Last night I biked over to Gemma's house for a wonderful Christmas dinner. We had it a bit early b/c everyone (excluding me) is heading off on their holidays this coming Saturday. Dinner consisted of chicken, sweet potatoes, cooked red cabbage, balsamic green beans, Yorkshire pudding, mulled wine, an amazing raspberry meringue dessert, and the famous Christmas pudding (delivered by Gemma's visiting friend Kate (far right) and homemade by Kate's mom). OK so I'm obviously not British and I've never had the British "puddings". This was my introduction to this new cuisine. I've heard of these puddings, so in my mind I pictured a pudding cake. When I was little my Dad use to make bundt cakes with pudding inside. Now when I say pudding, I'm referring to the smooth milky product that's soft and creamy (must clarify for my non-American readers). Anyway that's the image that I had and I was way off. Really Yorkshire pudding (in my opinion) is like a light eggy bread; no pudding. Also Christmas pudding reminds me of a really good chocolate fruit cake; again no pudding. The girls poured brandy on the top of it and caught it on fire. It added a nice flavor to it. The girls (all British) also schooled me a new word; suet. That is what the Christmas pudding is made out of . I had never heard of it before and actually in looking it up, I almost wish I didn't know what it was. Seems like lard actually. Regardless the non-puddings were amazing. Here's a good link about Christmas pudding; with photos. Ok so why is it called pudding though??? The gals told me that many desserts are referred to as puddings in the UK. So why do Americans have such a different idea and concept of pudding??? Another trans-Atlantic mystery.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Christmas Dinner UK Style
Last night I biked over to Gemma's house for a wonderful Christmas dinner. We had it a bit early b/c everyone (excluding me) is heading off on their holidays this coming Saturday. Dinner consisted of chicken, sweet potatoes, cooked red cabbage, balsamic green beans, Yorkshire pudding, mulled wine, an amazing raspberry meringue dessert, and the famous Christmas pudding (delivered by Gemma's visiting friend Kate (far right) and homemade by Kate's mom). OK so I'm obviously not British and I've never had the British "puddings". This was my introduction to this new cuisine. I've heard of these puddings, so in my mind I pictured a pudding cake. When I was little my Dad use to make bundt cakes with pudding inside. Now when I say pudding, I'm referring to the smooth milky product that's soft and creamy (must clarify for my non-American readers). Anyway that's the image that I had and I was way off. Really Yorkshire pudding (in my opinion) is like a light eggy bread; no pudding. Also Christmas pudding reminds me of a really good chocolate fruit cake; again no pudding. The girls poured brandy on the top of it and caught it on fire. It added a nice flavor to it. The girls (all British) also schooled me a new word; suet. That is what the Christmas pudding is made out of . I had never heard of it before and actually in looking it up, I almost wish I didn't know what it was. Seems like lard actually. Regardless the non-puddings were amazing. Here's a good link about Christmas pudding; with photos. Ok so why is it called pudding though??? The gals told me that many desserts are referred to as puddings in the UK. So why do Americans have such a different idea and concept of pudding??? Another trans-Atlantic mystery.
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Mercedes, when I was a kid I read a book where the characters hung suet out for birds in the winter. It must have been the only kid's book to use the word as Dr Chuck doesn't know it either. Maybe if you had come and hung out in the kitchen more.....
ReplyDeleteAnd then you would also know that they use "good quality lard" in mexican cuisine. It's still called for in many recipes in current cookbooks and I'm sure good mexican restaurants use it. You've probably consumed your fair share and didn't know it. And you're still alive to talk about it! Have a nice biscochito or a churros for me.
"Suet" Old fashioned word meaning FAT. AKA Shortening, lard, Scrumptious in pie crust.
ReplyDeleteGrama Pat