Turkey or what else in place of it?

[shootingstar]

So are you going to have turkey or something else for the signature holiday dinner entree?

This yr., it's bison. I wrote up about it (http://cyclewriteblog.wordpress.com/2010/12/17/roaming-around-for-bison-distinctly-north-american-lean-and-maybe-gourmet/)being here in the land of red meat, bison, etc. Other years, we've had seafood. He and I come from non-turkey families. We grew up not eating turkey for the Christmas or for any holiday meal.

[channlluv]

I make family dinner on Christmas Eve because my MIL calls dibs on Christmas Day dinner. So I'm not competing with her in the least, I make a big crockpot of all-day chili and a batch of cornbread and some of my family's favorite desserts -- my great-grandmother's cookies, or my aunt's cake or something.

For Christmas dinner, she'll probably roast a turkey and a sister-in-law always brings a ham. The rest of us contribute casseroles, bread, and desserts.

It's a little sad this year. My FIL passed away in April. He loved Christmas.

Roxy

[bmccasland]

If I'm left to my own devices, I'm thinking crab. Maybe I'll share with the kitties. One Dungeness crab for the four of us - me and the three cats.

And try to make the brussel sprouts/apple/cranberry vegie like I had at lunch yesterday.

[emily_in_nc]

Turkey. But only b/c my mom makes the best dressing and cranberry sauce, and DH makes great sweet potatoes. So, turkey seemed like the way to go. :)

[malkin]

I'll be eating whatever Brewer wants to make.
:)

[azfiddle]

We'll probably take the traditional Jewish route- going out for Chinese food on Christmas...

[zoom-zoom]

We had prime rib for Thanksgiving this year...I kind of miss turkey and will probably make one sometime soon. Prime rib doesn't include stuffing and gravy...I could eats me a whole lotta stuffing drenched in gravy! :D

[shootingstar]

bmcc, that Dungeness crab slows down any eater, no matter how good it is: Takes time to take the crabmeat after cracking those huge/hard shells!

When I had occasional visitors from other provinces in Vancouver, I served Dungeness crab partially to impress them, but also because it's alot cheaper fresh in Vancouver than elsewhere in another province in Canada.

Wonder if the vegetarians will respond here. Hope we learn of their star entree dish for holiday meal.

[MomOnBike]

Oddly, our Christmas food tends to start with "P" I swear I didn't plan it that way, but. . .

Pizza: My SIL calls long-distance to order a Pizza from a local joint for us on Christmas Eve.

Paella: For Christmas dinner. My daughter learned of this rice, saffron and seafood dish when she was in Spain and somehow it became our traditional Christmas dinner. (Turkey is for T-giving only around here.)

Pizzels and Potica: Pizzels are kind of a really thin, sweet waffle baked in a fancy iron. Potica is a rolled sweet bread full of walnuts, honey, butter, eggs and other good stuff. It's served in thin slices, the better to show off the spirals.

Good stuff, Maynard.

[XMcShiftersonX]

The Vegan Whole Turkey.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/food/2006/11/24/vegetarian-turkey-makes-meaty-thanksgiving-centerpiece/

[indysteel]

I think my MIL is making ham. That's what my own mom makes. If it were up to me, I'd probably go with a pork roast, beef tenderloin or lamb chops. I'm not big on turkey. I'm going to try my hand at coq au vin for New Year's Eve. It's just me and DH for that.

[Thorn]

The Vegan Whole Turkey.

http://blogs.mercurynews.com/food/2006/11/24/vegetarian-turkey-makes-meaty-thanksgiving-centerpiece/

Sorry, that looks.....uh....not so good, although based on the review probably better than tofurkey (shudder....awful stuff....shudder).

Knowing the chef in the house it will probably be a seitan roulade using a bread stuffing with mushroom gravy and a side of rosemary potatoes. Very tasty.

But since I'm job hunting (unsucessfully) and will probably receive a rejection right before the holidays, I'll be hoping for comfort food instead. My request will be his vegan adaptation of a chcolate chicken recipe we saw on one of those many food reality shows. Seitan slow cooked with onions in a savory chocolate sauce....mmmm.....(my apologies to the gluten intolerant for that moment of culinary indulgence).

[malkin]

I think I'll lobby for a Christmas Eve of cheese & stuff (crackers, salami, fruit, you know, stuff). Then all the leftover exotic and extravagant cheese can become one glorious sauce for pasta!

[XMcShiftersonX]

Sorry, that looks.....uh....not so good, although based on the review probably better than tofurkey (shudder....awful stuff....shudder).


