Welcome back to the brainstorming for events over 4 years away. I know it may seem a bit ahead of schedule, but if I want to have any semblance of a good time I have to pre-plan.
If i do head to Russia for a future TH2 I already have a game plan in mind. Russian Christmas is centered around religious ceremonies and a 12 dish dinner. I think the Russian people have tailor made this dinner to be used in Thanksgiving 2 gatherings just for me. Each of the 12 recipes is vegetarian and are meant to represent the 12 apostles. As long as I can find tasty versions of each dish I think I could easily pull this off and have everyone enjoy my modern/American take on them. The twelve courses can include the toast, garlic and honey, mushrooms, dried
lima beans, potatoes, prunes, peroghi, fish, bobalki, poplanik,
kolachki and cabbage rolls. Going to Russia also allows me to go outside of the usual beer box. I can round up a selection of Russian Imperial Stouts. There are a lot of Russian themed beers being made by American breweries. Whether or not some of the choices I make are actually Russian I think will be forgiven by my guests. I can play around with that if It becomes difficult to find some truly Russian beers.Also, I have heard that the Russian people enjoy vodka, I was considering having a vodka tasting flight. pour 1/4 ounces and let people find out which variety of vodka they like most (I prefer potato).
If we go to Spain I am going to have to do a ton of research. I know virtually nothing about this area. I know they conquered many people and the movie Pan's Labyrinth takes place there. The one bit of culinary information I have is that paella is both a meal and a dish. I will not be making paella. I don't see myself making this on a regular basis. If someone I know owns a paella dish then I will reconsider. The real challenge won't be in finding interesting dishes, but in finding recipes that are fun and palatable by the guests. If I can't find enough I think I would do a combo with Portuguese cuisine. I could refer to the theme as "Conquerors of the New World". Adding in Portugal would open up a few of the regions unique wine styles also. Being almost surrounded by water, I may increase the amount of seafood that I normally make. If there is a demand I may add a grilled lamb dish, which is a big part of a traditional Spanish Christmas dinner. The beer selection would be a challenge.
If I decide to venture to the Middle East I would be focusing more on the dishes themselves as opposed to holiday dishes. Because of the Christian minority in this area of the world there are not a ton of traditional Middle Eastern Christmas dishes. The Lebanese have several cinnamon flavored puddings that I could try. The rest of the menu will be a mix of dishes from each country This is the most wide open of the possible ideas. This will also be the toughest to tie in to the Thanksgiving/Christmas theme. Clearly, at this point I am not sure where to go, but I will let feedback either leave me towards or away from this idea.
A good old fashioned Irish Christmas. I've done a minor amount of research already on Ireland when I was looking at England. Since the Christmas food traditions in Ireland are very similar to American ones I think I would put a larger focus on the dessert table. The desserts are the main difference between here and Ireland. A variety of puddings, and pies that we don't usually see in local homes. The Irish are of course known for their "love" of potatoes, so I would add a a few extra themed potato dishes too. If I can find any recipes that seem palatable to my guests I'd like to try and find some Celtic dishes to throw in. They would probably be very simple, but hopefully a few exotic flavors thrown in. The drink table for this theme would be exceptionally easy. Guiness would play a large part of course (even though they are a Macro) and some of my favorite beers are from Ireland (O'Hara's, Murphy's). I'd highlight brands that are specifically made in Ireland: Smithwick's, Beamish, and Harp. If possible I'd like to find some Irish craft breweries too.
So what do I mean by the Soviet Bloc countries? I think of Bulgaria, Romania, the 3 Baltic countries, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic and the Yugoslavian countries. These are basically the Eastern European countries from my 5th grade social studies text book. This theme is itself an experiment within an experiment. I have 7 countries listed so I would need to find a couple signature dishes from each region. In my preliminary research I've already found some directions I could go in. Bulgaria has a breaking bread tradition which uses a pita-like loaf of bread. Romania leans towards a multi coursed meal with pork as the main focus.Slovakia and the Czech Republic have a tradition of hard baked Christmas cookies. The Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania may each get their own recipe, but for now will be grouped together as they were in my textbook. Herring is the main component in many Polish Christmas dinners. I do not think I have ever even seen herring in front of me. This particular dish will be interesting. Hungarians have a fish soup as one of their main meals on Christmas Eve. As with the Baltic nations I will probably be grouping the former Yugoslavian nations together for recipe simplicity. On each plates name card I would highlight each country. I would have very little trouble finding drinks from this many countries. I could highlight each country with its own bottle of wine or case of beer. It would be nice to have one easy piece of this theme.
