Christmas is what the western world refers to as Holiday celebrations; began at the time of the Romans and the Miracle which is acknowledged and celebrated with families, all over by  civilised society with, feasting, goodwill and generosity to the poor, the exchange of gifts and the decoration of trees.

Make these festive Holidays a truly North American Christmas Miracle; enjoying traditional treats of various cultures.

Start with our traditional North American Christmas Turkey or an old fashioned Italian Lasagne a Tuscan/Jewish pot roast, with a helping of Potato latkes and desert with a classic rugelach. Go Chinese foods such as roast barbecued pork, chicken.

 Borrowing from recipes, stories and secrets of chefs and bakers from around the world, we capture the art of old world Holiday Celebrations and recipes.

Hanukah Is Gift Giving: Start with the Miracle of the holidays in December with Hanukah with Gift giving of kindness, goodwill, and generosity to the poor, respect towards our fellow Brothers and Sisters in this wonderful universe.

Christmas Eve Its Fish: Celebrate the Miracle and start feasting (see the following recipes) with typical Italian Christmas dishes which include baccalà (salted dried cod fish), vermicelli, baked pasta, capon and turkey. Traditional Christmas Eve Dinner, which includes seven types of fish (or nine, eleven, or thirteen, depending on the town of origin), is known as La Vigilia Napoletana in southern towns and includes drowned broccoli rabe (also known as Christmas Broccoli), roasted or fried eel, and caponata di pesce (fish salad) to complete the main course. Traditional sweets (i dolci) are also important items for the (Christmas menu) in Italy. Many of them originated in convents, where the nuns made special types of sweets to mark major religious holidays such as Christmas, presenting them as gifts to eminent prelates and to the noble families from which their mothers superior came. Every convent made a particular kind of sweet. These desserts include: struffoli (Neapolitan honey pastry); cenci (fried pastry ribbons sprinkled with powered sugar); dried figs, candied almonds, chestnuts, and marzipan fruits and vegetables.

Antipasti di Mare ~ This is a wonderful Christmas Eve appetizer but is tasty year round. This seafood salad often contains octopus as well as shrimps, scallops, and calamari, but if you prefer, you can certainly leave the octopus out. The octopus requires a much longer cooking time, so if you choose to include it, you will need to add an additional hour or so to your preparation time. Serves 6
(1) Pound Calamari, Cleaned and Cut Into Rings (1) Pound Medium Shrimp, Cleaned and Deveined (1) Pound Scallops (3) Cups Octopus Cut Into bite size Pieces,  (5) Bay Leaves (2) Cloves Garlic, Crushed ( 2) Lemons (1) Cup Black Olives (2) Table spoons capers, ( ½)Cup pine nuts. (Optional) Omit and replace what ever fish you enjoy.
Combine all of the above items except the wine and lemon… Place in a hot frying pan with Olive Oil; cook all ingredients for 5 minutes. Add a pad of butter (optional) (2) Cup White Wine, Lemon and simmer (5) minutes. Serve with good old fashioned Italian Bread or your favourite pasta (Vermicelli or linguini)

 CHRISTMAS DAY, Start with our Turkey recipe: You will need the following Ingredients to make brine. You may exchange or eliminate some spices which may not agree with you. We   suggest you have the following ingredients chopped and portioned ready to use.
1 gallon cold water
1 pound kosher salt
4 ounces cracked black peppercorns
12 bay leaves
1/2 ounce ground cloves
1/2 ounce ground ginger
2 teaspoons chopped fresh sage leaves and 3 sprigs sage
2 to 4 rosemary sprigs and 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves 
2 to 4 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic, do not use powder garlic
1 or 2 sprig thyme
4 sprigs parsley
1 red onion, peeled and quartered and 1 cup cubed
1 cup cubed carrots
1 cup cubed celery
24 ounces honey
24 ounces maple syrup
1 (10-pound) whole fresh turkey, remove giblets and neck, reserved for stock
Olive oil, for drizzling
1 stick unsalted butter, room temperature
2 granny smith apples, quartered and cored
1/2 cup Pinot Griggio or your choice of white wine may be used
1/2 cup Marsala or other sweet wine
4 cups turkey stock, see recipe that follows
Beurre manie (French “kneaded butter”) (2 ounces butter mixed with 2 ounces flour until it forms a soft dough) to thicken Pan Gravy.
Salt and pepper to taste
 
