Holiday Food Traditions
Matzo ball soup, latkes, paella, ordering in pizza, easy treats and lots of cheese!
I started writing this newsletter with my mind and body in work mode, seated properly at a desk and ready to complete one more task as quickly as possible so I could cross it off my list.
Then I decided that I needed a cup of coffee before I began, so of course, I got out my Christmas mug. The Christmas mug led to playing holiday music in the background, which led to putting on a fuzzy pair of wool socks and it’s impossible to stay in serious work mode while wearing a pair of fuzzy wool socks.
Now I’m seated on the couch next to our Christmas tree, which feels like exactly where I should be while writing a holiday newsletter. Happy holidays everyone!
We’ve spent the past several Christmases at home in LA, which has finally given my little family of four a chance to start establishing our own holiday traditions.
Los Angeles isn’t a city that brings the holiday magic right to your door. We can’t lean on easy traditions, like sledding and snowmen. We can’t step outside and look up at the stars while listening to the absolute silence of falling snow. There are palm trees instead of pine trees and this year, a possible 75 degrees on Christmas Eve.
But, we do what we can. There are some pretty magical holiday lighting displays at night and Christmas tamales and brisk but gloriously sunny walks on the beach. We watch all the classic holiday shows (Frosty, Grinch, Rudolph, plus It’s a Wonderful Life and Christmas Vacation) and read The Night Before Christmas on the 24th.
Many of our traditions revolve around food, and I’m guessing that your traditions do too, no matter where you live.
Food traditions aren’t only comforting and fun; they can also make your holiday easier and less stressful. You don’t have to come up with a menu from scratch every year, which saves a lot of time and mental energy. I already know what will be on my grocery list next week, because I’m making the same recipes we made last year and the year before.
Below, I’m sharing what we’ll be eating next week. I’d love to hear what you’ll be cooking and eating over the holidays! Leave a comment and let us know your favorite holiday food traditions.
Hanukkah
We’re a family that celebrates both Hanukkah and Christmas. This Sunday we’ll light the candles and celebrate with matzo ball soup and latkes. I like Streit’s matzo ball mix (in homemade broth or store bought) and Adam and Maxines’s Famous Latkes.
The Nights Before Christmas
The nights leading up to xmas (21st, 22nd and 23rd) can be festive and fun or stressful and exhausting, depending on what’s going on. Ordering in dinner for one of these nights is always a good idea. Pizza feels like a party and is the perfect meal while watching a Christmas movie on TV.
I also plan to make a big, filling meal that can feed guests who arrive and/or provide leftovers for the next day (so you don’t have to cook again). Something like lasagna or a big pot of soup or a pork shoulder.
Christmas Eve
Since I was a kid, my family has served a spread of appetizers on Christmas Eve. I do the same with my own family now, not only because I love a good cheese plate, but also because it means we don’t have to cook and clean-up a big meal on Christmas Eve.
I like to buy an assortment of nuts, olives, dried fruit and herbs (rosemary works especially well) to decorate the platters. Sometimes I make a few homemade dips, but some years I just buy a few dips at Trader Joe’s.
A trip to Costco supplies all of the cheese, salami, smoked salmon and shrimp that we can possibly eat. I usually put out a veggie tray too, plus crackers, delicious bread, smoked oysters and anything else that sounds good.
Christmas Day
Paella on Christmas Day was probably the first Christmas tradition my husband and I established. It takes a little bit of finesse to make, so if you’ve never made paella before you might not want to try it for the first time on Christmas Day.
BUT, after you’ve made it once you’ll realize that it’s really just rice simmered slowly in a tomato and saffron broth. The trickiest part is adding enough liquid for the rice (but not too much!) and keeping an eye on the rice so it browns on the bottom without burning.
We add mussels and clams to our paella, which I steam separately and then scatter on top. The pile of seafood looks extravagant and makes the meal feel like a real feast.
Baking
I love holiday baking, but I’ve come to realize that at this moment in my life it’s not how I want to spend all of my time and energy during the holidays. Baking takes a lot of time and creates a gigantic mess and is sometimes not that fun to do in a small kitchen with two kids.
I have a feeling that when my kids are teenagers or even older, I’ll start enjoying crazy amounts of holiday baking again, but right now I try to keep it simple. We bake a few special things, then stock up on favorite treats like Trader Joe’s chocolate covered marshmallows and Lindt chocolate truffles.
This past weekend Josie and I made two loaves of my Mom’s almond-poppyseed bread and put one loaf in the freezer for Christmas. Soon we’ll make our favorite super-easy Saltine Toffee Cookies (I don’t add pecans) and Russian tea cakes from Smitten Kitchen.
Now, I’ve gotta run so I can make it on time to my kids’ school for an art celebration. Miraculously, we have nothing planned for this weekend. That sounds great, doesn’t it?
May your days be merry and bright,
xo
Jenny