North Africa was brought up in response to my last post. The continent of Africa has a different take on Christmas than a lot of the rest of the world. Through my extensive pre-research I have found that Christmas isn't a huge deal in most of Africa. South Africa is full of so many ex-Europeans it has a conglomeration of European traditions. In Nigeria there is some celebrating with many meats. That is a tradition I can get behind. This is an idea I will be looking into a lot more.
Again, if anyone has any thoughts, please let me know what you think. I don't know if and when these will happen, but I am sure it will be a nice ride.
Friday, May 31, 2013
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Future Thanksgiving 2 Theme Ideas part 1
Welcome to part 1 of the crystal ball edition. This week I'm going to walk through some of my thoughts on themes for next year and beyond. "If you can't think one step ahead, you'll end up lost."
When I decided to go to Germany for TH2.6 I also decided to suggest future themes for myself. I could map out the next several years by staying in Europe. The hard part however, is figuring out where I want to go next. I have around 9 choices in my head right now. France, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, England, Russia, Turkey/Middle East, and the former Soviet Block Eastern Europe.(Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, The Czech Republic and Slovakia). I want to weigh the choices and have an idea for next year by the time Christmas 2 (July 20) comes around.
First and what would probably be the easiest is France. I only say easiest because I actually have a tiny amount of experience in making French food. I also have a few French cookbooks. If you like rich foods and fancy sounding desserts then this is the country you want me to go with. Initially, I thought this is definitely where I would go, but by choosing France I won't really be stretching my cooking skills. The other hand says that by going this route I will have a slightly easier time all around. My recipe searching would be relatively simple. Also, on the plus side is that I know a native French person. One of my friends has married a French woman. Clearly, I did not have access to someone from the 1700's last year. This should be a big advantage. The downside I find with France is almost all alcohol related. I try and provide an assortment of beers and wine for the gathering, but can you tell me 1. to name a French beer, or 2. finding several bottles of wine from France that aren't over $20. The beer problem I figure I can fix by offering a wide variety of somewhat local craft beer. As for wine, I do not know which way to go. I usually purchase my wine from vineyards that are within 3 hours of my home. I would have to offer at least 3-4 bottles of French wine just to have them represented. France is easier in the food department, but more difficult in the drinking area.
Second in my mind is Scandinavia. This came up at a friend's wedding. He married someone this past year who is native to this area of Europe. (It's funny, I wonder if more of my friends will marry more Europeans. They should get on this before I hit Italy or Russia) She happened to mention it to me in passing, but it placed the seed of an idea. A dream can come true when I can finally call my spread a Smorgasbord and have the name be literal. I'll have access to someone who can answer many of my questions, and assuming my friend's wife is able to attend I will get immediate feedback about the all of the food. I feel I could find 4-5 foods from each of the 3 main countries (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) easily. The region is somewhat known for its fermented fish recipes. For anyone that is thinking of coming know this, there will be none of these in my house. The abundance of fish in their diet will be an interesting set of experiments for me. I do like the bread heavy menus I have found though. Anything that can help me gain some baking experience will be nice. The beer situation is almost a combination of the German experience (many beers available in the US) and the French situation (very few in the US). Thankfully, several Scandinavian beers are readily available in the US. This
For my third idea was just a fleeting one.We should visit merry old England. The idea came to me at the start of the Polar Palooza. One of mt friends brought Newcastle Brown Ale to have me serve to everyone. I had already come up with the idea of a German theme and I thought of all the great English beers that are available. I would love to have the whole gamut of beers that are made over there. The recipes would be familiar to the guests and wouldn't be overly difficult for me. The only issue I have with doing England is how similar some of the foods will be to the Colonial Menu I made in 2012. I did a minor amount of research and found some interesting ideas, but there were a lot of similarities. I feel that when I go to England it will be in a few years, maybe 2015-2016.