Preparing a Bain-marie (Brine)
In a large stockpot, bring the water, cloves, ginger, black peppercorn, bay leaves and salt to a boil. Lower to a simmer and stir in the honey and maple syrup until well blended. Turn off heat and allow cool to room temperature.
Rinse the turkey inside and out with cold tap water. Reserve the giblets and neck for pan gravy. Set the turkey in the brine, making sure that the turkey is fully immersed in the brine. Place a weight on top of the turkey to make sure it is always covered with brine. Marinate for at least 4 hours to overnight, depending on the weight of the turkey, in the refrigerator.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
In a shallow roasting pan, place the carrots, celery and onions. Remove turkey from brine.
Mix together the butter, garlic, chopped rosemary, and sage to make a compound butter. Using your hands, loosen to the skin from the breast by gently inserting your fingers between the skin and the flesh. Rub the compound butter underneath the skin.
Insert the apples, onions, and whole rosemary and sage into the cavity of the turkey.
Place the turkey over the vegetables, breast-side up, in the roasting pan.
Tuck the wings back and under the turkey. Using kitchen twine, tie the legs together. This will make a compact shape and will create a great presentation.
Drizzle the turkey with olive oil and rub it into the skin.
Roast the turkey to at least 165 degrees F in the breast, about 2 1/2 hours. If the skin gets too dark during roasting, cover lightly with aluminum foil.
Transfer turkey to a platter and allow to cool. Meanwhile, prepare the pan gravy.
 
Pan Gravy
Tilt the pan and skim as much fat as possible off the juice with a spoon. Set the pan on 2 burners set on medium heat. Deglaze roasting pan with white wine and Madeira. Scrape the bottom of the pan to loosen any brown bits. Reduce until only a quarter remains. Add the turkey stock, thyme and parsley. Bring to a boil and strain into a saucepan. Bring back to a boil, skim and lower to a simmer. Whisk in the beurre manie until well incorporated and continue to cook until gravy has thickened. Season to taste, with salt and pepper.
 
Turkey Stock:
Reserved giblets and neck from turkey
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup port wine
1 cup roughly chopped onions
1/2 cup roughly chopped carrots
1/2 cup roughly chopped celery
2 sprigs rosemary
5 peppercorns
Water, to cover

Heat a saucepan over high heat. When the pan is hot, add the olive oil and heat. Add the neck and giblets and cook until browned all over, about 7 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and deglaze with the port. Return the pan to the heat and cook until the port is almost completely evaporated, about 15 minutes.

Add the carrots, onions, celery, rosemary and peppercorns. Cover with cold water by 4-inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, and simmer for 2 hours, adding a little more water, if necessary. Skim any scum that rises to the surface of the stock and discard.

Strain the stock. Use immediately, or cool and refrigerate for up to 4 days.

CHOOSE A Tuscan/Jewish pot roast.
Yield: 8 servings

• 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1 celery stalk, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 Tablespoons freshly chopped rosemary leaves
• 1/4 cup freshly chopped Italian parsley
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 3 chicken livers, cleaned of membranes and bile
• One brisket of beef (5 to 6 pounds), trimmed of excess fat (eye round of beef or short ribs can also be used)
• 1 bottle (750 ml) dry red wine
• 1 1/2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
• 1 1/2 cups milled or crushed Italian plum tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a large, heavy pot with a lid, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the carrot, celery, and onion and cook, stirring, until the onion is wilted, about three minutes. Add the bay leaf, rosemary, parsley, garlic and salt and pepper to taste. Add the chicken livers and mix. Place the brisket on top and pour the wine, stock, and tomatoes over the meat.

