Ok I am resurrecting Christmas menu for uber food ponces discussion. Purchasers of Tesco mince pies and Bacardi Breezers need not apply.

[moondog]

I need details of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and NYE food and drink.

[wildstrawberryplace]

Yes to marrons glaces being overrated. In fact chestnut products in general esp that fauchon sweetened puree, are actually just sweet tasteless pap.

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

omdb - at least your ILs are honest. Mine think they are foodies and all sit there eating things going 'ooh this is beautiful, yum' etc etc, and usually I am thinking that it is either vile or boring.

We are at my Mum's for Christmas, and she is doing a whole poached salmon on Christmas Eve and then traditional turkey on Christmas Day. She does it beautifully though, makes amazing stuffing and doesn't over complicate things.

I find it bizarre when people have yorkshire puddings, 3 different kinds of potato and 10 vegetables at Christmas dinner. Bonkers.

I am in charge of the cheeseboard this year, thinking that I will go with all English.
Someone upthread said something about making crackers - how would I go about that and will they stand a few days waiting and transport?

Clementine bellinis sound amazing, will definitely give those a go.

[moondog]

Interesting link (and hearty guffaw at talk of 'mucilage' protecting the colour)
I grew up in the Pacific and spent a lot of time on coffee and cocoa plantations.

So is the puree dull too?
i was gonig to make that Christmas dessert with it (name escapes me) but not a good idea?

[bagpuss]

Some good ideas for breakfasts, thanks. I had forgotten about eggs benedict - dh would like that but then also pancakes might be a good choice too.

I would love a nice pudding recommendation too - I was all set for letting dh sort out an easy ready made something but you have inspired me. Failing that I'm going to wildstrawberryplace's house for Christmas lunch!

[SeasonsGripings]

It's primarily loads of onions fried, add tomatoes, when sauce is cooked an egg is added and cooks on top of the sauce. Very simple but delicious. It's dh's secret recipe - he gets annoyed if I get one of his recipes and tweak it to make it better, so now he gets recipes and hides them from me - the bugger! Then again I get food cooked for me which is always a treat.

Like many Jewish recipes there's loads of versions - have a google.

[wildstrawberryplace]

Mont blanc? I dunno, I find it dull, but maybe you wouldn't - the puree has quite a strong vanilla taste - but if you find marrons glaces totally horrible then...

FWIW Ali I agree about the lack of need for 3 types of potato and 10 veg - I do more than I would otherwise purely because for DH it's not traditional without certain things, while for me my traditional things are different IYSWIM. But no bloody yorkshire puddings!

[bagpuss]

Yorkshire puddings only go with beef! They are just wrong with anything else. This reminds me that I need new tins for ours (we are having rib of beef) otherwise my favourite meal may be ruined before i have even eaten it. We stick to roast potatoes and two or three different types of veg as a rule, any more and dh gets stressy while he's cooking it .

[wildstrawberryplace]

I had never even heard of people having yorkshires with Christmas lunch before mumsnet!

[bagpuss]

No, I'd be tempted to give them a swerve were it not for the dcs (we have five so important to please them you see). Couldn't eat them with a traditional turkey based meal though, but with rare beef, horseradish and dh's gravy they are perfect.

[moondog]

I am a huge fan of the retro Boxing Day spread with good ham, rib of beef that has just raised a quick wave to the oven, lots of delicious pickles and chutneys, crusty bread, celery and of course a fabulous trifle for which the custard and sponge have been made from scratch.

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

No me neither, I was

There was a thread a couple of years ago which was like a competition in who could have the longest list of things for Christmas dinner. Did make me wonder how the fuck it all gets cooked!
I also don't understand the thing of having multiple meats. It isn't something I grew up with so it seems very alien to me!

ppeat - do you mean Cremant de Bourgogne? I agree it is very delicious, but good Champagne bought in Champagne rather than a British supermarket is my personal favourite :)

[bagpuss]

Oh god, trifle! Moondog, can I come to yours as well?

