European Menu Item for the Holidays?

I usually make a buche de noel and potatoes dauphinois plus what my family refers to as "oeuflettes" which are gaufrettes.

Our local German deli imports Lebkuchen only at Christmas time. I have to remember to get there early in Dec. to stock up before they run out.

Jean,
If you have a London Drugs store anywhere near you, and you can't get them at your local deli, you can get fairly decent versions of packaged lebkuchen there at Christmas.
Not homemade, but at least imported from Germany.
They'd do in a pinch!

Ah, just like Rick's Christmas Eve dinner with Olli and Maria in Gimmelwald we will have ham and scalloped potatoes, a seventh generation Swiss tradition. Preceded by a bit of Glühwein to take off the chill.

Polish Poppyseed Pasta for dessert anyone?

This traditional 150+ year old Polish Christmas Eve dessert calls for so many poppyseeds your neighbors will think your cooking up some Opium lol jk! The dish is called Kluski z Makiem and is one of the most traditional Polish Christmas dishes, I picked up the recipe while spending Christmas in Krakow one year. You basically mix pasta squares with a variety of dried fruits, nuts, milk, honey, and of course poppyseeds.

The taste and texture are wholly unique, something that must be experienced first hand haha

We always held family Thanksgiving meals at a relative's house in Franklin, Tennessee. And she was always bringing out some of her German food specialties at the meal, and we were eating at a dining room table brought from Dresden in 1938.

We lost Oma two weeks ago at age 99, and our Thanksgivings will never be the same. She was quite a character and had a 60+ year career in education including being a founder of the Head Start program in the 1960's. 1000's of people came through her pre-school and private schools over the years including the children of many in the Nashville music scene.

We'll unfortunately be back to 100% American for this Thanksgiving Day feast.

David, so very sorry for the loss of Oma. I’m sure she will be greatly missed.

David, wow, what a special legacy for your family! My condolences to you at this difficult time.

She would be happy that your family is continuing to get together, and I wouldn’t be surprised if one of her special recipes shows up at a family dinner in a few years.

After we had mince tarts in London back in 2001, every year I make them for Christmas. It's become a family tradition and the shortbread crust plus the warm mincemeat is heaven.

Brings a bit of a British Christmas. However, we also have German advent calendars with chocolates and a Christmas stollen since my grandma always bought one during Christmastime as it reminded her of her family.

Forgot about the kolache--poppyseed, prune, nut and cherry handed down from my great grandmother who everyone thought was Czech/Slovak until she died and we found out she was Austrian!

We always make pizza on Christmas Day;
my mother-in-law’s recipe that she Americanized from her Italian parents from Calabria and we embellished.

Christmas would not be Christmas without Grandma’s rum balls, although that’s American. I’ve made them every year for the 52 years we’ve been married.

I brought back 8 Christmas ornaments this year, but to answer your question they’re not food. Will the can of foie gras from Sarlat count?

I cooked my last Thanksgiving turkey years ago and have made cassoulet every year since. It takes a few days, just like the side dishes for the turkey. At Christmas, my Puerto Rican daughter -in-law and her mother take over, spoiling us with savories and sweets.

In many German families the traditional dish on 24th of December Christmas eve (when the children get their presents) was and still is potato salad and sausages. The delicious and time-consuming dishes like roasted goose usually served on the holidays 25th/26th of December.

We are not having kids and therefore no hurry on Christmas eve in our house :-) This year we will eat Spanish Tapas (of course all homemade) with some relatives.

Usually my favorite Christmas eve dinner is Fondue. One with meat/oil and several delicious homemade dips. The other one classical Swiss cheese fondue. When you invite enough people you easily can serve both :-)

A favorite thing, borrowed from our trips, to have on the holiday table for my family is Spanish ham of the jamón ibérico type. It is quite expensive, but really delicious, and it has been a fixture at our Christmas Eve dinner for a long, long time. Now it is very easy to find in Paris but it wasn't always so...

The rest of the meal is typically much more French.

I also like to buy Stollen at my local German grocery store, but that's more for sweet treats throughout the holiday season. We stick with "bûche" for Christmas dessert.

