Message Boards

Hi Mary,

Your guests always seem to enjoy your parties, you sound like a wonderful host. So I was wondering if you have been to many locals parties yet? I was just wondering how the food they cook compares to back home. It always interests me how different countries have different foods available but with exportation making it possible to get most things, it is most interesting to see what they do with it. Have you discovered anything you really love thats new out there?

Thanks Huggy! I had a really lovely thank you card today from all 6 guests. It was very flattering.

Told you everything would be okay Mary - you are a pro!

We do the whole Christmas dinner thing on Christmas Eve. We started this one year when I had to work on Christmas Day and we'll never go back to the old ways. It makes Christmas Eve much more special, then on Christmas Day we can concentrate on the excitement of the kids, and eat bubble and squeek and leftovers without spending too much time in the kitchen.
I'm getting excited now at the thought of it!

Karen G, your Christmas Eve chats with mum sound lovely, you should try and reintroduce them maybe inviting her over to stay on Christmas Eve i f she lives far away; I love my chats with my mum and try to make the most of every opportunity. I shall also be prepping on Christmas Eve before midnight mass, I think it is one of the best parts of Christmas.
Also - just to say I totally love frozen peas (other Karen!) but find that things like frozen beans can be a bit limp compared to "fresh", though I am sure you are absolutely right about the freshness, if we have beans from the garden they taste completely different from bought even when they come from a farm shop.

The lunch went very well thanks Martino. The guests were gratifyingly impressed!

My mum always did her veg prep on Christmas Eve night, while listening to a carol service on the radio. If I joined her, to help peel or whatever, silence reigned unless she didn't like the carol, when we had some very personal chats, which I miss now that I don't see her as often as I would like. When that was done, it was time to get ready for Midnight Mass, when the whole family - or whoever was there ( I'm the eldest of 5 ) - would go together. Christmas as it should be!!
P.S. Karen, great minds think alike, only my husband does all the ironing!!

Totally agree about ironing haven't done any for years. Have trained hubby to do his own shirts and I deliberately buy things that don't need ironing just a flatten down with a palm straight off the washing line. My point is though that veg is only fresh on the day of picking and if it has been in the shop for a day or so and then in your cupboard for a day or so it is not "fresh" whereas frozen is prepared and packaged on the day of picking (in most cases) and is therefore fresher than "fresh" (IMHO). But I do find topping and tailing beans very calming.

Here here Debbie2 ... I prefer peeling veg to doing the ironing as well!!

Hope you don't mind me joining this thread but I am absolutely on the side of fresh veg. What I don't understand is why people are so " busy" they can't peel a few spuds or wash a few greens? What on earth are they doing? I guess I see cooking as therapeutic and relaxing wh ereas others see it as a chore. Even after a full day's work, when I get home at 7.00 pm earliest, I am still quite happy pottering in the kitchen preparing a little feast. Now ironing on the other hand is another matter - I would happily use the money saved by not buying ready prepared food and spend it on someone else to do the ironing!

Hello Martino don't get me wrong I have a bag of frozen roasters in the freezer as I write. But they are no substitute for the real thing. They are for emergencies only like when you go to the potato bin and find that they have all sprouted and shrivelled overnight it is cold and raining and the nearest veg shop is a mile away. Do they do Aunt Bessies in Italy?? I am sure you must have tasted a few in your time on your travels.!!

No sorry Martino still don't understand about the potatoes, can you explain further? please?

Mary

In the case of froxen potoatoes. What do they say one mans meat... Like those who know French wine is best even if they have not tried others...

Hope your meal went well, plane delayed sorry. The point I was making is that when I go to my MIL for Christmas dinner we may offer help but we will not presume. I would never presume that others are worse than me at cooking ready meal or not.

Enjoy the company...

I hosted lunch for 8 today. Everyone kept offering to help. But it's MY show! When I have family staying we all muck in but today was 'guests'. I agree, guests are guests. But family are allowed to help.

Define 'snob' please Martino

Snobs! I am surrounded by snobs!

Oh! How I agree about the frozen roasties Karen. Foul stuff!! I prefer fresh veg but do always have a little store in the freezer: peas, sweetcorn, sprouts & green beans are perfectly acceptable in the absence of fresh. LOATH mixed veg with their uniform small dice.Yuk! Claire, I wonder if you could give an offer of help to your sister, suggesting you'll do the veg? If you also offer to buy it...... Bye bye prepared packet rubbish!!!!!!! :-)

Just ask her not to use frozen roast potatoes!! LOL

Claire don't get me wrong I really enjoy frsh veg but it has to be picked that morning and used even one or two days in the larder and it is not fresh (IMHO) Instead of pre packed can you persuade her to use frozen they are frozen on the day of picking and are as good as fresh especially peas and sweetcorn and even sprouts. Frozen cauli is still very tasty. I am sure that someone will disagree but where can you get fresh veg on christmas day??

Goodness gracious! A gusest is a guest! My family are going to my inlaws for Christmas in Dull witch village. They would not expect, even if we do!

Christmas is not about veg! it is more than that. If that is what she wants to prepare enjoy! Be her sister not her cook.

Our Christmas dinner is on Christmas eve and in years gone by including last year, when folk come to us then they come as our guests! If they dont like the food well what can I say! But they certainly do not do the washing up.

Every family is different, you must choose for yourself, but why make a "meal" out of it? Be her sister and do what ever you do and not what others do. Be yourself and enjoy.

Merry Christmas

Unlike claire-23 and like Debbie our guests help with peeling, washing and general prep. Keith will not allow anyone to help load the dishwasher. In his opinion he is the only person in the world who can do this task properly. This is an opinion I nurture and love!

Although this has been offered (Helping out with the food), it is a long standing tradition in our family that the guest helping out comes to the washing up....

Claire

Hi Claire, I used to be the same as your sister so I can empathise with her to a certain extent!

However, I think that Christmas is a family time and shouldn't family be helping out in the kitchen with the host? Perhaps you could suggest that you will bring along the veggies (either prepared before you go or prepare them at her house) as your contribution towards the dinner???

When we go anywhere for Xmas we always contribute towards it and the same goes for people who come to ours ... it's only fair as it's quite a stressful time for everyone - especially the host!

I agree with you that fresh is best if poss

I agree with your sister that ready done stuff is good when needed.

Could you maybe suggest to your sister that you will prepare some veg and take it with you to cook there?