It's actually really delicious. The stuffing is amazing too, has chunks of "ham" in it. It's juicy and has the appropriate texture. It's nothing like Torfurkey, which is disgusting, dry and flavorless. It's unfortunate that people who maybe don't know about vegan food end up eating that, and get the impression that that is what all vegan food is like.

[Owlie]

We do turkey. We used to do both turkey and ham, but stopped that when I was in high school. New Year's day is roast beef and Yorkshire pudding. We do something different for Christmas Eve every year--no idea what this year.

DBF's family does turkey on Christmas day, but Christmas Eve is Norwegian meatballs and lefse with green beans (his dad's side of the family is Irish/Norwegian). The first time I visited him (in January), he begged his mom to make it again so I could try it.

[shootingstar]

Oddly, our Christmas food tends to start with "P" I swear I didn't plan it that way, but. . .

Pizza: My SIL calls long-distance to order a Pizza from a local joint for us on Christmas Eve.

Paella: For Christmas dinner. My daughter learned of this rice, saffron and seafood dish when she was in Spain and somehow it became our traditional Christmas dinner. (Turkey is for T-giving only around here.)

Pizzels and Potica: Pizzels are kind of a really thin, sweet waffle baked in a fancy iron. Potica is a rolled sweet bread full of walnuts, honey, butter, eggs and other good stuff. It's served in thin slices, the better to show off the spirals.

Good stuff, Maynard.

SIL must know the beloved pizza flavours for your family. Neat idea.

I love paella and we have done it for special occasion meals. Can't remember if Christmas was one of them.

I've enjoyed pizzelles. Haven't had homemade ones yet.

[Crankin]

I love pizelles.
Like AZfiddle, we usually do the traditional Jewish XMas of Chinese food, but we do it on XMas Eve, with the same group of friends for about 15 years. This year however, my oldest son is getting married on XMas, with just us and her parents at their apartment. When I reminded him that nothing except Asian restaurants would be open for us to go to, after the ceremony, he was like, hey, that's what we do anyway. I am lobbying for Japanese, but it's up to them. I may end of having Chinese food 2 days in a row.

[spokewench]

This year for Christmas it is Ham which is my husband's choice. My parents usually have prime rib - Yuck! My husband has put up with prime rib for a couple of years now so it is his choice and ham it is.

[PamNY]

I'll be doing some variant of Jewish Christmas -- I hope in an interesting neighborhood with interesting stores that are open on Christmas day.

One year we did Korean food and bowling for Thanksgiving (my favorite) but I'm not sure if I can find a bowling alley that's open on Christmas.

[Crankin]

The best meal I've ever had on XMas was when we took an impromtu (the only) vacation to Miami in 1994. Wwe flew down on XMas Eve, and had Chinese upon arrival. The next day, we went to South Beach, where everything was open, there was a carnival-like atmosphere, and we ate at a lovely outdoor bistro, where we were able to have nice salads and sandwiches. It was the only time I didn't feel branded as different on that day.

[skhill]

Don't know how it happened, but Hoppin' John has become our traditional Christmas meal. It's more traditional for New Year's day, but we have it a week early. For those of y'all who aren't Southern, it's basically black-eyed peas and rice. It's my turn to make it this year, and it's going to be more a hoppin' juan, with chorizo and cilantro and hot peppers...

With all the clergy and choir members in my extended family, Christmas day is mainly about catching up on sleep; no one has the energy to cook a big or extravagant meal. Something that can sit bubbling away on the back of the stove while folks nap is totally our style!

[emily_in_nc]

Don't know how it happened, but Hoppin' John has become our traditional Christmas meal. It's more traditional for New Year's day, but we have it a week early. For those of y'all who aren't Southern, it's basically black-eyed peas and rice. It's my turn to make it this year, and it's going to be more a hoppin' juan, with chorizo and cilantro and hot peppers...

Oh, that sounds great! Love Hoppin' John, and Hoppin' Juan sounds even better! Great idea - maybe I'll do that for NY's. :D

[surgtech1956]

skihill - Hoppy John sounds wonderful - recipe please........ always looking for a different dish. Its just myself and DGF, she mentioned marinated turkey breast, not set in stone yet. I'm the cook, but with the broken ankle, she's had to take over the job.

[kjay]

I just saw a list of all the different Christmas dinners one can order from Whole Foods, and one includes pork pumpkin tamales. Mmmmmm, does that ever sound good. :-)

[PamNY]

Skhill, your post brought back memories. My father was a pastor so of course holidays were a busy time.

Once, as an adult, I had to miss traveling to my parents' for Christmas because of work. My dad, by then retired, grumbled a bit until my mom gently reminded him that working during the holidays wasn't exactly unheard of in our family.

MomOnBike, your food sounds great.