And don't be surprised if our director comes dressed as Santa Claus.
We'll turn on the lights on the Christmas tree at one o'clock. At the same time, the staff can exchange gifts, however, at a cost no more than 10.00, so as not to lighten your pockets too much. Only our employees are invited to the holiday!
Our director also intends to give a speech during the holiday.
FROM: Patti Lewis, Human Resources Manager
TO: To All Employees
DATE: December 2
RE: Holiday
In yesterday's address, we did not want to exclude our Jewish collaborators at all. We are aware that Hanukkah is an important holiday that often coincides with Christmas, although, unfortunately, not this year. However, from now on, we will simply refer to the party as "Festive Dinner".
The same applies to all our non-Christian employees and those who celebrate other holidays.
There will be no Christmas tree. There will be no Christmas songs. There will be other music to please you.
Are you satisfied?
Merry Christmas to you and your families! Patty.
FROM: Patti Lewis, Human Resources Manager
TO: To All Employees
DATE: December 3
RE: Holiday Dinner
About a note I got from a member of Alcoholics Anonymous demanding a nondrinking table ... that didn't sign. I’ll be glad to grant that wish, but if I put “AA Only” on the table, you will no longer be anonymous. How should I proceed in this case?
Anyone?
Forget exchanging gifts, exchanging gifts is not allowed because union members think 10.00 is too expensive and the board thinks 10.00 is too little for a gift. GIFT EXCHANGE IS NOT ALLOWED.
FROM: Patti Lewis, Human Resources Manager
To: To All Employees
DATE: December 7
RE: Holiday Dinner
What a diverse group we are! I had no idea that December 20 begins the Muslim month of Ramadan, during which it is forbidden to eat and drink during the day. So much for your holiday! Seriously, we understand that lunch at this time of the year runs counter to the beliefs of our Muslim staff.
Maybe the Kebab House won't serve your portions until the end of dinner - or it might pack your food so you can take everything home in small boxes. It is good for you?
At the same time, I arranged so that the table for the members of the Weight Watchers group was located as far away from the table with desserts as possible, and the pregnant women were sitting close to the toilet.
Homosexuals can sit together. Lesbians are not required to sit with homosexuals, each group will have its own table. Yes, we will put flowers on the table for homosexuals. The man who asked permission to put on a woman's dress - no, this is nevertheless not allowed.
We organize high chairs for undersized people. We will take care of reduced calorie meals for dieters. We cannot keep track of the amount of salt in cooked food, and we advise people with high blood pressure to try it first.
There will be fresh fruit for diabetics, the restaurant cannot provide desserts without sugar. Sorry!
What else have I missed?!?!?
Patty
FROM: Patti Lewis, Human Resources Manager
TO: Everyone # $% ^ & *! For employees
DATE: December 10
RE: Holiday% # * & ^% @ *% ^ Lunch
Vegetarians?!?!?! That's it, my patience has run out !!! We intend to spend this holiday in the Barbecue, whether you like it or not, so you can quietly sit at the table farthest from the "kitchen of death", as you nicely called it, and you will receive your # $% ^ & * salad, including hydroponic method grown tomatoes.
But you know, they have feelings too. Tomatoes scream when they are cut. I heard them screaming. I can still hear these screams!
HA!
I hope your holiday will be disgusting! So that you got behind the wheel drunk and died, do you hear?!?!
BITCH FROM HELL
FROM: Joan Bishop, Acting Head of Human Resources
DATE: December 14
RE: Patti Lewis and the Festive Dinner
I’m sure I’ll express my general opinion, wishing Patty Lewis a speedy recovery from her stress-induced nervous breakdown. I will continue to send your wish cards to the clinic. Currently, the board has decided to cancel the holiday lunch and give all employees a full day off on December 23rd.
Happy holiday to you!
According to tradition, the Christmas Eve fast ends with the appearance of the first evening star in the sky, which announced to the whole world about the time of the birth of the Son of God - this is when the celebration of Christmas begins.
On Christmas Day, it is customary for the whole family to gather for a Christmas dinner, and the festive table is decorated with traditional dishes - different for each country.
A turkey, duck, or goose is a fairly common Christmas dish.
In England, the must-haves at Christmas are oven-baked turkey with gooseberry sauce and Christmas pudding that is doused with rum, set on fire and set on fire.
In the United States, turkey is served for Christmas dinner. cranberry sauce.
In France, a holiday is not a holiday if there is no turkey baked in white wine at the Christmas table. They also eat oysters, goose liver pate, cheeses and champagne.
In Denmark, they eat a duck or a goose, stuffed with apples, rice pudding and sweet rice porridge with cinnamon and raisins.
In Ireland, a turkey or ham is cooked for Christmas, in Greece - a turkey in wine, in Lithuania and Germany - roast goose.
For Christmas Germans always put on the table a dish with apples, nuts, raisins and marzipans.
In China, where many Christians live, an imperial dish is prepared for Christmas - the famous Peking duck.
But on the festive tables in Austria, Hungary, the Balkan countries, there is never a Christmas goose, duck, chicken, turkey. They believe that it is forbidden to eat a bird this evening - happiness will fly away.
