Christmas: Food Vs Television

I love Christmas because it combines two of my favourite pastimes, television and food! So my question is this: if you had to pick one which one would you pick to have on Christmas day?

Here is a little entertaining clip from the two Ronnies to help you decide:

In the two Ronnies sketch they sing about all the typical things people do on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and Boxing Day... which is eat a lot of food drink a lot and watch a lot of television! So which would you choose food or television.... If you are still undecided I have posted another clip from Mr bean! Every Christmas I tend to watch Mr Bean during Christmas. This has been a tradition for years, I am not sure why. But here is my favourite Christmas clip: 

I have to say that is the most unappealing turkey I have ever set eyes on!! So what do you pick??

Christmas

Christmas is known as the season to be jolly, with bright festive colours, a tall green conifer and when families get together and cook Christmas dinner. For me, the days coming up to Christmas day are the most exciting time. This is when I buy my Christmas presents and I like to help my mum with the Christmas food shopping! What always makes me smile during the festive period of Christmas even the staff in Tesco tends to be jolly!

However, Christmas has not always been a jolly occasion for everyone. When I say this I have one specific fictional character in mind…

Scrooge

 One of my favourite Christmas stories is A Christmas Carol because Dickens spectacularly makes even the smallest morsel of food, desirable. There is a lot of excitement surrounding the goose which is the main dish in the Cratchits Christmas meal. "And now two smaller Cratchits, boy and girl, came tearing in, screaming that outside the baker's they had smelt the goose, and known it for their own; and basking in luxurious thoughts of sage and onion, these Cratchits danced about the table" (57). As a reader this description is visually appealing and evokes the senses. It is almost as if you can almost smell the rich sage and onion sauce in which the goose is cooking in. This is just one of the desirable and mouth watering descriptions Dickens gives regarding the goose. "There was never such a goose. Bob said he didn't believe there was ever such a goose cooked. Its tenderness and flavour, size and cheapness, were themes of universal admiration. Eked out by apple sauce and mashed potatoes, it was a sufficient dinner for the whole family" (60). In between descriptions of this one of a kind goose, Dickens casually uses words such as "size", "cheapness" and "sufficient". The Cratchit family are clearly a family that is poor and has very little money as Mr Cratchit only makes "Fifteen 'bob' a week" (56). On the surface Dickens provides the reader with a glorious description of the goose. At the same time though, there is a more sensitive issue underlying this portrayal of the goose. It is clear Dickens is also addressing the hardship and unfortunate living conditions the Poor were faced to live with. The description Dickens provides the reader of the Cratchits goose is far from realistic. It is likely that the Cratchits raised the goose at home, rather than buying if from a butchers as it would have been a more affordable option for their family. If the Cratchits did raise the goose there is a very high probability that the goose was not fed very well as the Cratchits could not afford to feed it much. Therefore realistically the goose would have been scrawny with very little meat on it. This is all overlooked by the Cratchit family and although Dickens glorifies the goose there are subtle hints in the text that this is not a true representation of the goose. Instead Dickens presents a humble family who have very little money yet still view their family meal together as a feast rather than the modest meal that it is.

Although I am a vegetarian, I wanted to investigate further and see how this goose would have been cooked and that is when I regretfully came about a recipe for roast goose in Isabella Beeton's book Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management. Just like the Cratchits goose, Beeton's goose is also cooked in onions and sage. However Beeton fails to give the same tantalising recipe that Dickens writes about. Instead Beeton provides her reader with an impersonal recipe, which in some places sounds like a surgical procedure. "Insert another skewer into the small of the leg, bring it close down to the side bone, run it through, and do the same to the other side" (218-219). Where is the festive cheer in this recipe or the description of the luxurious juices of the sage and onion or the tenderness of the meat? Although the Cratchit family have a modest goose it is far more appetizing then Beeton’s goose that has “clean white skin, plumb breast, and yellow feet” (218) would feed eight to nine people. Dickens is telling a story about a greedy man who is extremely stingy, but goes on to eventually redeem himself by giving relief and food to the poor. At the end of the story Scrooge buys the Cratchits a glorious turkey. This gesture shows how things are changing in the world. The turkey has not always been the main course of a Christmas meal but because it has more meat on it, it is viewed as being superior to a goose. A new trend has begun at the end of A Christmas Carol and before you know it a turkey becomes iconic to what a Christmas meal should be. As Beeton stated sixteen years after A Christmas Carol was written in Household Management it “would scarcely be a Christmas dinner without its turkey” (225). The food we eat at Christmas is adaptable like the food we eat at many religious festivals. The food does not tend to have any religious significance but because of years of tradition we continue to make these dishes during religious festivals.