The final country I'll go over today is Italy. This would seem like a no-brainer, but I think this could be more difficult than first glance. Why would this be hard you're asking? I'm Italian and my mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins have been making Italian food for my whole life. The issues I will have are 1. my family have all been making variations on the same 6-8 dishes, and 2. I will be fighting against . . . The Olive Garden. Not literally that particular restaurant, but all chain Italian places. Of course, I would have a few staples, lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, etc., but what else? I figured I would find some of the dishes from the various parts of Italy, Sicily, Naples, Venice, Rome, Bologna, and Sardinia. The regional dishes would make it more interesting and keep the buffet from feeling like "An Evening at Bertucci's Garden". As far as drink selection goes, I would probably go out and find some wines styles that are unique to Italy. The Italian beer varieties that I've seen locally are limited and a bit boring. I'd have to play up the local craft beer selection.
I think these four are the most obvious and the easiest for people accept without a lot of explanation. I know there are a few more choices out there for me to explore. Any thoughts one way or the other are appreciated.
When I decided to go to Germany for TH2.6 I also decided to suggest future themes for myself. I could map out the next several years by staying in Europe. The hard part however, is figuring out where I want to go next. I have around 9 choices in my head right now. France, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, England, Russia, Turkey/Middle East, and the former Soviet Block Eastern Europe.(Yugoslavia, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, The Czech Republic and Slovakia). I want to weigh the choices and have an idea for next year by the time Christmas 2 (July 20) comes around.
First and what would probably be the easiest is France. I only say easiest because I actually have a tiny amount of experience in making French food. I also have a few French cookbooks. If you like rich foods and fancy sounding desserts then this is the country you want me to go with. Initially, I thought this is definitely where I would go, but by choosing France I won't really be stretching my cooking skills. The other hand says that by going this route I will have a slightly easier time all around. My recipe searching would be relatively simple. Also, on the plus side is that I know a native French person. One of my friends has married a French woman. Clearly, I did not have access to someone from the 1700's last year. This should be a big advantage. The downside I find with France is almost all alcohol related. I try and provide an assortment of beers and wine for the gathering, but can you tell me 1. to name a French beer, or 2. finding several bottles of wine from France that aren't over $20. The beer problem I figure I can fix by offering a wide variety of somewhat local craft beer. As for wine, I do not know which way to go. I usually purchase my wine from vineyards that are within 3 hours of my home. I would have to offer at least 3-4 bottles of French wine just to have them represented. France is easier in the food department, but more difficult in the drinking area.
Second in my mind is Scandinavia. This came up at a friend's wedding. He married someone this past year who is native to this area of Europe. (It's funny, I wonder if more of my friends will marry more Europeans. They should get on this before I hit Italy or Russia) She happened to mention it to me in passing, but it placed the seed of an idea. A dream can come true when I can finally call my spread a Smorgasbord and have the name be literal. I'll have access to someone who can answer many of my questions, and assuming my friend's wife is able to attend I will get immediate feedback about the all of the food. I feel I could find 4-5 foods from each of the 3 main countries (Denmark, Sweden and Norway) easily. The region is somewhat known for its fermented fish recipes. For anyone that is thinking of coming know this, there will be none of these in my house. The abundance of fish in their diet will be an interesting set of experiments for me. I do like the bread heavy menus I have found though. Anything that can help me gain some baking experience will be nice. The beer situation is almost a combination of the German experience (many beers available in the US) and the French situation (very few in the US). Thankfully, several Scandinavian beers are readily available in the US. This
For my third idea was just a fleeting one.We should visit merry old England. The idea came to me at the start of the Polar Palooza. One of mt friends brought Newcastle Brown Ale to have me serve to everyone. I had already come up with the idea of a German theme and I thought of all the great English beers that are available. I would love to have the whole gamut of beers that are made over there. The recipes would be familiar to the guests and wouldn't be overly difficult for me. The only issue I have with doing England is how similar some of the foods will be to the Colonial Menu I made in 2012. I did a minor amount of research and found some interesting ideas, but there were a lot of similarities. I feel that when I go to England it will be in a few years, maybe 2015-2016.
