Traditional Family Recipes Passed On Through Generations
By Deborah Welky
Part of what makes this holiday time of year so special is the memories — the sights, sounds, smells and tastes that suddenly pull us right back to our youth. This magic is perhaps never as strong as when we sit down to a meal that includes favorite dishes made by our parents and grandparents for special occasions — especially if they only appeared at holiday time.
Food has been bringing families together for centuries, especially during winter holidays like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the Chinese New Year. Traditional family recipes get handed down from generation to generation, even when silver tea sets and antique dolls fail to make the cut. And what creates more of a stir at the holiday table than the presentation of a time-honored favorite? Join us now as we recall some of our favorite cultural holiday food traditions.
Turkey & Ham
Rather than be torn between the two, many American families enjoy turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas, though the topic of what to serve for each holiday’s main course often rallies the relatives to lively debate. Cutthroat Kitchen host Alton Brown’s Thanksgiving recipe calls for a 15-pound natural young turkey to be soaked in a brine consisting of vegetable broth, brown sugar, allspice berries, candied ginger, kosher salt, peppercorns and iced water before roasting. On Christmas, a honey-baked ham with pineapple topping is hard to beat — and easy. If you follow Paula Deen’s Southern-style recipe, you buy a spiral-sliced half ham and reserve your energy for the glaze, a combination of brown sugar, yellow mustard and pineapple juice. Affix pineapple rings to the top of the ham using whole cloves, place a maraschino cherry inside each ring and follow the package directions for warming time. Pour on the glaze about 30 minutes before you remove the ham from the oven. Yum!
Paella
This Spanish seafood extravaganza, named after the two-handled pan it is cooked in, is often made only for special occasions, as it requires about two hours of prep time and a bevy of freshly purchased ingredients. Mussels (or manila clams), shrimp, chicken, prosciutto and Spanish chorizo (or andouille) sausage are married together with paella rice (sometimes labeled as bomba or Valencia), peas, garlic, tomatoes, onion, saffron threads and other spices for a sensational flavor that is only enhanced when served with lemon wedges, a crusty baguette, red wine and a light salad. This dish can also be made on the grill, where the smoky flavor from the fire can be absorbed and a crusty caramelized layer of rice (called socarrat) will form on the bottom of the pan. To elevate the taste even further, a few lobster tails can be added to the recipe. ¡Delicioso!
Latkes
Around the light of the Hanukkah menorah, both young and old enjoy the crisp, savory taste of potato pancakes, called latkes. Although any potato will do, starchy potatoes work best, particularly baking potatoes. To make this holiday treat, peel a dozen potatoes, coarsely grate by hand, soak and drain. Wring out the liquid, stir in one egg, a half cup of onion, a half teaspoon of salt and a half cup of olive oil. Now comes the challenging part — spoon four dollops (about two tablespoons each) of the mixture into a hot skillet, spreading each into a three-inch round. Turn down the heat to medium and fry about 5 minutes until brown. Flip and repeat. Put your phone down or you could burn them! Keep the latkes warm in the oven until serving with sour cream and/or apple sauce. This recipe makes about 16 latkes. Taiym m’od!
Lasagna
Although Christmas Eve is traditionally a “fish-only” affair in many Italian homes, you had best believe that lasagna is on many tables Christmas Day. A family staple during the holidays, mouth-watering lasagna is a layered combination of ground beef, pork sausage, tomato sauce, lasagna noodles, eggs, Italian spices and lots of tasty, stretchy cheeses that often include provolone, mozzarella, ricotta, parmesan and more. The baking pan is layered to the rim, put in the oven for 50 minutes covered and 20 more minutes uncovered, and then left to rest for 15 minutes before cutting, giving all the yummy ingredients a chance to coalesce before being served. Even better the day after, lasagna is a godsend to any cook who doesn’t want to spend Christmas Day in the kitchen. Squisito!
Chinese Fried Meatballs
The Chinese New Year takes place on the first day of the first lunar month. This 15-day holiday, which in 2017 begins on Jan. 28, is the most important on the Chinese calendar, and celebrations feature many traditional meals, including Zha Xiao Wan Zi (Chinese Fried Meatballs). The primary ingredient of this dish is pork, to be combined with egg, scallion, water chestnuts, ginger, sugar, egg white or cornstarch, dry sherry and salt, then cooked in a wok at 375 degrees until the outside of each meatball is golden (about 3 minutes per side). Commonly known as Lion’s Head Meatballs, they can be dunked into a dipping sauce made of green onion, coriander, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, salt and Thai chili peppers — or into a light soy sauce. Měiwèi de!
Hoppin’ John
Whatever your culture, the holiday season is an opportunity to revisit your roots by way of your taste buds. Enjoy all the food that this season has to offer, but remember — the responsibility of passing your family’s epicurean heritage on to the next generation rests with you. And what a delicious responsibility it is!
Kwanzaa has been celebrated from Dec. 26 through Jan. 1 since 1966 by Americans of African heritage. It was created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, chairman of black studies at California State University, as a way to bring African-Americans together following the Watts riots in Los Angeles. While the primary focus of Kwanzaa is its “Nguzo Saba” (seven core principles), the now-traditional Kwanzaa dish of Hoppin’ John can be enjoyed anytime. Emblematic of South Carolina, this simple fare consists of one cup of white rice and one cup of black-eyed peas, sometimes cooked together, sometimes separately, plus one medium onion and often with a ham hock thrown in for good measure. The dish probably arrived on American shores with African slaves centuries ago. Okumnandi!
