Christmas Food Thoughts...

Christmas!

Its all finished, are you sad, happy, relieved, relaxed? I love Christmas, for me the best bits of Christmas is all about food. I have spent the last eight days rolling from one great meal to another, but now I'm as stuffed as the turkey on Christmas eve. I haven't eaten because I'm hungry over these past 8 days, I have eaten because food is on the table. Is anyone else like me looking forward to feeling hungry again? The feeling of getting home from work and being famished and then eating a great home cooked healthy meal. Todays blog is about what I enjoy most about Christmas and the food that comes with it.

Family and friends. I have a great family, but I know lots of people who don't enjoy spending time with their family as much so I include friends here to. In my house we have eaten dinner in front of the TV for the last couple of years, its easy. but at christmas we eat around the table all the time which is great for spending time together. It is something I find great to do and helps get conversation flowing. Food at Christmas isn't just about eating great food but enjoying it together.

Turkey. The main event. The beast of a bird. It is huge, and we eat it for days after. We still have some in the fridge now. The roast on Christmas day is excellent, but turkey isn't the most exciting meat on its own. However there are so many great options of what to do with it, you can do turkey; fricassee, curry, pie, sandwiches, sliced cold, and my personal favourite Turkey Hash (recipe to come at later date). The leftover options from roast turkey are excellent. My brothers favourite meal isn't the dinner itself but the bubble and squeak and cold meat you get the next day.

The cooking. I love cooking in the kitchen with my parents, cooking Christmas dinner together is great fun. The jokes, the discussions over how best to cook a carrot (covered in a pan with a large knob of butter, enough water to just cover the bottom of the pan and some salt and pepper on a high heat for 6 minutes. If you were wondering). Trying to work out if the turkey is actually cooked and the juices are clear. Lifting the turkey out of the oven tray and onto the draining tray, and trying to carve the beauty a little while later. I love the time I spend with my parents in the kitchen on Christmas day.

I have some interesting turkey facts I found out.

1. The first person to eat turkey on Christmas day was King Henry VIII, he chose to eat a turkey because it was more decadent than the commonly eaten Swan, Peacock and Pheasant!

2. Turkey started becoming popular at Christmas in the 20th century.

3. 76% of families have turkey at Christmas and last year alone the country consumed 10 million Turkeys.

4. Traditionally turkey was cooked on a spit over a fire in rich houses. in poorer houses, it was attached to a hook on two pieces of string which was wound up and then released over a fire ensuring all sides are cooked.

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas, and a happy new year.

Liam