December 20, 2017

http://times-herald.com/news/2017/12/i-should-have-served-figgy-pudding

I am starting to plan my Christmas dinner.

I’ve been married for 34 years, and for the first 30 I followed my mother’s traditional selections in our Christmas suppers. In the last few years, I’ve branched out with themed meals for Christmas.

 When the TV series “Downton Abbey” was at its height of popularity on PBS, I implemented an entire Edwardian English meal one year. I bought edibles I had never heard of to make an early 20th century feast. My thinking was, “What would the Grantham and Crawleys serve in their dining room for the holidays?” I am sharing it early in case you want to plan way ahead like me, because with all these specialties, you’re going to have to.

                          

I received the Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook one year as a present and used it as a resource for my food preparation. It was a great gift as I am a die-hard Anglophile. I’ve subscribed to “Majesty” magazine for over 30 years and have followed all things royal. No shallow “People” magazine and their royal treatment. This English publication is the real deal.

 

                            

The titled Edwardians had at least seven courses – NOT including dessert. And I planned something for every one of them. All recipes can be found in this cookbook. As an only daughter and only child of an only daughter it meant my mother inherited a lot of silver, crystal and china which I received in turn. These sentimental serving pieces for this distinguished line-up of nourishment were already taken care of and made a beautifully splendid tablescape. I am lucky in that department.

Here were my dining choices. I even typed up a menu for my family and guests and there was an assigned spot for it by their place setting.

First course: Soup

Creamy Butternut Squash Soup, p. 42

Second course: Fish

Daisy’s Mustard Salmon with Lentils, p. 56

Third course: Elegant Entrees

(Since we had fish in the second course, I chose chicken.)

Crawley Family Chicken Breasts with Caper Cream Sauce, p. 70

(And the reason for chicken in the third course was because –)

Fourth course: Juicy Joints

Stuff Leg of Lamb with Almond Fig Sauce, p. 74

(And also because –)

Fifth course: Succulent Steaks

Creamless Steak au Poivre, p. 80

Sixth Course: Resplendent Roasts, Gorgeous Game, and Accompanying Salads

Roasted Rosemary Cornish Game Hen, p. 96

           

~with Spinach Salad sprinkled with Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts, and sliced Pears, p. 104

Seventh Course: The Necessary Vegetable

Potatoes Lyonnaise, p. 108

And the finishing touch: Sweets and Desserts

Decadent Chocolate Almond Cake with Sour Cream Icing, p. 130.

Doesn’t it all sound scrumptious? You’d think my boys would not like something so fancy, but they are carnivores, and you see the courses are packed with meat! Amazon was selling – at that time – Downton Abbey wine, so I purchased the Downton Abbey merlot for the meats and Downton Abbey Chardonnay for the fish. 

Although both my boys were in Cotillion, they certainly still need reminders from their mother on how to properly eat in the dining room, which is where we have all yearly holiday meals. I hope their future wives will thank me. (I don’t test them on an unique silverware’s use – promise!)

Now you see why I am giving you such heads up. It was a LOT of trouble, and I have never done it twice. Next time I’ll describe the French-themed Christmas meal that I served the following year. I haven’t done that one twice either. I am looking into a Scottish-theme meal this Christmas because it will have lots of meat recipes, too.

Can you say haggis, and if I serve it, will they eat it?