Christmas Goose

The current Christmas center piece: Christmas Turkey

   

Day of the Dead- Dia de los Muertos

Although in England, we celebrate All Hallows Eve, I wanted to look at Day of the Dead which is traditionally a Mexican holiday celebrated by many other cultures. The Day of the Dead takes place on the 1^st and 2^nd of November. Yet the celebrations and time to remember the dead is from the 31^st October to the 2^nd of November according to the book Day of The Dead by Tony Johnston. It is arguably also a Catholic tradition as it is celebrated on All Saints Day and All Soul’s Day. In the picture book I bought called Day of The Dead by Tony Johnston and Jeanette Winter there are lots of wonderful pictures about the lead up to the festival. The women have been given the role to cook the empanadas, the bread of the dead and the tamales. The men are also given an active role outside of the home. The men pick oranges, cut sugar canes and collect food parcels from the bakery. To those that have no prior knowledge of this festival this book illustrates the traditions embarked by Mexican families extremely well.

Here is a picture of a graveyard  from Day of The Dead

To mark the day, families take the favourite food of the deceased, flowers, and some of their belongings to the graveyards. Families also make altars dedicated to the dead, which are made from sugar skulls, marigolds, and the deceased’s favourite food and beverages. What interested me the most, were the Calaveras de azucar; literally translated as "sugar skulls". Personally, I view skulls as something incredibly sinister. For example in William Shakespeare's Hamlet, when Hamlet talks to Yorick’s skull “Alas , poor Yorick! I knew him” (V: I: 166)” the audience perceive it as a sign of how far Hamlet has fallen, as well as a premonition of what to come- death. Yet in Mexico, these skulls are edible treats and viewed as decoration. The sugar skulls are not meant to provoke fear, or anxiety. Instead, they are meant to look happy and vibrant, so to make them look less sinister they are decorated with bright icing and glitter.

Other items of food that is associated with the Day of the Dead is pan de muertos; bread of the dead. I have never actually tried this bread but it is a sweet bread, covered in sugar. The bread is shaped like a bun and tends to have a shape of bones across the top of the bread. The bones at the top of the bread symbolise the bones of dead relatives or loved ones. This bread is eaten either at the altar during the day of the dead celebrations or it can be eaten in the months leading to this day.

Here is a recipe for Day of the Dead Bread: Pan de Muertos:

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup margarine 

• 1/4 cup milk 

• 1/4 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C) 

• 3 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast 

• 1/2 teaspoon salt 

• 2 teaspoons anise seed 

• 1/4 cup white sugar 

• 2 eggs, beaten 

• 2 teaspoons orange zest 

• 1/4 cup white sugar 

• 1/4 cup orange juice 

• 1 tablespoon orange zest 

• 2 tablespoons white sugar 

Directions

1.                      Heat the milk and the butter together in a medium saucepan, until the butter melts. Remove from the heat and add them warm water. The mixture should be around 110 degrees F (43 degrees C). 

2.                      In a large bowl combine 1 cup of the flour, yeast, salt, anise seed and 1/4 cup of the sugar. Beat in the warm milk mixture then add the eggs and orange zest and beat until well combined. Stir in 1/2 cup of flour and continue adding more flour until the dough is soft. 

3.                      Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. 