I'm not a fan of ham, it always seems quite ordinary and hangs around in the fridge for ages when nobody eats it, so it is on my list not to buy this year. I like homemade chutney with cheese. My mum made some in the summer which I have saved specially

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

moondog that is what my ILs do for Boxing Day, and we are going there on BD this year. I struggle because I don't really like pickles, and they make (bad) mash and no decent bread. Yak. I think it will be his turn to drive this year.
I have made DH promise that we will leave in time to get back to my parents house for a proper cheeseboard supper with homemade mince pies to follow.

[Get0rf]

I am not poncey enough to be allowed on this thread, but I deeply love reading all these ideas.

I do love christmas dinner, because I never cook a sunday roast normally, so it is a treat.

I much prefer the boxing day spread as you say moondog - ham, good bread, loads of pickles, lots of cheese (we are going to our house in France (ponce credential!) before chirstmas to buy lots of cheese, especially my favourite cantal, and foie gras.

The reason I am posting on this thread really is to agree with slubber that Valentine Warner's recipes for game are brilliant - we eat quite a lot of venison as we have a good local supply (shot in the nearest forest) and his venison stew recipe (with puree de pommes de terre) is utterly brilliant.

[Get0rf]

I am probably one of those people who cooks far too much veg - parsnips, swede (because I adore mashed swede) sprouts and red cabbage. I just couldn't exclude any of those (plus it is needed for bubble and squeak).

[bagpuss]

Alibabaa, I remember one year we went to the ILs for Christmas day and mil served duck and turkey together! There was probably a yorkshire pudding in there for good measure . That was the last time they cooked for us at Christmas.

[Get0rf]

I don't understand the yorkshire pudding thing either.

[SeasonsGripings]

I took great pleasure in making a trifle from scratch and proving to dh it was the crapness of shop bought ingredients that made trifle horrid - he fell in love with me all over again. I made the custard, sponge and I know it's swear word in the trifle world but I made jelly too - from fruit juice....it was really good but I demand more bang for me buck - effort level was too high...essentially I'm a lazy bugger who likes to eat well.

I'll just have to discover a quicker way to get dh all excited again

[Get0rf]

I went to my ex-SIL's for a christmas one year - she served hot sweetcorn with the christmas dinner. Very odd.

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

I have just raised the subject of who drives on Boxing Day with DH, and he has volunteered, so at least I can dull my dislike of the food with a decent glass of wine.

Thanks whoever mentioned Gewurztraminer, I will probably take a few bottles of that with us.

Getorf - what do the French do at Christmas, and is it possible to get a turkey? We are spending next Christmas at my parents house over there and DM is already stressing about where she will get a turkey from I have visions of driving down with one in the boot!

[Alibabaandthe80nappies]

bagpuss - that is a waste of good duck - and presumably the duck had normal gravy poured on it..?

[bagpuss]

GetOrf, that sounds quite poncey to me. You are very lucky to have your pick of French cheeses. I am not really a food ponce as such either, but I do like proper food and am loving reading what everyone else is having to eat. Between this thread and the homemade food presents thread I am determined to enjoy christmas cooking more than ever this year.

[Get0rf]

I have never spent Christmas in France, ali, so I don't know. There is a local butcher where our place is but we normally just buy bavette from there.

[Get0rf]

I do love the whole christmas cooking thing - I don't really understand why people find it stressful, tbh, cooking to such an extent is such a treat and I find it relaxing.

That is probably due to frequent sips of amaretto though

[midnightexpress]

Yum yum yum to everything (except the shit cheddar - strictly Isle of Mull (which is NOT the same as Mull of Kintyre cheddar, apart from the word 'Mull').

I was out for dinner with some pals the other night and was wildly impressed when my French friend ordered hare. Does farmer-shot hare arrive full of little bits of shot you need to pick out? Or do they use bullets?

We're going away to my mum's for Xmas this year, and had offered to bring nice meat of some sort from our farmer's market. DS2 and I duly set forth on Saturday to order it, only to find about 5 rain-lashed stalls full of earthy parsnips, curry (wah?), and chocolate brownies. Not only this, but a howling gale so none of the stalls had their tops on, and all the food was hidden under tarpaulins. You had to lift up a corner and peer underneath. It's not bloody Borough Market, I tell you. Bet Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall never had this problem. We've given up and handed the baton to DM, who lives in Hertfordshire, where fancypants butchers are a dime a dozen. We'll order up some wine and take stinky Scottish fish and cheese I think.