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The Ten Most Recent Posts By damosel

Do I dare stray from traditional holiday fare this season?

Posted by damosel, December 6, 2007 at 10:55 PM

I'm tempted...ohhhhhhh so tempted to try something exotic and new besides the tradational ham/turkey and fixin's etc. I really want to go all Greek or Indian or Mexican or ANYTHING but the traditional for a change! I'm an American of Finnish/Irish/English blood and I'm getting bored of the same old. I'd even love a Jewish food holiday! I LOVE just about ANY food and I'd love to start incorporating other cultural cuisines into my holiday menus. Am I the only sap who feels this way? Anyway if any of you have some suggestions I'd love to hear them! The more ethnically diverse the better! Thank you! And a healthy, happy and safe holiday season to ALL!

P.S. I can make really complex recipes (the more challenging the better) so don't feel afraid to share a time-consuming/technically-challenging recipe. :D

19 Comments | Tags: holidays, Question of the Day

The Ten Most Recent Comments By damosel

From Talk

Do I dare stray from traditional holiday fare this season?

Thank you, Renzata! Tamales sound wonderful! I forgot to say I love Japanese and Chinese cuisine [Thai too]... Good gracious! I think it would be fun to try something new every other year and then that way I can keep the traditional stuff on the 'off years' without ruffling too many feathers. I'm so fortunate my daughter is willing to try and experiment with anything at least once [if not twice when I mess it up the first time ha-ha]!

Happy holidays and Happy cookin' too! Thank you again for the advice and encouragement! :)

damosel at 12:20AM on 12/07/07

From Talk

Kitchen/Food Gifts. Are you a me first or you first?

I hate buying something willy-nilly unless A. I've tried it first or B. The giftee asked for it on their wishlist. I'm a gadgets and gizmos kind of person so the more the merrier in my bloated pantry. lol

damosel at 11:09PM on 12/06/07

From Talk

My KitchenAid Artisan is sick...help!

I burned out two heavy-duty Kitchen-Aid stand mixers in the course of ten years. I now have a Viking 7-quart mixer and so far...so good. I make a LOT of bread at home so I'm probably not your average home cook. My dream machine though would be one of those big, mama-jama commercial hobart mixers. *dreaming*

damosel at 11:06PM on 12/06/07

From Talk

Biggest food-related pet peeve?

I'm right with you on the steak. I don't like bloody steak but I love steak that is slightly raw in the middle then pink and then seared with a nice crust on the outside and yet not bleeding...tricky to do but that's my favorite way to eat steak.

My other peeve is over-cooked fish. Pretty much along the same lines as steak in the sense that having the center slightly raw and yet still cooked is culinary heaven when it's done just right. I'd always rather get my food a little more raw rather than overly cooked. I'll eat mine on the more raw side and still enjoy it and not even send it back whereas if I get an overcooked steak or piece of fish I just HAVE to send it back which I feel guilty about since I always hate wasting food. :( That's why I always order medium rare but my medium rare is not always the chef's medium rare and god love us all...we are ALL only human. lol

Another thing (speaking of over/under cooking) is rice... Undercooked rice is not even PALATABLE and overcooked rice? EGADS! GLUE!

My apologies if my spelling is atrocious. I have so much on my mind right now with the holidays coming up.

damosel at 11:03PM on 12/06/07

From Serious Eats

Hottest New Accessory: Raw Meat

Gahhhhhhhhh. That's disgusting and especially the bacon/ham/whatever-pork-product one! Some people are beyond sick. lol

damosel at 10:47PM on 12/06/07

Responses to Comments by damosel

From Talk

Biggest food-related pet peeve?

Canned vegetables (especially mushrooms) on pizza! It should be illegal. Mushrooms are easy to get, easy to cut, easy to work with. Do people actually like canned mushrooms! They are disgusting, rubbery, and slimy. Gross!!!!!!!

And I also really get upset if I order something with vegetables and I bite into it and find out that the vegetables are pickled. It should be stated on the menu.

Another pet-peeve is chain seafood and pizza restaurants. I'm talking about the Red Lobsters of the world, and the Pizza Huts. I live in New England. How can anyone in this region actually choose to eat at either of these places???

puppymomma at 11:52AM on 12/16/07

From Talk

Do I dare stray from traditional holiday fare this season?

It sounds like a swell idea.

Once I prepared an Italian Passover meal and it worked out well. I think you need to pick one cuisine though and stick to it, rather than having a hodgepodge of cultures.

Good Luck and keep us posted as to your menu! I love to hear about unique holiday menus.

izzy's mama at 3:16PM on 12/11/07

From Talk

Do I dare stray from traditional holiday fare this season?

Dinner guests should be happy that a) they are invited and b) they don't have to do any of the prep. and clean up. What has happened to courtesy? I couldn't believe that one of my guests (a very educated woman) literally screamed "where's the turkey"? Very poor manners.

elaine nan at 11:41AM on 12/11/07

From Talk

Biggest food-related pet peeve?

I have a couple of more:

Pork or chicken that contains "up to 12% solution" what is this mysterious solution that they inject into my meat and why do they expect me to pay for it?

Bad knives

Servers who do not have a clue as to what they are serving! (This was a pet peeve that started when I was working the back of the house - it drove me nuts that the wait staff did not take the time to learn the menu and that management did not follow through on making them!) "Why yes, I do want to know if your pesto is made with pignoli nuts or walnuts - it tastes totally different with the walnuts."

SayWhat at 7:20PM on 12/10/07

From Serious Eats

Hottest New Accessory: Raw Meat

this is really disgusting.

iliana at 10:24AM on 12/09/07

From Serious Eats

Hottest New Accessory: Raw Meat

First, I think these pieces are interesting. Not necessarily something I would own, but definately something I can appreciate and might go to see more of.

Now, put fur on all of these pieces, or change them from raw meat to leather, and the comments would probably be more like : "Wow! Where can I get that necklace!"

Guaranteed.

emilyrspeer at 9:33AM on 12/09/07

From Serious Eats