4.                      Place the dough into a lightly greased bowl cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size. This will take about 1 to 2 hours. Punch the dough down and shape it into a large round loaf with a round knob on top. Place dough onto a baking sheet, loosely cover with plastic wrap and let rise in a warm place for about 1 hour or until just about doubled in size. 

5.                      Bake in a preheated 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) oven for about 35 to 45 minutes. Remove from oven let cool slightly then brush with glaze. 

6.                      To make glaze: In a small saucepan combine the 1/4 cup sugar, orange juice and orange zest. Bring to a boil over medium heat and boil for 2 minutes. Brush over top of bread while still warm. Sprinkle glazed bread with white sugar. 

I hope this year you celebrate Day of the Dead as well as All Hallows Eve. It is is clearly not a morbid occasion but a celebration of those who have died. For those of you who do not wish to visit the graves of relatives who have sadly passed away, you can try making some bread of the dead or making sugar skulls. The moulds to make sugar skulls are available online if you are interested!

Mithai and Me!

Today I am solely focussing on mithai, which are also known as Indian sweets. Personally I think mithai’s are the best desserts ever, with chocolate brownies and ice cream as a close second. Every year when we celebrate Diwali or Vaisakhi my family and I eat a lot of mithai. The mithai itself has no religious importance, yet it takes centre stage at most religious events. Today I will give you a description of a few different types of mithai. So next time you're passing an Indian sweet shop such as Ambala or Royals you must ask them for a sample!

Well, if I could be any mithai in the world, I would be... a gulab jamun! For those of you who have never eaten one I will describe the experience for you. The best way to describe them is as mini deep fried doughnuts!! 

WAIT… I am not finished yet…

Picture these mini doughnuts in your head. Then picture these soft doughnut-like balls being soaked in sweet sugar syrup. Next thing you know, you are taking a bite into this spongy light dough. Slowly, the sugar syrup starts spreading on your tongue and the spongy dough begins to melt in your mouth. All of a sudden the sugar enters your blood stream making you feel warm and comforted. Then, before you know it, you have finished your first gulab jamun. Your stomach starts screaming for more but your brain tells you to quit while you’re ahead.

Little balls of heaven!

The second mithai I should look at is laddoos! There are so many different varieties of laddoos you can buy! Some people make theirs from gram flour (besan) whilst others prefer semolina. Although I enjoy eating them, I want to talk about jalebi's instead. That's because I just remembered the man who makes the most amazing jalebi's! In a car park of an Indian cash and carry in Hayes, there is a little tent and inside there, you can find the Jalebi Man. Obviously that is not his real name, but that is the name I have given him (he sounds a bit like a super hero, like super man or spider man). Anyway, when my mum first told me about the jalebi man who makes jalebi’s in a car park I was n-o-t impressed. My brain was screaming FOOD POISONING! Despite this feeling in my gut, I went on a voyage with my mum and sister to find this “legendary” Jalebi Man. When we finally found his little tent in the car park, I went in armed with a scowl… and there he was! This little smiling Indian man with a little paunch belly greeting us so warmly into his tent. Then he made some fresh jalebi's right in front of us. It was like the most mes-mer-ising scene ever! I just admiringly watched as he piped swirls of mixture into the hot oil. From that moment, I decided that this is the man who is always going to make my jalebi’s!

The legendary Jalebi

My third favourite mithai is khoya barfi! Barfi is a form of mithai, in the same way that pear drops are a form of sweets. Barfi tends to be made of milk whereas laddoos are made from besan and jalebis are made from semolina. Barfi's also look different in appearance as they are cut in solid squares whereas jalebis and gulab jamun's are extremely oily in appearance. When you take a bite of khoya barfi the first thing you can taste it the sugar followed by the subtle taste of milk. When I was little this barfi used to have a decorative piece of silver foil on the side of it. I think that's what caught my eye and made me want to try it!

Melt in the mouth khoya barfi

It is safe to say that the only reason Asians eat mithai when there is a celebratory occasion, such as Diwali, Vaisakhi and Eid is because it simply tastes amazing. 