Since I am headed to Munich and Salzburg in just over a week with my daughter and sons gf, we will definitely be adding something from that trip to our Christmas dinner. I am hoping to find some table linens as that is one of my usual things I look for on our travels. We are also taking a strudel baking class one day, so as long that is not a flop, we will make that for dessert for Christmas.

@mikliz97

In Munich we are crazy about christmas cookies/gingerbread and in many families they are homemade.

Actually the best gingerbread is coming from Nueremberg but of course in Munich you find some really good ones as well.

I used to buy my gingerbread at either Neuhaus, Theatinerstraße 3 or Rischart, Marienplatz 18. At Rischart you also can buy a huge variety of christmas cookies.

And when you like table linens you might like F.Radspieler, Hackenstraße 7.
Ludwig Beck, Marienplatz 11 is having a great Christmas Store - I like to just check out every year the latest trend of christmas tree deco.

All mentioned shops are downtown Munich.

David, I’m so sorry for your loss.

While for many years we always had 20+ people for Thanksgiving, now the nieces have kids and people are having separate celebrations. This year it’s just me, hubby and two of my brothers. Since I don’t have to make everyone happy by serving the same things we always have I can do what I want. Last month when we were in the Dordogne I discovered Pommes de Terre Sarladaise. Yum! Who needs mashed potatoes? In addition to the French potato dish I’ll be making crème brûlée for dessert. What to do with all the egg whites left over? I’ll make meringue cookies with chocolate chips in them. The cookies are a tradition in my family for as long as I can remember. My mom made them every year at Xmas time, even though we didn’t celebrate the holiday. I’ve carried on that tradition.

Just dropping in to say I am enjoying your replies so much!

I live in a gorgeous part of the US with beautiful lakes & mountains. But our shopping options are more limited. Fortunately, we have a French pastry chef from the Normandie area who makes delicious favorites and seasonal items. After reading about some of your favorites in your replies, maybe I will pick up a delicious French dessert for Christmas!

@balso - Yes we love our Jamón! It's a staple of a Spanish Christmas, actually typically we have a huge leg of Jamón Serrano on display at home, traditionally given as part of a Christmas bonus from work. One has to be careful, so easy to eat the whole thing yourself while snacking throughout the holidays haha

I have even seen this Jamón tradition now spread in the United States during the holidays, Costco imports them can you imagine?! I assume it's not just for our modest Spanish expat community here in the States lol
https://www.costco.com/noel-consorcio-serrano-ham-reserva-leg%2c-14-lbs.product.100592455.html

Thanks Jean for starting this fun thread! It brings back fond memories of family recipes. Some of our favorites have been passed down from my Ukraine ancestry. My dear aunt baked Kamishbrot- twice baked and similar to Biscotti but more tender. She also made Rugelach (Polish) crescent shaped or rolled filled with Cinnamon sugar and chopped Walnuts. The dough is made with cream cheese and butter. On the savory side- Noodle Pudding. Potato Knishes (made cocktail size for Hors D’oeuvres.) All labor intensive, but well worth it! We’ve started making new memories and adding Julia’s Boeuf Bourguignon as an individual serving with a puff pastry crust. For dessert my husbands favorite- Apple Galette. I really enjoy cooking/baking and serving “themed dinners.”

@David, so sorry for your loss. What a touching tribute to your Oma. Truly an amazing legacy.

Edited to add- Thanks Barbara for mentioning Panettone. That too is I favorite holiday treat. One year a friend from Rome brought one during the holidays. So good!

Jean, great thread! I love hearing about all the wonderful foods everyone will be making!

Mine aren't that exciting. We always have Eggs Benedict for Christmas brunch but that didn't come from Europe; it came from my brother who worked at Perkins in high school and started making them. Now my six siblings and I make them every Christmas morning.

We also have Stollen every year - my mom used to make it, and after she died, my aunt took over, but my aunt died in January of this year so I guess I will be trying my hand at Stollen.

We have apple strudel for dessert every year. I love my Panettone. Since we were in Amsterdam a few years ago, we also make poffertjes. I purchased 2 pans and order the mix on line. Waiting for it to arrive as I type. Having just been in Spain, I would love to get the Jamon in Costco. Wish they sold it in smaller amounts.
David, so sorry for your loss of your Oma and Mardee for your aunt.