In Belgium, veal sausage with truffles, boar meat, traditional cake, and wine are put on the Christmas table. In Holland - rabbit, venison or game, in Luxembourg - blood sausage, apples, local sparkling wine.
Italians at Christmas eat fish or seafood, tortellini and wash it all down with champagne.
In Spain they serve suckling pig roasted on a spit and washed down with sherry. On festive table every Spaniard will definitely have seafood - shrimps, crabs, lobsters, as well as Christmas sweets - halva, marzipans, anise candies.
And Portugal on this day eats baccalao - a dish from dried salted cod, washed down with port.
Preparations for Christmas in the Scandinavian countries are very thorough. Two weeks before the holiday, Christmas pigs are slaughtered, blood pudding is made, and meat is salted and smoked. Then they start brewing beer, which is brewed for three to four days without interruption from morning to evening.
Christmas is celebrated by almost everyone and eagerly awaited all over the world. Each nation puts its own special meaning into this holiday, which is reflected in culinary traditions... HELLO.RU tells what is served on a festive Christmas table in France, Great Britain, USA, Japan and other countries.
France
Le Reveillon, also known as the Christmas log - traditional french dessert, which is almost always served with champagne. It looks as much as possible like a fallen log covered with "snow" from icing sugar, around which meringue mushrooms "grow".
Christmas "log"
The main course on the Christmas table is fried goose stuffed with chestnuts or turkey, either simply fried or baked in white wine. Also on Christmas, the French indulge themselves in delights: foie gras (foie gras), oysters (both fresh and salted or smoked), and cheese is served for dessert.
United Kingdom
Traditional English Christmas food is pudding and stuffed turkey with vegetable side dish and gooseberry sauce. Pudding (plum-pudding) is made from bread crumbs, flour, lard, raisins, eggs and various spices. The most spectacular detail of this recipe is that before serving, the pudding is poured with rum, set on fire and placed on the table blazing.
Christmas pudding
In Scotland, Ireland and Wales, it is customary to serve fried pork or lamb for Christmas dinner, as well as baked goose, black pudding. And washed down with all the sherry and whiskey.
As in many other countries, in America traditional dish is considered a stuffed turkey. The turkey is stuffed with anything: bread, cheese, prunes, garlic, beans, mushrooms, apples, cabbage. In addition, turkey is served with mashed potatoes, boiled corn grains and brussels sprouts or broccoli. Cooked turkey is often served with cranberry sauce. A Christmas egg-nog cocktail is also prepared. it sweet drink prepared on the basis of raw eggs and milk. 
Japan
Under the influence of the West, Japan also began to celebrate Christmas. True, the Japanese festive table is very different from the traditional dishes of Europe and America. So, the holiday is not complete without cold snacks "o-sechi-riori" - cold beans with rice, rice cakes, marinated and fresh vegetables... They also serve foods that the Japanese believe bring happiness: seaweed gives joy, fried chestnuts - success in business, peas and beans - health, boiled fish - calmness, good spirits, herring caviar - a happy family, many children. The meal is very discreet without excessive fun and alcohol consumption, which is quite natural in this country.
Japanese christmas cakes
Austria
In Austria, dishes of goose, duck, chicken, turkey are not put on the Christmas table due to ancient superstition. They believe that it is forbidden to eat a bird this evening - happiness will fly away. Instead, the Austrians serve a variety of flour dishes. On Christmas Eve, bread is put on the table, which symbolizes the unification of family and clan. Various filled dough products are also prepared here: sweet, sour, no filling, etc. under the general name Krapfen, as well as apple strudel.
Austrian apple strudel
Christmas dinner can be served: traditional Bachlkoch porridge, which is boiled in milk and poured over butter and honey; Mettensuppe (strong broth) sausages; pork and beef with horseradish and sauerkraut; Wiener Schnitzel; fish dishes(carp).
Spain
In Spain, the vine has long been considered a symbol of abundance and a happy family hearth. It is not surprising that the Spaniards striking the clock at midnight eat twelve grapes - according to the number of times the clock strikes - and make 12 wishes.
Traditionally, festive tables in this country are bursting with meat dishes: fried lamb, turkey, suckling pig, smoked sausage and ham. Clam and seafood soups are served on the first Christmas. All this is washed down with sherry. For dessert: almond soup, honey-nut halva (turron), milk rice porridge, etc. They also eat special ceremonial cookies.
Traditional Spanish turron
Germany
In Germany, on Christmas Eve, the traditional dish is fried carp or pickled herring, and for Christmas they serve fried goose with apples or pork with sauerkraut. The dish is also sure to be served, brightly decorated with apples, nuts, raisins and pies. It also has its own symbolism: an apple is the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, nuts with their hard shell and tasty core symbolize the secrets and difficulties of life. In Germany they say: "God gave a nut, and a man must crack it."
Special Ritual Cookies
Italy
Fried meats, assorted Italian snacks, pasta and wine are regular Christmas meals. The symbols of health, longevity, well-being on the festive table are, as in Spain and Germany, grapes and nuts. Meat dishes pay special attention, here they prefer to cook a pork leg (dzampone) - it is boiled in a bag made of the skin of the hind pork leg, keeping its shape, and pork sausage(kotekino), it is boiled for at least two hours and served hot.
Traditional italian sausage- kotekino