Ramadan

In the blogs previous to this I have looked at the types of food that are eaten during religious festivals. In this blog I am looking at Ramadan. This is a religious festival where Muslims abstain from food by fasting. During Ramadan Muslims eat only twice a day, once before sunrise and once after sunset. During sunlight hours, Muslims have to refrain from any eating, drinking or smoking. Muslims fast during Ramadan because Allah has commanded them to fast. “O you who believe! Observing As-Saum (the fasting) is prescribed for you as it was prescribed for those before you, that you may become Al-Muttaqun (pious)” [al- Baqarah 2:183].

In a bid to understand what fasting is like for Muslims, I have interviewed a young Muslim woman who has been fasting for twelve years now.

1) In a couple of sentences what does Ramadan mean to you?
I know it may sound cliché but, for me Ramadan is a time that allows me to appreciate all the small things in life which I often take advantage of. For example clean water, a place to live in and the liberty to open up my fridge and have anything I want to eat. When I crave my favorite foods all day it allows me to realise that some people do not have any food at all. Luckily for me at the end of the day there is a delicious meal to look forward to.

2) What age did you start fasting?

I started fasting when I was 9.

3) Describe a typical day when you are fasting.

In order to fast I have to wake up before the crack of dawn (and before the first daily prayer) and eat a nutritious and filling breakfast. I typically eat some fruit, and maybe some bread. Yoghurt is always recommended and it helps keep me going and I do not get as thirsty. I then pray and sleep. I usually sleep as much as I can unless I have somewhere to be and when I am home again I end up taking a nap. I try and pray five times a day since this a daily requirement. I then wait patiently for sunset at which point I can eat again!

4) What would you say are the major difficulties you experience when fasting?

When fasting my main problem is thirst, I tend to get thirsty rather than hungry. As the days go by I find myself going shopping and buying all the foods I would like to eat but not having the room in my stomach to eat it all at the end of the day. However, as the days progress it does get easier.

5) How do you deal with your cravings?
I deal with my cravings ... not very successfully. I spend a lot of time thinking about food and then I try to not think about it, but it does make the meal at the end of the evening more amazing. Everyone usually eats whatever they want at the end of the day without any protest. My mum who is happy to give everyone exactly what they want :)


6) Why do you fast and abstain from food?
As a Muslim I am required to fast in this month. Fasting teaches a Muslim to appreciate what he/she has, to have patience and to sacrifice. In this month we pray as much as we can in order to receive forgiveness.


7) What food do you traditionally eat during Ramadan?
Traditional foods to eat during Ramadan are anything that is good for you, high in fiber and nutrients. Anything that will help you get through the day. When breaking our fast we usually eat dates since dates are very sweet and the instant rush of sugar proves to be beneficial for an individual who has been fasting all day.

8) When you break your fast do you binge?
Yes, after a day of fasting I do binge I just can't help it

9) In you opinion does bingeing defeat the purpose of fasting

It does defeat the purpose to a certain extent but the purpose of fasting is also appreciating what I have and when binging I assure you I am definitely appreciating what I have

10) What food do you traditionally eat during Eid?
The meal on Eid day has to make up for everything we have missed out on all month so it has to be amazing! Our typical menu includes: chicken tikka, samosas, kebabs, pilou rice, chart masala, lamb stew and having a few deserts is a must!! We usually eat: kheer, sweet rice and trifle. The meal on Eid day usually consists of what everyone loves to eat. Food is a special part of celebrating Eid-ul Fitr.

It is clear that fasting takes a lot of determination and will power! Personally I am not sure if I could fast because of the discipline needed. After learning that Muslims open their fast with dates, I decided to find out more. One of the reasons Muslims eat dates is because it is a good staple food and it is rich in nutrients so it provides instant energy. The second reason is that dates have a religious importance for Muslims and they are eaten because the prophet Muhammad would break his fast by eating dates.