Carlos, we were told by our tour guide in Barcelona that jamon ham (Iberico?) is given to employees who then ?take it/ship it? to be sliced by a special machine. I saw one of the machines at D'chez Eux in Paris which was a beautiful red/brown enameled machine. The ham was "skewered" and then cut.

I do not like meat and especially do not like ham. However, "when in Rome", I had Iberico ham for lunch in Madrid. It melted on my tongue! I am a convert.

Hi Lindy, I have not heard of that before, your guide may have misspoke. Send out the ham leg (to where?) to get sliced after the fact, why not buy it pre-sliced? What about the precious Jamon bones? Best to leave it on the bone until ready to eat, if you cut it off all at once then the Jamon will dry out by the time you get to the end.

In Spain we are practical people we slice it ourselves, at least that's what my family, friends, and everyone I know does it. Take it home and put it on a stand in the kitchen, then we have a special long knife we use to slice it at home. Slowly over weeks the ham leg is consumed when only bones are left, then we throw the left over Jamon bones into a stew or cocido, again we are practical people not to waste anything :)

@ Mignon - Cheese fondue and gingerbread cookies are my favorites! May I come to your house for Christmas Eve dinner?!?

@Janet
Yes next year you are more than welcome :-)
This year I've promised to cock Spanish Tapas on Christmas eve.... but of course for dessert we will have gingerbread and Christmas cookies :-) But most probably I will buy them because I'm too lazy to bake this year.

In this connected modern life nothing can stay regional any longer, so the secret dessert wine of southwestern France,
Floc de Gascogne, has been a cat let out of the bag:

http://flocdegascogne.fr/tasting/

Until recently there was only one place in the SF Bay Area that had this so it was a real conversation topic over Thanksgiving pie to explain the complexities of floc production and let people decide if it was better than eiswein from Alsace (it is).
It won't be long now, probably, before it has its time in the spotlight, like aperol spritz or avocado toast. Sigh.

Mignon—thank you! I put those notes in my planning album!

Lindy: Regarding the "Czech/Slovak" and "Austrian" issue: Austria-Hungary was an empire which encompassed Austria, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and parts of Italy, Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzogovenia, Slovenia, Romania, and Poland. There is a difference between ETHNICITY and CITIZENSHIP. My Mom's family were Donau-Schwaben residents of B-H, Croatia, Serbia, Hungary, and Romania. Most were ETHNIC GERMANS but AUSTRIAN citizens. The citizenship of a person before WWI was Austria-Hungary, but after the Treaty of Trianon you were citizens of whatever country you ended up in.

Citizens of A-H spoke 14 different languages. The 1800s were a period in which national consciousness was discovered. This is why so many composers during this time wrote music about their homeland. A-H grew more and more fractured during this century, as Czechs, Hungarians, Croatians, Slovenians, and other national groups grew more interested in their national/ethnic interests, and less interested in the A-H empire interests. The Revolution of 1849 was a time in which many of these interests came to the fore. If you go to Budapest, many of the most important squares and streets are named for the Heroes of the Revolution of 1849 (Deak Ferenc Ter).

I've wrestled with this issue myself. I used to call the family Austrian, but now have decided that we are German. That certainly is what my tantes and onkles would say.

David, I am sorry for the loss of your beloved Oma. Reading your post brought back so many wonderful Christmas memories of my Grandma whose parents came from Prussia. She prepared so many German food items at Christmastime. She especially baked dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies. As she lived across the country road from my family, I helped her bake.

Now I carry on Grandma's tradition and bake dozens and dozens of Christmas cookies. I especially enjoy making Springerle. While I do not have her molds, I have many purchased at Jobin in Brienz, Switzerland and various places in Germany. Over the years I have so many cookie cutters purchased from those two countries, they have their own drawer. I bake cut out cookies throughout the year but bake many dozen at Christmastime. This time of year I also like to bake an almond flavored cutout cookie recipe given to me by a lady from Germany. And the season just wouldn't be right without a batch of gingerbread women and men. One of my favorite cut out cookie recipes is Mailanderli, a Swiss recipe.

