Going to MIL's in france for xmas - what food should I contribute?

[janmoomoo]

Want to help out. Any ideas what can I make to take over with us? Need something original as she is quite good with food and obviously the french nosh is fab.

Something essentially 'english' - like grouse or pheasant or something? Marmite? baked beans - IIRC they can't get them over there. Sausages are always good, english ones are unique - and you can get venison/wild boar or something like. Scottish Raspberries. English Cheeses - yes really! Cider. Apple Brandy. Scottish Smoked eel/salmon/trout.

I'm sure that whatever you take will be appreciated - except maybe wine!

A buche noel

I'm not 100% sure you can travel with pork sausages.... there are many restrictions on meat/dairy products crossing borders.

Have you asked what she will be serving?

My French friends love Christmas cake/Christmas pudding - I always have to take some when we go over!

I would ask her - the French are notoriously "gourmet" about their food!

We always used to stack the car up with ketchup, branston, PGtips, baked beans etc, but they can get a lot of that there now.

Actually a massive lump of mature english cheddar will probably go down a treat tho.

Was thinking of something I could make? Was going to do the christmas cake but no-one ever eats it in our family! Might take some pataks and make a big curry which would be different for them. But stuck for other inspiration for something I can make and take.

Good quality loose leaf tea?

You could make and bottle some cranberry sauce. Or nice chutney?

I think Scottish shortbread would go down a storm and M and S do some fab Scottishy tins at the moment.

I lurve shortbread. Might have to get some for myself (well its a long journey you know!)

I bought them for the retro tins last year but the (organic) shortbread was thick and fab...highly recommended!

mince pies and christmas cake. I also agree with Horton - cranberry sauce. Oh, some nice crackers and some english cheddar

Things that I miss from UK (live in Spain) Smoked mackerel
Good cheddar and stilton
Good tea
Pickles and chutneys
Marmite
Ginger biscuits and shortbread
Homemade brown bread
Oat cakes especially the peppered ones

And, especially for Christmas
Mince pies and clotted cream.

Things I used to miss at Christmas in France:
Christmas pudding
Mince pies
Stilton (could be difficult/smelly to transport though!)
Cranberry sauce

Hope you have a great time!

We always bring Stilton, Christmas pudding, Christmas cake and pickles.
Other thing is crackers - very difficult/expensive to get over there.

When we go to my parents for Xmas in France we always take a Christmas cake, some mince pies, good orange marmalade, good loose leaf tea, fudge, good stilton (in a jar) and crackers (as well as the Xmas crackers). My parents are French and love all these.

Make some mincemeat to take as a present, and dolly it up with pretty ribbon in kilner jars. I made it for friends last year, and it went down a storm, even though it is teh easiest ever thing to make.

Then you can make mince pies one day while you are there.

A good game pie? Some of the chutneys type things that are in all the christmas hampers- great with cold meat/game.

Getting excited now. Thanks everyone.

I think I am going to make a big batch of mince pies before I go. Plus offer to bring the christmas pudding. Then I will take a big block of mature cheddar and a large stilton.

And I might do a little hamper of all the english things like tea/branston/chutney/digestives.

Also getting the christmas crackers is a great idea.