The final country I'll go over today is Italy. This would seem like a no-brainer, but I think this could be more difficult than first glance. Why would this be hard you're asking? I'm Italian and my mother, grandmother, aunts, uncles, and cousins have been making Italian food for my whole life. The issues I will have are 1. my family have all been making variations on the same 6-8 dishes, and 2. I will be fighting against . . . The Olive Garden. Not literally that particular restaurant, but all chain Italian places. Of course, I would have a few staples, lasagna, fettuccine alfredo, etc., but what else? I figured I would find some of the dishes from the various parts of Italy, Sicily, Naples, Venice, Rome, Bologna, and Sardinia. The regional dishes would make it more interesting and keep the buffet from feeling like "An Evening at Bertucci's Garden". As far as drink selection goes, I would probably go out and find some wines styles that are unique to Italy. The Italian beer varieties that I've seen locally are limited and a bit boring. I'd have to play up the local craft beer selection.
I think these four are the most obvious and the easiest for people accept without a lot of explanation. I know there are a few more choices out there for me to explore. Any thoughts one way or the other are appreciated.
Wednesday, May 1, 2013
German Foodie Files part 2: Electric Burgerloo
Here is second half of the menu possibles.
To save you from clicking back here are the new possible menu items.
2 types of Sauerbraten: A German Pot roast, where the meat is marinated for a couple days ahead of time, served with several vegetables.
Spaetzle: A German dumpling or noodle
Hessian Pan-Fried Meatloaf: This is exactly what it sounds like.
Bierocks: Meat turnovers with cabbage and spices.
Frikadellen: A traditional German hamburger.
Hasenpfeffer: A rabbit/hare stew with onions and wine.
Spargel: White asparagus.
Maultaschensuppe: Meat filled dumplings in broth.
Sweet & Sour Potatoes: This is a variation on German potato salad.
Zwiebelkuchen: An onion pie from Swabia, served in the fall.
Karotten in Bier Gedunstet: Carrots cooked in a dark beer with butter.
Brotchen Rolls: Chewy and firm dinner rolls.
Gugelhupf: This is a Bundt cake with raisins and almonds.
Stollen: A moist heavy bread filled with fruit which is popular in Dresden.
Strawberry Bavarian Cream: A dessert similar to a pastry cream flavored with strawberries
Christmas Gingerbread loaf: A bread-like Gingerbread cake
The sweet and sour potato recipe I found is really a fancy name for a German potato salad.
It has bacon in it, so no vegetarians please. Potato salads have not been terribly popular in the past Thanksgiving 2's, so I am a bit hesitant to include this one. I am hoping that the taste test shows enough of a difference in taste to entice some guests into trying it. I really think potato salads should be a part of "family style" gatherings. Maybe this is the recipe that brings everyone else around.
The picture of the zwiebelkuchen looks similar to a dessert pie. How can a pie-like food taste bad. I may have to try the zwielbelkuchen with red onions at least once to keep the flavor distinctly different from the Turner Onion Casserole (a favorite dish for over 2 years). This is from Swabia, which is in south-central Germany. I have learned that this pie is usually accompanied by "green" or young wine. I believe the Mount Hope Winery has a young wine for sale. They're located in "Dutch" Country. This seems right somehow.
If the karotten in bier gedunstet is even mildly tasty I will be including it in this year's menu. The German side dishes I have found that are not cabbage have left me with few vegetarian choices. This will help increase my theme dishes and add another non-sausage. The other positive to this recipe is that it's very simple. Carrots, butter, beer and a bit of sugar, that's all. I can't see how this will be bad.
