The holiday season is a busy time when we gather with family and friends to celebrate the season which so often involves food. Many of our favourite foods we only have during the holidays. Without these foods, the holidays may loose some of their shine.
We each have our own family food traditions during the holidays. Many are almost universal or symbols of the season, like Turkey for Christmas dinner, shortbread cookies, and candy canes. Others are unique to an area or a family, certain areas of Nova Scotia on Christmas Eve features fresh lobster for supper! Some families have Chinese food every Christmas Eve. Whatever the food, it is part of the traditions that make the season special.
My Dad, growing up in the 1920's and 1930's in rural New Brunswick, said Roast Goose was the main part of Christmas Dinner as almost every farm had some geese, but rarely did they have turkeys in their flock. When I was growing up we altered between goose and turkey for Christmas Dinner because of this.
For me one of the signs the holidays are coming is when I make Ribbon Cookies. Ribbon cookies were a feature on the holiday cookie tray when I was young; and because it was a favourite of mine it was the first "Christmas" cookie I learned to make and I have made them every year since. To me this cookie mean Christmas.
(ready to go into the oven)
Christmas is one of my favourite times of the year and cookbooks are one of my favourite things so it makes sense that over the years I have acquired a collection of Christmas themed cookbooks. You don't realize how many you have until you try to put them all in one place. (and they still didn't all end up in the picture)
During the month I have selected and prepare menus from 3 of them. With the holiday business I just have not had a chance to write about them. I hope over the next week I will catch up.
Stay tuned.
No comments:
Post a Comment