Akiba: Christmas means food! was: Re: Day before dipping-day

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And yet I forgot the spare ribs and the anchovy and potato gratin... (and probably more as well).That's great Robbin is learning to cook! Before you know it he'll be cooking for you... And it's a great skill for him to have when he is to live on his own, too. Is he thinking of becoming a chef?love/Reb> > >> > > Hi Reb, what an interesting life you lead, and I love your stories > > of all> > > the different customs during the year. My grandmothers mother and father> > > were from the Netherlands, Holland, and she had many customs she > > brought to> > > the table at Christmas. The one I couldn't get use to was her > > pudding cake> > > [i called it] which she made a suet glaze and dark chocolate spice > > cake to> > > go with it. I liked the cake, but the glaze to me was awful. I think > > there> > > was a name for it but it escapes me now. It was a traditional > > dessert in her> > > family.> > >> > > I like the "dipping" day tradition you have. Sounds yummy. What else are> > > customary dishes you have at Christmas? We are having Ham cooked in > > the slow> > > cooker with green beans and carrots. Potatoes Au `gratin, orange > > sauce for> > > the ham to cut down on the saltiness, and corn muffins. Desserts will be> > > pumpkin, cherry and Dutch apple pie. All with real whipped cream on top.> > > This year no Chex mix or cookies were made. L> > >> > > Merry Christmas to you and yours. J> > >> > > Hugs, Jackie> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > From: MSersLife [mailto:MSersLife ] > > On Behalf> > > Of Reb D> > > Sent: Friday, December 23, 2011 1:57 AM> > > To: MSersLife > > > Subject: Day before dipping-day> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > > Tomorrow is Christmas Eve (julafton, in Swedish), but it is also > > known as> > > "dopparedagen" (means: dipping day). And traditionally the countdown to> > > Christmas can be done with the (when Christmas is far away exceedingly> > > long...) phrase ending in "the day before the dipping-day". Hence, > > today is> > > "the day before the dipping-day", yesterday was "the day before the day> > > before the dipping day" and the day before that was "the day before > > the day> > > before the day before the dipping day", and so on and forth, you get the> > > picture I am sure...> > >> > >> > >> > > Anyhow, the name "dipping day" comes from the traditional Christmas > > lunch> > > (on December 24), which consists of slices or pieces of bread that are> > > dipped in meat stock (typically the stock from the cooking of the > > Christmas> > > ham, or from the cooking of any of the other Christmas meat dishes, like> > > sausages etc), and served with mustard. And in many families also served> > > with something else on the side, in 's family it's served with > > sausages> > > on the side. The tradition can be traced back to ritual sacrificial > > meals> > > during the Viking age, but probably also has to do with practical > > reasons,> > > such as the enormous amount of cooking already going on during that > > day (in> > > preparation for the traditional Christmas dinner the same evening) could> > > make fixing lunch a bit of a stretch (and probably even more so in > > the time> > > before take-aways...), so you'd use what you had on the stove anyway > > (the> > > stock) and combine it with something that didn't need cooking (the > > bread).> > >> > >> > >> > > love and Christmas greetings> > >> > > /Reb - who is looking forward to the dipping and getting hungry just > > writing> > > this...> > >> >>