Brotchen rolls will be my first foray since middle school into bread making. I will definitely need to try this one at least twice. The dough needs to rise 3 times, and is cooked in an odd manner. This one is a bit nervous making, but having a set of fresh baked rolls will add a lot of authenticity to the whole meal.
Strawberry Bavarian cream sounds so fancy to me. The recipe I found uses fresh strawberries and appears to be similar to a jello mold or a mousse. I like mousse. It is very different from the filling in an eclair and a Boston cream doughnut. That type of filling is more modern from what I have learned. If this is as good and simple as it seems, I may just make a few flavors. We will see.
Other than the strawberry Bavarian cream, the desserts will be tried beforehand for my work "birthday days". I am afraid of bringing the Bavarian creme to work and having it sit out for 8 hours. Once I figure out the order, you will see posts covering each dessert in the upcoming months.
To save you from clicking back here are the new possible menu items.
2 types of Sauerbraten: A German Pot roast, where the meat is marinated for a couple days ahead of time, served with several vegetables.
Spaetzle: A German dumpling or noodle
Hessian Pan-Fried Meatloaf: This is exactly what it sounds like.
Bierocks: Meat turnovers with cabbage and spices.
Frikadellen: A traditional German hamburger.
Hasenpfeffer: A rabbit/hare stew with onions and wine.
Spargel: White asparagus.
Maultaschensuppe: Meat filled dumplings in broth.
Sweet & Sour Potatoes: This is a variation on German potato salad.
Zwiebelkuchen: An onion pie from Swabia, served in the fall.
Karotten in Bier Gedunstet: Carrots cooked in a dark beer with butter.
Brotchen Rolls: Chewy and firm dinner rolls.
Gugelhupf: This is a Bundt cake with raisins and almonds.
Stollen: A moist heavy bread filled with fruit which is popular in Dresden.
Strawberry Bavarian Cream: A dessert similar to a pastry cream flavored with strawberries
Christmas Gingerbread loaf: A bread-like Gingerbread cake
The sweet and sour potato recipe I found is really a fancy name for a German potato salad.
It has bacon in it, so no vegetarians please. Potato salads have not been terribly popular in the past Thanksgiving 2's, so I am a bit hesitant to include this one. I am hoping that the taste test shows enough of a difference in taste to entice some guests into trying it. I really think potato salads should be a part of "family style" gatherings. Maybe this is the recipe that brings everyone else around.
The picture of the zwiebelkuchen looks similar to a dessert pie. How can a pie-like food taste bad. I may have to try the zwielbelkuchen with red onions at least once to keep the flavor distinctly different from the Turner Onion Casserole (a favorite dish for over 2 years). This is from Swabia, which is in south-central Germany. I have learned that this pie is usually accompanied by "green" or young wine. I believe the Mount Hope Winery has a young wine for sale. They're located in "Dutch" Country. This seems right somehow.
If the karotten in bier gedunstet is even mildly tasty I will be including it in this year's menu. The German side dishes I have found that are not cabbage have left me with few vegetarian choices. This will help increase my theme dishes and add another non-sausage. The other positive to this recipe is that it's very simple. Carrots, butter, beer and a bit of sugar, that's all. I can't see how this will be bad.
Brotchen rolls will be my first foray since middle school into bread making. I will definitely need to try this one at least twice. The dough needs to rise 3 times, and is cooked in an odd manner. This one is a bit nervous making, but having a set of fresh baked rolls will add a lot of authenticity to the whole meal.
Strawberry Bavarian cream sounds so fancy to me. The recipe I found uses fresh strawberries and appears to be similar to a jello mold or a mousse. I like mousse. It is very different from the filling in an eclair and a Boston cream doughnut. That type of filling is more modern from what I have learned. If this is as good and simple as it seems, I may just make a few flavors. We will see.
Other than the strawberry Bavarian cream, the desserts will be tried beforehand for my work "birthday days". I am afraid of bringing the Bavarian creme to work and having it sit out for 8 hours. Once I figure out the order, you will see posts covering each dessert in the upcoming months.
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