2022 Christmas Eve & Christmas Day Menus

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msmofet

Chef Extraordinaire
Joined
Apr 5, 2009
Messages
13,877
Christmas Eve Menu:

Clams Casino
Shrimp Cocktail and Cocktail Sauce
Linguine with White Clam Sauce
Pan-Fried Shrimp
Niçoise Salade
Garlic Bread

Sparkling Apple Cranberry Cider
Soda
Pinot Grigio

Christmas Day Menu:

Appy/Lunch


Stuffed Mushrooms

Cheese & Meat Platter

  • Smoked Gouda
  • Gouda
  • Brie
  • Blue cheese
  • Port Wine Cheese spread
  • Sopressata
  • Pepperoni
  • Candied Pecans
  • Dried Cherries
  • Green Olives
  • Kalamata Olives
  • Sour Cherry Spread
  • Grapes
  • Baguette

Dinner

Eye round roast
Burgundy gravy
Baby spinach
Baked Potatoes with sour cream & chives
(Mini) Yorkshire Pudding

Dessert

Apple Pie
Peach Cobbler
Whipped Cream

Beverage

Sparkling Apple Cranberry Cider
Soda
Egg Nog
Riunite Lambrusco
 
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What seems to work for us has become tradition. I don't know what time we get up but it's always dark. Whoever was here the night before is still here.

For breakfast: We send someone to Walgreens to buy C, D, &/or 9 volt batteries. (anything with a cord should not require batteries ... right?) That designated person makes a second stop at a ma&pa breakfast place and picks up breakfast sandwiches. (don't get picky, they are all the same ... catshup's in the fridge!)

Later in the morning, uncle invites the kids outside in the backyard to look for his car keys while he makes smores. He finds his keys on the grill and leaves for Walgreens to buy marshmellows and never comes back.

We setup trays of fruit/vegs and a big bread tray. It's either that or your stocking stuffer cuisine peanuts & popcorn trees.

The elders have always brought dinner and dined with us. Chicken, Roast Beef, and Ham. Sides galore.

We have birthday cake & ice cream for desert.
 
For Christmas Eve we do the Feast of Seven Fishes

Seafood Gumbo
Linguine and Clam Sauce
Fried Shrimp
Anchovies and Escarole
Crayfish Pie
Salmon with Whiskey Sauce
Trout Almondine
rice

Wilted Greens Salad

Pecan Pie
Baklava
Peanut Brittle
Gingerbread Men
Pralines
Pecan Pie Cheese Cake
English Toffee
Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
 
Pecan Pie
Baklava
Peanut Brittle
Gingerbread Men
Pralines
Pecan Pie Cheese Cake
English Toffee
Oatmeal Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Any good tips for making the Baklava. I have a recipe but my technique is missing something.
 
The biggest tip I can give is have a helper.. Trim the sheets so they fit the pan you are using.
What do you mean, your technique is missing something?

Here's how I do it.

Melt 1/2 pound of butter. Place a pound of pecans or walnut halves and 2oz of sugar plus a large TBS cinnamon into a food processor and pause the mixture a few times till the nuts are the size of BBs. Open one sleeve of phillo dough and trim it to the size of your pan.

Brush a bit of melted butter on the bottom of your baking pan. Add a sheet of phillo. Brush on butter. Repeat 10-12 times. Top with half the nut mixture. Dribble some melted butter on the nut mix, cover with a sheet of phillo and have your helper hold it in place while you brush butter on it. It usually takes two sheets of phillo before they won't move while you butter them. Layer 8-9 sheets of phillo buttering each as you go.. Add the rest of the nut mix, dribble butter on it and cover with a sheet of phillo having your helper hold it in place while you butter it. Lay down 10-12 sheets of phillo bettering each as you go.

Tips:
If two sheets of phillo stick together (a common problem) don't worry, just slather a little extra butter on them and just keep going.. You have to work quickly or the phillo dries out, that's why having a helper is useful. One person lays the sheet in the pan and the other person butters it.. If a sheet tares in half don't worry, just lay in both parts and butter. The number of sheets per layer isn't written in stone, just make sure you have 10 or more on the bottom to form a good base. You may have to rewarm the butter to keep a liquid consistency. And you may need more than half a pound. Another reason to have a helper one person is in charge of the butter, the other the phillo sheets.

Now that everything is assembled, cut it into large squares, then cut the squares on a diagonal. Making triangles. Preheat your oven to 350F. Bake on the middle rack for 50-60 minutes until it is Golden brown..

When the Baklava has cooled somewhat 30 minutes or so, start to make the sauce. The sauce is the secret to good Baklava.

Place one cup of sugar in the pot, add 1/2C water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 8 minutes. While it simmers, add 1/3C of honey and 1 to 2TBS of lemon juice, 1/2tsp vanilla.. Stirring to mix well, take the syrup off the stove and let it cool for maybe 5 minutes. Then pour the syrup over the Baklava and let everything sit for an hour or better yet overnight. If you let it sit overnight, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. If the ratio of honey to lemon is right, when you bite into the Baklava you taste the honey and cinnamon first and a few seconds later you taste the lemon. It takes a little practice to get the ratio right. Even if it isn't perfect, no one will complain, who wouldn't love honey dripped cinnamon toast?

If you have any questions, let me know.
 
