25 December 2004

[Wills]

Hi Catbabe

You are welcome, especially as an honourary Portuguese.

The trouble with Portuguese food is the names vary regionally, what are malassadas? I cannot fiind them in my Edite Vieira and she writes cookery books like a history lesson.

I sent you feed back through the voting system.

Will's

 

[*Catbabe*]

Hmmm, maybe it's because my husbands family are from the Azores...


Malassadas are bascially a doughnut/bread type batter that you break into balls, flatten down in the middle, deep fry and then sprinkle with sugar...very simple but very yummy.


I am just looking through my feedback now. I look forward to reading yours.

 

[wildsweetone]

LOL

Quasi, I'm going to print that off and hang it up in the office at work. That ought to turn the Christmas spirit up a notch. Thank You!

 

[raphy]

Here's a question: does anyone else who is a non-religious type feel the slightest bit hypocritical around Christmas? I know I do.

I was raised in a very strict household. I walked away from religion years ago and haven't looked back, except with a sort of nostalgia. My husband was raised in a village with a common religion that gives new meaning to the word "strict," so consequently he isn't all that religious nowadays either.

In Holland we were able to celebrate "Christmas" differently. The Dutch celebrate their version of "Santa Claus" on December 5th. It's a great time for kids and anticipation of presents -though I will say hubby has taught me quite a lot about toning down on the materialism associated with giving gifts. Anyway, this separation of Santa from Christmas leaves Christmas day for the celebration of Christ. I loved the distinction, as Christmas eve was about the only time of year I'd crack a Bible in respect for my upbringing.

As I don't practice religion, I can't help feeling a little hypocritical for celebrating "Christmas" without an emphasis on Christ. How does one resolve (or absolve?) the guilt?

Whoa, if that isn't a deep thought for a dark night...

McK, i do understand where you come from. I too, walked away from religion and haven't looked back, except, as you say, with a feeling of nostalgia. They were, in essence, good people.

These days, I'm somewhat of a scrooge when it comes to christmas. I've never been one for big lights and celebrations anyway - I'm the sort of person who likes to sit alone at 11:59 on New Year's Eve, and not be around people.

So, big Christmasses were never my thing. Sickly sweet sentimentality and false good cheer. I never did understand why people needed a special day to share 'goodwill to all men' .. Maybe it's just me, but I always kinda figured that was how you should be every day.

I guess I was excited as a child, because of the presents. Then as I advanced through my teens, I became very heavily involved in religion, and Christmas took on that aspect of it. It was a solemn day for me, not necessarily a day of excitment. I was already starting to dislike the blatant commercialism of it.

Now that I am no longer religious, Christmas holds little attraction to me.

 

[Wills]

Malassadas

So its a regional variation of Rabanadas as Lauren calls them, or Fatias Douradas as we call them further south.

The Azoreans are renowned for their food. have you ever had dinner cooked in a volcanic vent or been to the Bread festival on Pico?

In Iceland they do a similar pancake type fritter the mix it is so light it emerges from the pan like a deep fried doily, and eaten sprinkled with sugar, as far as I know they only do them at Christmas. Their typical Christmas dinner would be smoked leg of lamb or wild goose.

I will put up a Icelandic Torrablot menu in the January, I don't want to spoil anyones Christmas lunch.

Will's

 

[Icingsugar]

As for those stupid bloody hats, yeah they could double up as paper-panties, if taped up in the right place.

Well, honeslty, when it comes to hats, we over here are in no position to speak...

no, I don't know who they are, I just googled

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[McKenna]

.

 

[oggbashan]

Done. I went to my best source, Michael Quinion's site (url below). I'll go with the OED, and also await Ogg's opinion.

Perdita
--------------

You don't need my opinion. You found it out for yourself.

The AH (including Perdita) have the skills and capacity for research into abstruse subjects without my help. If you get stuck, I'm willing to oblige but I'm not like MG. I don't get miffed if someone else deals with "The Question". Neither does MG. She just pretends.

My childhood Boxing Days were a mixture of torture and enjoyment. Christmas Day was for the nuclear family - Dad, Mum, brother, sister and me. Boxing Day was the wider family - Uncles, Aunts and cousins. The location varied from year to year but the plot was the same - exchange of presents and "entertainment" by and from everyone.

The entertainment was the dire bit. Even I, unmusical as a child, had to perform. I "did" recitations - "The Boy Stood On The Burning Deck"; "The Drunkard's Downfall" - that sort of thing. I hated performing.

My Uncles sung "The Three Gendarmes", "The Larboard Watch", and selections from Gilbert and Sullivan.

My Aunts sang "Trees", "Ramona", "Indian Love Lyrics" and more Gilbert and Sullivan.

My cousins performed on various instruments - violin, cello, flute.

Uncle Ben played the mandolin - very well and sang German Student Songs. Uncle Harry played anything - the Ocarina, a mouth organ, the dessert spoons, a comb and paper. He was considered "a card" who could get away with anything and usually did.

Aunt Elsie played sentimental piano pieces that should have been meaningful but her execution ruined the effect.

Aunt Emily played and sang temperance hymns and temperance songs with an occasional Suffragette anthem.

Uncle Charles, Aunt Doris and their children made up a string quartet. Their music was good but too "eye brow" for most of us.

I enjoyed everything except my performance and Aunt Elsie who could keep playing for HOURS.

The entertainment ended with carol singing before sherry and mince pies all round. The quality of the sherry varied with the venue. Uncle Charles's sherry was good. Aunt Elsie's was sickly sweet brown "British" sherry. Uncle Harry's was excellent but probably smuggled or "fell off a lorry at the docks".

Uncles distributed shiny half-crowns to the children.

When was this? It could have been any date from the 1860s onwards but continued into the late 1960s.

Og

 

[*Catbabe*]

Malassadas

So its a regional variation of Rabanadas as Lauren calls them, or Fatias Douradas as we call them further south.

The Azoreans are renowned for their food. have you ever had dinner cooked in a volcanic vent or been to the Bread festival on Pico?

In Iceland they do a similar pancake type fritter the mix it is so light it emerges from the pan like a deep fried doily, and eaten sprinkled with sugar, as far as I know they only do them at Christmas. Their typical Christmas dinner would be smoked leg of lamb or wild goose.

I will put up a Icelandic Torrablot menu in the January, I don't want to spoil anyones Christmas lunch.

Will's

I haven't been to the Azores, only to the mainland, but I have done it from top to bottom.

We have crab on Christmas Eve and of course, Lauren's favourite, potatoes.


Mmmm, sounds yummy Wills...careful or you will suddenly have all kinds of holiday company form all over the world.

 

[Lauren Hynde]

Yum!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

Well, honeslty, when it comes to hats, we over here are in no position to speak...

no, I don't know who they are, I just googled

Is-that-you?

Ladies and gentlemen of Lit, I'd like to show you what happens when a Swede gets under the influence of Norwegians - they start wearing silly hats!