Cover tightly and bake until very tender, stirring about once an hour and adding a little water if necessary, about 4 hours. Serve in slices with the pan juices

 Potato latkes; Yield: 4 to 6 servings

• 6 large Idaho potatoes
• 1 onion, peeled and halved
• 1 egg plus 1 egg yolk, beaten together
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• 1 Tablespoon rendered chicken fat (optional)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• Vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Peel the potatoes and, working quickly, grate them on the finest hole of a box grater into a stainless steel bowl. With your hands, firmly squeeze all the water out of the potato pulp (you¹ll want to work over the sink).When as much liquid as possible has been squeezed out of the potatoes, grate the onion into the bowl and mix.

Add the egg mixture, salt, pepper, chicken fat (if using), and flour. Mix together very well.

In a large frying pan, heat the oil until very hot but not smoking. Place heaping Tablespoons of the potato mixture in the pan, flattening them until they are about 1/2 inch thick. Reduce the heat to medium and fry until golden brown on the bottom. Turn and repeat, cooking until well browned and cooked through.

Drain on paper towels, then transfer to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Repeat with the remaining potato mixture. If necessary, add more oil to the pan between batches and heat thoroughly.

 The classic Jewish rugelach

Probably the most popular of American Jewish cookies, this horn-shaped treat was made in Europe with butter; cream cheese was added in North America. Our version has no sugar in the dough but a sprinkling on top of the finished cookie will satisfy the sweet tooth. You can also use this dough to make hamantashen.
The dough:

• 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• Confectioners’ sugar

Apricot filling:

• 1 cup thick apricot preserves
• 3/4 cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Chocolate filling:

• 1 cup (about 8 ounces) shaved bittersweet chocolate, preferable imported
• 1/4 cup sugar

Cinnamon-sugar filling:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

The dough: Place the cream cheese and the butter in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle. Cream at a low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Add the flour and mix until a very soft dough is formed, about 2 more minutes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

Filling and baking the rugelach:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and line 2 cookie sheets with baking parchment.

Mix the ingredients for the apricot or chocolate filling and divide the dough into 4 balls. Roll the balls out into 4 circles about 1/8 inch thick and 9 inches in diameter. Spread the apricot or chocolate filling over the dough. If using the cinnamon-sugar filling, brush the melted butter on first, then the combined cinnamon and sugar.

Using a dull knife, cut each circle of dough into 16 pie-shaped pieces about 2 inches wide at the circumference. Roll up from the wide side to the center. Place the rugelach on the parchment-lined cookie sheets. Bake in the oven on the middle and lower racks, switching after 12 minutes, and also switching back to front. Continue baking about 13 more minutes, or until golden brown. Remove the rugelach to racks to cool. Sprinkle the apricot and chocolate rugelach with confectioners’ sugar just before serving.

 You may prefer Chinese: Char Siu” (Cantonese style BBQ Pork).

(Cantonese style BBQ Pork). Is prepared and served in so many ways in Asia as well as North America Personally, we prefer my Chinese BBQ Pork with egg noodles tossed with the BBQ Pork caramel sauce. But it’s always great with plain white rice, fried rice, or as bun stuffing. .Here is our Cantonese version.

BBQ Pork Caramel Sauce : 1) To avoid sticking or burning onto the pan, cook all ingredients on a double boiler on medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until sauce thickens, let it cool down and then set aside.

BBQ Pork: Method: ( 1) Fork the pork belly and rub the minced ingredients all over the meat. (2) Marinade the pork bellies with half to two thirds of a portion of the prepared caramel sauce over the meat, and then set aside for at least 20 minutes. ( preferably overnight ) (3) Pan fry the marinated meat over medium-high heat until both sides are nicely browned, cover and let it cook on medium-low heat for an additional 20-30 minutes. (4) Baste some glaze over the meat 5 minutes before finish time. (5) Pour the remaining caramel sauce over the meat, before of after cutting the meat into serving size.

Deserts: Go all out fill the table with all; Italian Cannoli, Jewish rugelach, Chinese almond cookies with mango ice cream. Fruit, Nuts, family and friends.

                ENJOY THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS HAPPY HOLIDAY

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