That sounds so good.Thankyou. Do you ever use pistachios? Can you please write up your recipe and put it in the dessert sub forum so it doesn't get lost in this thread forever. TIA
 
The biggest tip I can give is have a helper.. Trim the sheets so they fit the pan you are using.
What do you mean, your technique is missing something?

Here's how I do it.

Melt 1/2 pound of butter. Place a pound of pecans or walnut halves and 2oz of sugar plus a large TBS cinnamon into a food processor and pause the mixture a few times till the nuts are the size of BBs. Open one sleeve of phillo dough and trim it to the size of your pan.

Brush a bit of melted butter on the bottom of your baking pan. Add a sheet of phillo. Brush on butter. Repeat 10-12 times. Top with half the nut mixture. Dribble some melted butter on the nut mix, cover with a sheet of phillo and have your helper hold it in place while you brush butter on it. It usually takes two sheets of phillo before they won't move while you butter them. Layer 8-9 sheets of phillo buttering each as you go.. Add the rest of the nut mix, dribble butter on it and cover with a sheet of phillo having your helper hold it in place while you butter it. Lay down 10-12 sheets of phillo bettering each as you go.

Tips:
If two sheets of phillo stick together (a common problem) don't worry, just slather a little extra butter on them and just keep going.. You have to work quickly or the phillo dries out, that's why having a helper is useful. One person lays the sheet in the pan and the other person butters it.. If a sheet tares in half don't worry, just lay in both parts and butter. The number of sheets per layer isn't written in stone, just make sure you have 10 or more on the bottom to form a good base. You may have to rewarm the butter to keep a liquid consistency. And you may need more than half a pound. Another reason to have a helper one person is in charge of the butter, the other the phillo sheets.

Now that everything is assembled, cut it into large squares, then cut the squares on a diagonal. Making triangles. Preheat your oven to 350F. Bake on the middle rack for 50-60 minutes until it is Golden brown..

When the Baklava has cooled somewhat 30 minutes or so, start to make the sauce. The sauce is the secret to good Baklava.

Place one cup of sugar in the pot, add 1/2C water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer the mixture for 8 minutes. While it simmers, add 1/3C of honey and 1 to 2TBS of lemon juice, 1/2tsp vanilla.. Stirring to mix well, take the syrup off the stove and let it cool for maybe 5 minutes. Then pour the syrup over the Baklava and let everything sit for an hour or better yet overnight. If you let it sit overnight, cover the pan loosely with aluminum foil. If the ratio of honey to lemon is right, when you bite into the Baklava you taste the honey and cinnamon first and a few seconds later you taste the lemon. It takes a little practice to get the ratio right. Even if it isn't perfect, no one will complain, who wouldn't love honey dripped cinnamon toast?
If you have any questions, let me know.
Thank you so much. I don't think my recipe has a sauce. Now I,m on a mission to enlist a helper!
 
We always do something seafood-wise on Christmas eve. Won't go seven fishes because it will be the two of us.

I am planning to make assorted tamales for Christmas this year. I'll have sides to go with it like frioles and citrus salad. Maybe a tres leche cake or flan to keep the theme going. :)
 
Christmas Eve dinner is pot roast and homemade crescent rolls. For Christmas Day, dinner is baked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, cranberry chutney, and pumpkin pie. I'll make the pie on Christmas Eve, and hope there is some left for Christmas Day!
 
We always do something seafood-wise on Christmas eve. Won't go seven fishes because it will be the two of us.
Yes, the seven fishes is difficult to do over time there has become fewer and fewer at the table and my God how the price of seafood has skyrocketed.. But this year we have managed to muster seven fishes to the table. We'll have 9 people at the table and probably food enough for 30...
 
Christmas Eve dinner is pot roast and homemade crescent rolls. For Christmas Day, dinner is baked ham, scalloped potatoes, green beans, cranberry chutney, and pumpkin pie. I'll make the pie on Christmas Eve, and hope there is some left for Christmas Day!
I'd like a good cranberry chutney recipe hint hint.. I made it for Thanksgiving one year and promptly lost the recipe.
 
Just us Christmas Eve https://cuveechatham.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Christmas-Eve-Menu-2022-1.pdf

Just us Christmas Day. Thanksgiving dinner

Family Christmas Eve. turkey tetrazzin, green beans and bacon, casaer salad, pear cake

Family Christmas Day. Prime rib roast, Yorkshire pudding, potatoes and gravy, cold horseradish beet salad, charred Brussels with honey glaze, apple and cherry pies. Signature cocktail is ginger liqueur, spiced pear liqueur, vodka and Prosecco.
 
Bama-Rick, this chutney recipe is famous locally, and folks actually ask for a jar of it for a Christmas gift. It's so easy to make that I'm almost embarrassed to mention it to all the great cooks here on DC.
Cranberry Chutney
12 oz. fresh or frozen cranberries
1 1/4 c. white sugar
1/2 c. water
1 large cooking apple, peeled and chopped (I use Granny Smith apples)
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/4 tsp. ground cloves

In a saucepan, combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat and simmer until apple is tender and the mixture thickens (about 20 to 30 minutes).
Cool completely and store refrigerated. This is a great accompaniment with pork, ham, or chicken.
(While it cooks, it makes the whole house smell like the holidays!)
 
Tonight will be New England style clam chowder with potatoes, celery, onion, and corn.

Tomorrow morning I’ll stir up a small batch of applesauce muffins to have with coffee and make my little apartment smell like Christmas.

Dinner will be a small loaf pan spinach lasagna with a simple cucumber onion salad.
 
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