Cooking for the Holidays

I would have done turkey, but my husband doesn't want it. I didn't realise British people did green bean casserole.  We've not had it since I've been here.  It's an option if the British recipe doesn't call for anything that can't be found gluten free.

ETA: And I definitely didn't think the potatoes and pasta thing was a British thing but something specific to my inlaws who are "different" when it comes to food.  Potatoes and pasta in a recipe is one thing.  Thinking a meal that has pasta in it NEEDS potatoes is totally different.

I would have done turkey, but my husband doesn't want it. I didn't realise British people did green bean casserole.  We've not had it since I've been here.  It's an option if the British menu doesn't call for anything that can't be found gluten free.

I think PR was referring to changing the Thanksgiving menu when referring to the turkey and green bean casserole.

Maybe how attached you are to a roast dinner is generational?

You calling me old?!?!

Every time you generalise they'll be loads of people who don't fit the pattern.  I think it's the same in the US with Thanksgiving, you get people who go their own way or have different traditions but for most people there is a very traditional menu.

I would have done turkey, but my husband doesn't want it. I didn't realise British people did green bean casserole.  We've not had it since I've been here.  It's an option if the British menu doesn't call for anything that can't be found gluten free.

I got that and I wasn't criticising or anything just thought I'd throw out my 2ps worth of insight.  I imagine, to your in-laws, lasagne for Xmas lunch would be like lasagne for Thanksgiving would be to most Americans.

As for green bean casserole, it's strictly an American thing AFAIK, it was just an example of T-giving stuff.  To me it's one of those things that sound nasty but taste surprisingly nice, I like that the Midwest has almost a whole cuisine based around tins of condensed soup.

Yeah, I probably came off as a bit more defensive than I needed to be.  In fact, I probably came off as sounding a bit more defensive than I actually am.  I guess when it comes down to it, it's our house, and I am not asking them to change traditions at their house.  The only two requests I've ever made at holiday time were: 1)Last year we have pigs in a blanket (which wasn't any problem) 2) we dish out our own food.  The second request was centred around potato issues.  My MiL, when cooking any dinner for us, would serve it, and heap everyone's plate with potatoes (she loves her potatoes).  I like potatoes to an extent, but my days of making them the centre-piece of my meals ended a while ago.  This request caused no end of complaining, including passive aggressively during dinner.  Plus she literally threw stuffing on my plate, which spilled off and stained the table-cloth, which she then went on about me messing up after dinner.  This wasn't at a special dinner that they invited us to, but Christmas lunch in a home that was supposed to be ours as well (and where we paid the bills).

So, when I found out we were having the main Christmas dinner here, it's sort of frayed my nerves about it.

Parents, eh?  I will say there are advantages to having the in-laws on a whole different continent!  I can deal with my own Mum as long as she stays out of the kitchen.  In fact she'd be fine in the kitchen if she could lean that we look with our eyes...

P.S. I wasn't really directing my post at you, I just noticed they've been a few "not turkey again..." posts recently.

Just to chime in, I know in the US that Thanksgiving is the holiday with the strongest food traditions but in the UK Christmas is the food holiday.  Messing with the Xmas menu here is like messing with the Thanksgiving menu in the US.

Agree. My DH would be so utterly disappointed if it was anything but a traditional English Christmas dinner with turkey and the trimmings. And I couldn't imagine not having turkey at Thanksgiving, so I guess we are a two turkey days household.  

IETA: And I definitely didn't think the potatoes and pasta thing was a British thing but something specific to my inlaws who are "different" when it comes to food.  Potatoes and pasta in a recipe is one thing.  Thinking a meal that has pasta in it NEEDS potatoes is totally different.

No nope just a British thing. DW quite often cooks a curry and serves it with rice and potatoes. I've seen her do the boy fish&chips and do boiled spuds to go with it.

But at this place I used to drink and eat a lot in Burma, there was the English guy that always ordered a plate of rice and chip (fries) when he came in. Nothing else. No beer, no coke. Just that. Never saw the guy order anything different. Ever. I always wanted to ask him but didn't.

A two turkey household. LOL Parents used to always do a turkey at T-day and C-day and then a ham at NY-day. Turkey's good.

A two turkey household. LOL Parents used to always do a turkey at T-day and C-day and then a ham at NY-day. Turkey's good.

My family always did a Turkey for Thanksgiving, Fish and Pasta on Christmas Eve (I explained that earlier in the thread), a Roast Chicken on Christmas (along with Lasagne and lots of other Italian goodies), Pork and Saurkraut on New Years, and Ham on Easter. We had our bases covered when it came to food holidays!

My family always did a Turkey for Thanksgiving, Fish and Pasta on Christmas Eve (I explained that earlier in the thread), a Roast Chicken on Christmas (along with Lasagne and lots of other Italian goodies), Pork and Saurkraut on New Years, and Ham on Easter. We had our bases covered when it came to food holidays!

And now you're here, you can add another dish for Boxing Day. Duck, goose?


Why don't we have a special meal for the 4th of July? Or do people do meals and I just don't know about it?

Why don't we have a special meal for the 4th of July? Or do people do meals and I just don't know about it?

I think for the 4th of July, it's special food if you're have a party or people over.  Then it's your typical American summery food like potato salad, cole slaw, burgers and hot dogs, BBQ chicken or veggie option, corn-on-the-cob, fruit salad, chips and dip, that kind of thing.

And now you're here, you can add another dish for Boxing Day. Duck, goose?


Why don't we have a special meal for the 4th of July? Or do people do meals and I just don't know about it?

We kinda just do a repeat Christmas Dinner on Boxing Day! I mean, we have enough food leftover to feed an army anyway.

I forgot about the 4th of July meal... My family totally does one - and I still do every year I'm here. BBQ Ribs, Chicken wings, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Corn, etc. BBQ type foods. I love food holidays...

I think for the 4th of July, it's special food if you're have a party or people over.  Then it's your typical American summery food like potato salad, cole slaw, burgers and hot dogs, BBQ chicken or veggie option, corn-on-the-cob, fruit salad, chips and dip, that kind of thing.

I forgot about the 4th of July meal... My family totally does one - and I still do every year I'm here. BBQ Ribs, Chicken wings, Hot Dogs, Hamburgers, Baked Beans, Coleslaw, Corn, etc. BBQ type foods. I love food holidays...

I was racking my brain and could not remember sitting down to any meal BUT that's cuz we wuz outside. God what a real Homer moment. Thanks.

Well, the discussion about lasagna made me hungry for lasagna, so instead of a main course of monkfish, we're having monkfish wrapped in bacon as a starter, then we'll have lasagna for dinner. We're having this and opening presents on Tuesday before we leave for my inlaws on Wednesday. We'll have the traditional turkey, ham, roast potatoes, and overcooked veg on Christmas day.

Well, the discussion about lasagna made me hungry for lasagna, so instead of a main course of monkfish, we're having monkfish wrapped in bacon as a starter, then we'll have lasagna for dinner. We're having this and opening presents on Tuesday before we leave for my inlaws on Wednesday. We'll have the traditional turkey, ham, roast potatoes, and overcooked veg on Christmas day.

 

Well, I've just finished the majority of my Christmas cooking: potato dauphinoise, sprouts with pancetta, parsley carrots glazed with butter and orange blossom honey and clementine cake.

Only things left on the day will be the ham in Coke and turkey.  The rest is a simple re-heat.

*raises her glass of Bailey's*  Here's to a stress free Christmas lunch!