MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL...

[chef jimmyj]

Here is hoping this Christmas is Safe and Joy filled surrounded by family and friends. Christmas Eye is THE big yearly celebration in our house. Growing up in a Polish Catholic family meant gathering and enjoying the foods of Wigilia (ve-jil-ah), the Christmas Vigil. A meatless feast of Fried Fish, Pierogi, Sauerkraut, assorted pickled veg and most important, the annually made Mushroom Soup. This a quite simple combo of assorted fresh and dry mushrooms, celery, carrot, onion, thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes, Mom liked the convenience and richness of using condensed tomato soup instead. It is only made one day a year and is a special treat. My kids grew up celebrating Wigilia and now look forward to the night themselves, pledging to continue the tradition.
Anybody else here follow a tradition, Italian Feast of the Seven Fishes, Etc, during the Christmas season?...JJ

 

[DanMcG]

When I was younger and my Italian grandparents where still around it was always the Feast of the Seven Fishes on Christmas Eve. After they were gone it eventually turn into a less formal meal with more of a casual buffet style meal with ham, turkey and sides Which I did enjoy. This year my sisters decided we should do Lobster tails and a 14 lb rib roast. They don't cook must so I know what i'll be doing today.
Good for your family to want to carry on the tradition.
Merry Christmas JJ, and all the SMF members!

 

[SmokinAl]

Merry Christmas to you & yours too JJ!
No tradition here, as a matter of fact, this year it's going to be just Judy & I.
I'm afraid of being around any people this close to my surgery, cause if I catch something, the Dr. won't do the operation.
We normally have a few friends over for turkey & ham.
Al

 

[crazymoon]

My wife and will make a tourtiere pie for Christmas eve dinner.It is a French Canadian holiday meat pie with beef,pork, potato and spices. It is delicious, funny thing is that neither of us are French nor Canadian but somehow this pie became our little annual tradition. Happy Holidays to all!

 

[HalfSmoked]

Merry Christmas to all and best wishes to all having health issues hope everything works out for the best for you.

Nothing special here we do our thing on Christmas Eve that way the Kids can do their thing on Christmas day with the other side of their family. Just the usual dinner food of turkey and ham and all the trimmings and of course all kinds of desserts.

Warren

 

[yankee2bbq]

Merry Christmas everybody! Our family tradition is: a polish Christmas Eve dinner and an Italian Christmas Day dinner.
My wife’s grandmother ( who just turned 94) is polish and we make perogies (cheese and potato) sauerkraut, and polish sausage.
For my fathers side of the family we are Italian, so Christmas Day dinner is homemade lasagna!

 

[bluewhisper]

I'm from a Lithuanian family so I'll get back to you about the Polish stuff.

But first let us take a moment to consider those who are not merry.

 

[phatbac]

Our Christmas tradition for the last 6 years has been a Christmas party. i usually have family over and friends and i try to find friends or acquaintances who have no where to go or no one to spend with on the holidays and invite them over. we have 2 rules: everyone has fun and everyone gets to open a gift! We also prefer non traditional food.. one year was ribs one year was PR this year is apps (wings, abts, guacamole, etc)!

Happy Smoking,
phatbac (Aaron)

 

[motocrash]

Always listen to this on Christmas...

 

[griz400]

 

[chef jimmyj]

Thanks everyone. It is interesting to see how others spend the holidays. My Sister in-law is Italian so for quite a few years it was a Polish Christmas Eve and an Italian Christmas Day at my Brother's house. Two types of my favorite foods. To round out the holidays, we eat Chinese on New Year's Eve and German, Pork ribs braised in Sauerkraut with Potato Dumplings covered in crispy chunks of Salted Fat Back on New Year's Day. Add all the cookies and pies my middle Daughter makes and seeing a few pounds extra on January 2nd is not unusual...JJ

 

[halleone]

Gotta love that one! :rolleyes:

 

[myownidaho]

Merry Christmas! Our traditions have become non traditions as the family has grown older and is spread across several states. We’ll be across the street this year enjoying the company of friends and neighbors. Shrimp and bacon wrapped ABTs is my contribution.

 

[noboundaries]

Merry Christmas everyone! Wishing you smiles and memories that warm your heart.

I grew up with the Feast of Seven Fishes. Calamari (fried, soup, and in the spaghetti sauce), bacala salad (reconstituted salt cod with olive oil, garlic, and dried black olives), fried smelt, fried cod, and shrimp (boiled and fried). There were lots of veggies and homemade wine, and dozens upon dozens of Italian cookies too numerous to list.

All that has passed with the passing of family who immigrated from Italy. This will be the first year I haven't carried on at least a part of the feast, but will still be helping eat a big feast with a large gathering of non-traditional Italians. Still plenty of homemade red wine!

 

[chef jimmyj]

I too thought the traditional meal would die when my parents passed away but my kids thought I was nuts when I talked about trying something different. They insisted we keep the traditional meal and help make it so they learn how to make the various food...JJ

 

[shoebe]

Wish you and yours a very Merry Christmas
We are hosting Christmas brunch this year for my wife's kids and her Ex. I made some homemade breakfast sausage. I also will be making a chile, chesee, egg casserole and ham wrapped cream chesee homemade pickles...other are bring ham and casseroles.

 

[idahopz]

I want to eat at your place, JJ!

Happy holidays to one and all!

 

[noboundaries]

Just found out that buckets upon buckets of dungeness crab is on tonight's menu. It will be the Feast of the Single West Coast San Francisco Shellfish Treat!

 

[atomicsmoke]

Merry Christmas to you all.

I am of Christian Orthodox background so no feast of seven fishes in my culture as this denomination observes the 40 days Nativity Fast. Everyone looks forward to the Christmas Eve dinner.....a pig centric feast.

That being said....i wouldnt say no to any of the 7 fish dishes.

For us tonight....traditional meal:
- dried smoked ham and pork sausage (app)
- organ sausage, headcheese (app)
- cracklings (with a lot of fat on the skin) (app)
- smoked pork sausage, ribs and other various pork cuts cooked in pork fat with mashed potatoes
- cabbage rolls
- desert: walnut and poppt seed bread rolls

 

[cmayna]

Merry Christmas to all. For tomorrow, Crab dip appetizer while I'm smoking a spatchcocked turkey on the weber as well as a ham in the Masterbuilt gasser.

Our Christmas card photo. Wife and I coming home with fresh Dungy crab.