My Mom is of (partially) English descent. Her family tradition is mincemeat filled oatmeal cookies. which are baked only at the holiday season. Her family also has a tradition of baked beans using a specific recipe. In fact I have a batch of beans in the oven as I type this message. They are served at every holiday and family gathering.

I enjoy shopping flea markets when in Europe. I have several soup ladles of various sizes, mostly from the Geneva flea market. I use them often during the holiday season which coincides with part of "soup season" up here in the northland. I have many other kitchen tools purchased at European flea markets. Using them brings back wonderful memories.

My husband and I enjoy cheese fondue. A Swiss friend introduced us to fondue a few decades ago. We prepare it not only at Christmastime but throughout the winter season.

As someone previously mentioned I also serve ham for Christmas dinner. My favorite side dish is German Potato Salad (called GPS around our house). The recipe is not my Grandma's but one I found in a cookbook. It's been a hit with anyone of German descent. The recipe takes hours to prepare but the result is worth the effort.

Of course it's just not right to bake cookies without listening to Christmas music. I still have CDs and the Christmas ones purchased in Germany and Switzerland are always played . We have so many Christmas CDs and even cassette tapes there are years when we never get them all in before New Years.

I wish you all a good holiday season whatever your tradition. And don't let the stresses of the season get to you. If you are grieving may good memories be a comfort.

Traveler Girl

Such a fun thread to read! Thank you for starting it, Jean. After visiting France in May, I've started to make macarons, and plan to make bright green and red ones for Christmas. (flavors TBD.)

Macarons - where is a good recipe? I have thought about this. They are not only good, but consistent with a low-carb diet, as they are made with non-wheat flour.

Macarons are not made with flour at all. They are meringues with sugar, ground almonds and egg whites. What you fill the two macarons with will add more carbs: Nutella, jam, etc. There are many recipes online. They are gluten free.

I will look for my macaron recipe. I made them for a Christmas party last year - vanilla with a delicious raspberry filling. They use almond “flour”. Yum!

Waiting with bated breath, Jean!

Oh, I apologize, Janet! I started baking pies and making rolls this afternoon.

I like the sweetandsavorybyshinee website for macaron recipes. She has a lot of helpful info in her French Macaron 101 visual troubleshooting guide on that website with lots of helpful photos.

My go-to macaron recipe is at sallysbakingaddiction.com/french-macarons/. She gives very detailed directions and also has videos. The true test: my macarons have developed "feet" every time!

KC, she’s a great resource! Sally is a very reliable site for recipes.

I agree - Sally's recipes are consistent and always good. Her Key Lime pie and French silk pie are phenomenal!

I've taken over the Thanksgiving meal for my family, and instead of turkey I make the cuisine from where I traveled that year. This year I went to London, Amsterdam, and Brussels so the menu included Dutch cheese, shepherd's pie, Brussels sprouts (play on words), and Victoria sponge cake. In past years we've had Italian, Spanish, Vietnamese, Irish, Peruvian, Slovenian, Icelandic, etc. The menu can be a challenge due to the picky eater contingent, but there's always grilled cheese. Years I don't travel overseas are cook's choice - one year was Las Vegas buffet theme.

I like your style, CL. It has to be more interesting for the cook! The same old-same old gets old.

Last Christmas Eve we did a Swiss cheese fondue since we had just had a wonderful trip to Italy and Switzerland in the summer of ‘21. We plan to do that again—it’s pretty easy and my kids absolutely love it! I like to serve it with bread, broccoli, sausage slices, and apples. I’d also like to try the raclette cheese that Trader Joe’s sells, and would like to make gluhwein for the first time.

I hope everyone enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving!

We host our annual neighborhood holiday party along with a few smaller ones in a few weeks, so I might try some some of your ideas!

Every year I am tempted by the thought of putting a carp in the bathtub. We had a lovely time in the Czech Republic just after Christmas but were heartbroken when our tour guide told us that her three year old had named the fish living in their bathtub and was distraught when they ate him/her on Christmas Day. Apparently, the bathtub time is for the fish to be cleansed of any pollution from the river.