By Crivenica
The holidays season just ended.
Growing up, Christmas just meant I had to go to church with my class mates from the Catholic private school I went to, a couple of weeks free of school work, and maybe an Alam clan Christmas party, which I vaguely remember. Then new year’s eve rolled in and I’d be in bed by nine.
Now as a married woman, holidays have evolved so much and have come to have a meaning for me. Mind you, it doesn’t involve any religious feelings whatsoever, but more along the line of family, friends and food. Of course food. There’s nothing better than to get together with family and friends on a special day to share a spread of good food. That is why holiday dishes are top shelf items for me.
I was introduced to Thanksgiving within my first six months in the US for college and fell in love with the roasted Turkey, stuffing, gravy and green bean casserole. It took a couple of Thanksgiving dinners before I acquired the taste for pumpkin pie. After years of consuming Thanksgiving dinner, I only started preparing the elaborate Thanksgiving feast after I met my American husband, David, whose favorite holiday is - yes, you guess it - Thanksgiving.
Since we’ve been married, we made a point to throw a Thanksgiving dinner every year wherever we live. When we were in Jakarta, our Thanksgivings were shared with my Indonesian family and a mix of our Indonesian and American friends. Now that we live in Kathmandu, Nepal, the tradition continues and the guest list is getting bigger each year, and so does the menu. It usually consisted of roasted turkey, bread-apple-bacon stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, turkey giblet gravy, green bean casserole, glazed carrots and my husband's family’s favorite, the corn pudding, along with apple pie and pumpkin pie. However, this year I added a couple of dishes: creamed spinach, yummy sweet potato casserole and strawberry pie (because strawberries are in season in the Kathmandu winter). That yummy sweet potato casserole is definitely going to make it back to the menu next Thanksgiving.
Yes, preparing a holiday feast takes a lot of time, effort, energy and money. But boy, it’s all worth it when everybody sits down and enjoys the food with smiles on their faces. I especially loved the look on my husband’s face when he saw what I prepared for him to break his 24-hour fast in commemorating Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. I’ve only been exposed to Jewish traditions in the past six years, but do I love their food!
Unlike in 2009, David and I couldn’t join his family in New York this past high holiday. His sister, Michelle, throws an awesome break-fast each year with plenty of food and family. But even if we were stuck in Kathmandu, it didn’t mean David couldn’t enjoy his important holiday, so I surprised him with a humble breakfast spread. I looked up a recipe for authentic Jewish bagels and made him fresh salt bagels, whipped up some matzo ball soup and egg salad. Cream cheese and smoked salmon rounded up the spread and we had a wonderful Jewish break-fast in this Hindu nation.
My last holiday must is Christmas cookies. So David has his Jewish holidays and Thanksgiving, while I have my Christmas. But Christmas isn’t always about dinner party for me. It could be an Indonesian Christmas family gathering with a smorgasbord of delicious Indonesian food, or a cold-evening of American-Chinese dinner after watching The Nutcracker, a short-trip to Singapore, which we did this year, or just be at home eating home-made General Tso’s Chicken. However, whatever we decide to do, I always have to mak
e a batch of Christmas cookies to share with family and friends. Even if it takes a few days and a lasting back pain to create these wonderful sugary treats, it’s what makes Christmas for me.
So there you go - my holiday top shelf items. I can’t wait to do it all over again when fall rolls in this year.
The holidays season just ended.
Growing up, Christmas just meant I had to go to church with my class mates from the Catholic private school I went to, a couple of weeks free of school work, and maybe an Alam clan Christmas party, which I vaguely remember. Then new year’s eve rolled in and I’d be in bed by nine.
Now as a married woman, holidays have evolved so much and have come to have a meaning for me. Mind you, it doesn’t involve any religious feelings whatsoever, but more along the line of family, friends and food. Of course food. There’s nothing better than to get together with family and friends on a special day to share a spread of good food. That is why holiday dishes are top shelf items for me.
I was introduced to Thanksgiving within my first six months in the US for college and fell in love with the roasted Turkey, stuffing, gravy and green bean casserole. It took a couple of Thanksgiving dinners before I acquired the taste for pumpkin pie. After years of consuming Thanksgiving dinner, I only started preparing the elaborate Thanksgiving feast after I met my American husband, David, whose favorite holiday is - yes, you guess it - Thanksgiving.
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| Thanksgiving, Kathmandu, 2010 |
Yes, preparing a holiday feast takes a lot of time, effort, energy and money. But boy, it’s all worth it when everybody sits down and enjoys the food with smiles on their faces. I especially loved the look on my husband’s face when he saw what I prepared for him to break his 24-hour fast in commemorating Yom Kippur, the Jewish day of atonement. I’ve only been exposed to Jewish traditions in the past six years, but do I love their food!
My last holiday must is Christmas cookies. So David has his Jewish holidays and Thanksgiving, while I have my Christmas. But Christmas isn’t always about dinner party for me. It could be an Indonesian Christmas family gathering with a smorgasbord of delicious Indonesian food, or a cold-evening of American-Chinese dinner after watching The Nutcracker, a short-trip to Singapore, which we did this year, or just be at home eating home-made General Tso’s Chicken. However, whatever we decide to do, I always have to mak
e a batch of Christmas cookies to share with family and friends. Even if it takes a few days and a lasting back pain to create these wonderful sugary treats, it’s what makes Christmas for me.So there you go - my holiday top shelf items. I can’t wait to do it all over again when fall rolls in this year.
Your Matzo Ball soup is definitely Top Shelf..you should share the recipe. I've never had better!
ReplyDeletedamn, u mean business with the xmas cookies design! :)
ReplyDeleteyeah send me the matzo ball soup recipe...i love soup i want to make more soup!! it sounds so good cuz i am sick as a dog right now
The broth is basic chicken soup with chicken bones/meat, carrots, celery, and herbs (I use oregano). The problem is, can you find matzo meal? If there is a Jewish food section at your grocery store, it should be there.
ReplyDelete