Not everyone would find dates appealing but Muslims eat a variety of dates during Ramadan and Eid. The main types are: walnut stuffed dates, almond stuffed dates and chocolate covered dates. Personally I really like the idea of a chocolate covered dates, chocolate on the outside and soft and chewy in the middle! Here is a picture to try and tempt you, if you are not already tempted:

Walnut stuffed dates

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is a Sikh festival that takes place in April. This year Vaisakhi took place on the Friday 13^th of April. Vaisakhi is an important event because on this day in 1699 this was the day that both the Khalsa was formed and our religious book the Guru Granth Sahib.

Vaisakhi is celebrated for two main reasons. The first is that this date normally falls on the first harvest in India. So farmers celebrate that first harvest and see it as a sign of it being a good harvest for the rest of the year. Secondly this day is known as Sikh New Year. To celebrate, Sikhs wear bright coloured clothes and cook lots of fresh homemade vegetarian food. To those of you who have never celebrated or seen what Vaisakhi celebrations look like, I urge you to go to Southall next year. This is where I celebrate Vaisakhi every year as there is a huge celebratory parade in the street known as the Nagar Kirtan. All the locals get together and put up food stalls in the streets and give out free vegetarian food to the congregation. It is a lot like a street party (minus any alcohol and meat food).

The food is absolutely amazing and the streets are filled with a rich aroma of exotic dishes and snacks such as pakora, samosa, and mathiya! Pakora’s are similar in appear to an onion bhaji but have different ingredients. Pakora’s are made from besan (gram flour), onions, potatoes, aubergines and spices such as cumin and chillies. Once the batter is all mixed together it is deep fried in small batches. Once they are cooked they will look golden and crispy. One of my favourite Indian savoury snacks are samosa, these are also golden in colour when cooked. A samosa is a triangular parcel which is filled with potatoes, peas, onion and spices. Once cooked it has a lovely crispy pastry and is normally served with a spicy chutney!

Fresh crispy samosa's!!

The most religious dish we eat on Vaisakhi is Prasad. Prasad is given to the congregation after people have finished their prayers at the Gurdwara. It is a sweet semolina dish and is given as a blessing to each person. As the Prasad is blessed it must be accepted if offered to you, as declining it would be extremely disrespectful. My earliest memory of eating Prasad was when my Granddad used to walk me home when I was in primary school. He would always go to the Gurdwara before collecting me from school and would bring me a helping of Prasad. First he would make sure I have washed my hands and anxiously I would cup my hands together so he could place a small helping in them. The Prasad would always have a soft creamy texture that would melt in my mouth…

Here is a recipe for Prasad:

Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat flour

1 cup of ghee (unsalted butter)

1 cup of white sugar

3 cups of hot water

Time:

15 minutes

Directions:

1. You heat the butter in a saucepan on a medium heat.

2. Once the butter is heated you slowly mix the butter and add the flour. Keep mixing the mixture to prevent lumps.

3. Mix for 10 minutes on a medium heat.

4. Once the flour and butter mixture has cooked you add the sugar.

5. Continue mixing and cook for a further 5 minutes.

Before

After

My mum is so happy I have learnt how to make Prasad! I have a feeling that in the future I will be making a lot of Prasad!

How do you eat yours?

So I was working hard in the university library and all of a sudden I thought "Ooo I would love a Cadbury’s Creme Egg!!”. (I think it is because of all the Easter Creme Egg advertising, I still have a craving for them).That is when I remembered Cadbury’s “How do you eat yours” campaign. The campaign started in 1985 and has been so successful that it is still a popular campaign ad today.

Yummy!

So my question to you is… How do you eat yours?

I feel ashamed to admit this… but I will start you off and set the scene… I dim the lights in the living room and lie down on the sofa. I slowly take off the blue and yellow foil and take a second to inhale the rich chocolate smell. I then take an initial bite off the top of the egg and lick the soft fondant middle and really savour the moment… Then I… then…I put on an episode of friends and have a glass of milk to wash down the rich chocolate.