Why do people piss about trying to 'ring the changes' <wince> for Christmas dinner??

[moondog]

You only have it once a year, so no, I do not want stir fried sprouts, apricot stuffed swan or ice cream bombes.
I want goose, pudding, mince pies and vast quantities of fizz.

C'est tout

As you were.

I have an ice cream bombe in my freezer and iced-top mince pies. Will also be having stir fried sprouts...

However - not on Christmas day. That will be traditional. We like to shake up the change ringing mashup on other days.

Your ice cream bombe and other groovy offerings therefore pass muster.

If somebody is kind enough to cook me Christmas dinner then I'm happy to eat whatever they're offering.

I will admit my heart cried a little bit when my gran made duchess parsnips instead of roast ones one year though.

What is a duchess parsnip?

In my heart I want a full on retro Christmas lunch of the sort my grandmother made, complete with tinned grapefruit for starters, preceded by a waxy chocolate purloined from the white artificial tree.

It's mashed parsnip piped into little swirls and baked. She was an.. er.. inventive cook.

Fair do's, moondog - you wouldn't get me near stir fried sprouts, I'm afraid!

We've never been very 'trad' about Christmas dinner in my family. After I got married, me and DH would go round to my parents' and my DM would fret about doing it 'traditional,' assuming this was what DH would be used to. But none of us like bloody turkey or Christmas pudding! Not a one! So this year, we're back to ham, sausage rolls, those mini cheese and onion pasties for veggie DSis and Ben and Jerry's. As it should be.

Parsnips v underrated but I share your unease about the new treatment.
Profondo, I can't fathom folk who don't dig Christmas pud.
I bloody love it!

I've never had goose.

Goose is fab.
Very greasy though so needs fat drained off while cooking and forget about cooking in a posh frock.

I just don't get the appeal, moondog! I'm one of those charlatans who thinks fruit has no place in a dessert. Fudge, chocolate, cream - yes.

We had white chocolate sponge cake at our wedding.

Roast parsnips are my favourite part. I would be heartbroken with mashed piped ones

to ring the changes this year, im having a three vermin roast-ferret, stuffed with rat, stuffed with a pigeon. It will be served with an effervescent dipping jam and we are having crabs nipsys for a starter.

Not fussed about food?!
Jeezuz.
I live for food.

quite agree - Mum sulking because I said that I don't want Heston's blooming Christmas Pudding with an orange in or stir fried shredded sprouts with poxy bacon - want it the lovely traditional way - waaaaah stamps foot and regresses to 2 year old! Not sure if I'm still invited now!

Ooh loving the crabs nipsys starter! Marinated in something appropriate I hope.

So true. On the 'weird' Christmas when my DM tried to be 'traditional,' I was all 'stop trying to give me my five a day! It's Santy Claus day!' And then huddled under the tree, clasping my selection box to my bosom, chomping furiously on my Curly Wurly and Caramel until she backed off.

Couldn't agree more. I like my sprouts boiled. For 6-8 minutes and no more. They're delicious cooked simply and properly and are just one more thing to blather with gravy and cranberry stuff.

My dh has just returned (this morning!) from a very long stint in a Muslim country and would step over my dead body for a rasher of bacon.
I think I will add a Lidl dried ham to my Boxing Day lunch.

Also totally bemused by British penchant for cheap 'n nasty chocolate.
One tradition I do not enjoy musy be said.

I'm with you on the chocolate, too, moondog. If I'm going to get furry teeth, I'm going to enjoy the process, thankyou.