What's the biggest cooking holiday in your country?

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Hands down, it's Xmas where I live. I don't get caught up but I can tell you if people never eat the entire year, they get to eat at Xmas and eat really BIG. Green peas and rice, pork, stuffing, baked ham, turkey, chicken, fish (optional), stew of some sort, vegetables, salads of every kind and much more. Desserts include several cakes and the ever popular fruit cake which was being prepared or left seeping for months.

Sorrel is a big Xmas drink and all the alcoholic beverages you can find. No holiday compares to it when it comes to an abundance of food and drinks.
 
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Christmas is the biggest celebration in the UK. We have our own traditional Christmas cake, Christmas pudding and mince pies. Christmas dinner is usually roast turkey with stuffing, roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in bacon, Brussels sprouts, roast potatoes, bread sauce, cranberry sauce and gravy.
 
Hands down, it's Xmas where I live. I don't get caught up but I can tell you if people never eat the entire year, they get to eat at Xmas and eat really BIG

I can echo your sentiments on this one. Christmas is definitely the biggest cooking holiday here. I eat more at this time of year than at any other time. Well, Easter is big too, but Christmas wins hands down. This year, however, I tried to cut down on the portions I ate. I sampled most of the dishes, but a few were left out. The same applied when it came to the desserts. I chose only my very favourite ones. I also tend to eat more chocolates at Christmas time since people like to give chocolates as gifts. Sorrel is definitely the Christmas drink of choice for me and others too. My sister makes a lovely sorrel drink which everyone seeks after every year. It goes quicker than any of the other drinks which are available.
 
Sorrel is definitely the Christmas drink of choice for me and others too. My sister makes a lovely sorrel drink which everyone seeks after every year. It goes quicker than any of the other drinks which are available.

Caribbean girl, you are going to have to introduce me to your sister. I thought my sorrel went bad in the garden as I heard no mention of it. What I did not realize was that my husband had picked the sorrel and given it to a relative to prepare. I only heard about it when he produced two large bottles of the "finished" product.

I was delighted to see the drink as I am not big on making it myself. I have to tell you it really isn't one I can write home about re the taste. This is why I need your sister. I have to fix every glass I drink:). Anyway, I am grateful. She did the hard work. Did I miss anything from the "Bajan" table?
 
Did I miss anything from the "Bajan" table?

I guess you are referring to the list of foodstuffs you mentioned in your thread. Well, you did leave out one very important dish that everyone loves at Christmas time, and that is jug-jug. I don't think anyone cooks this during the year. It is a special Christmas dish here. What about the macaroni pie and the sweet potato pie? We also have yam pie, and this time around it was specially made with some spinach mixed into the dish. So, it seems like very little is left out around Christmas time where different foods are concerned.
 
I guess you are referring to the list of foodstuffs you mentioned in your thread. Well, you did leave out one very important dish that everyone loves at Christmas time, and that is jug-jug. I don't think anyone cooks this during the year. It is a special Christmas dish here. What about the macaroni pie and the sweet potato pie? We also have yam pie, and this time around it was specially made with some spinach mixed into the dish. So, it seems like very little is left out around Christmas time where different foods are concerned.

You got me there. Clearly I am not a Xmas person to have left out Jug-Jug. The sweet potato pie and macaroni pie should also have been included. I did not even realize yam pie was in the mix. Nothing seems to be left out.

Back to the jug-jug. I have never made it. Have you?
 
Back to the jug-jug. I have never made it. Have you?

Yes, I have made jug-jug several times, and this year was no different. Christmas is the only time of the year that I make this dish. However, I do not follow the recipe exactly the way I see it in cookbooks. They seem to make the process a little too drawn out. I do mine an easier way and it comes out just as good. I have never had any negative comments about it. Everyone likes it and I prepare the jug dish every year when the family meets together for lunch, since each person has a different dish to prepare..
 
Yes, I have made jug-jug several times, and this year was no different. Christmas is the only time of the year that I make this dish. However, I do not follow the recipe exactly the way I see it in cookbooks. They seem to make the process a little too drawn out. I do mine an easier way and it comes out just as good. I have never had any negative comments about it. Everyone likes it and I prepare the jug dish every year when the family meets together for lunch, since each person has a different dish to prepare..

I was going to ask you about that; the recipe. I just checked out some recipes online and wondered if I should share it with the community. I have never been inclined to make or even taste it and I am no "spring chicken". It's unlikely I can find it anywhere it sample, correct? I am glad you get good reviews and applaud you on your skills. For me it seems a big much and knowing me as well as I do, I know I would change it up.
 
I have never been inclined to make or even taste it and I am no "spring chicken"

I can't believe you have never tasted jug-jug. It is a lovely dish. I have a niece who will not taste it either, but she is like that with quite a few things. As I pointed out earlier, I try to make it as simply as possible. Most of the recipes I see for making it all seem so complicated, when in fact, it does not have to be complicated at all. I always do it my way, and for me, it is still the same jug-jug. The main ingredient that should not be left out is guinea corn flour. I tend to follow the recipe to a point, but change it up somewhat so as to make it easier and also quicker to prepare.
 
This has to be the Christmas holiday. I mean this is the only holiday other than Thanksgiving that the entire family gets together. Usually we eat the usual chicken, greens, mac-n-cheese, green beans, sweet potatoes, potato salad, and turkey. This is also the holiday to eat guiltless sweets like potato pie, pecan pie, lemon pound cake, and my famous german chocolate cake. I can't think of any other holiday fitting enough to bring my family together.
 
I would say for my family it's probably a tie between Thanksgiving and Christmas. A lot of the foods we enjoy on those occasions cross over - we have turkey, a variety of vegetable dishes, pumpkin pie, apple pie, pecan pie, sweet potato casserole, mac and cheese - getting hungry just thinking about it all!
 
In the US Thanksgiving is the most essential holiday. The story behind it brings families all around the country together in celebration. Some families eat traditional foods but my family adds a little versatility to this meal. My mom cooked crab cakes and ribs one Thanksgiving.
 
Over here, it is a toss up between Christmas and New Year but I guess Christmas wins by a hair line. Most houses have their food on the table during the Christmas eve. And even if they have no expected guests, people still prepare good food with desserts and fruits. That is how we celebrate Christmas here. And the coup d' grace is Christmas day when the roasted pig called lechon is on the buffet table for everyone to sample.
 
Has to be ALL of them here!

Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter, Memorial Day & Fourth of July! :wink:
 
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