Unutterably Silly So what are you doing RIGHT NOW?

[badgoodDeb]

Well, okay, but please tell us western-continent people what on earth Christmas pudding is? I'm not familiar with that, either.

[desertgrandma]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Well, okay, but please tell us western-continent people what on earth Christmas pudding is? I'm not familiar with that, either.

Thanks, Deb, I was too embarrassed to ask........

[badgoodDeb]

I know I could Google it -- but it's more fun to have Marc tell us what HIS Christmas pudding consists of. Right now, I've got some chocolate & tapioca pudding in my frig, to use up the milk before I leave town to visit family.

[vivaldirules]

I am recovering trying to recover from eating a whole pizza: homemade, thin-crust, shitake and button mushrooms, fresh mozarella, fresh basil and rosemary out of our window garden, olive oil, and just a little pancetta for flavor - the best ever (and no tomatoey stuff, mind you). I will be rolling off to bed tonight. But, I still want to hear about Christmas pudding (in case I find room for some later tonight).

[Patricia]

Wikipedia on Christmas pudding:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pudding

I find it far too rich after a Christmas dinner, so generally make a raspberry pavlova or a lemon snow (or both).

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

Well, okay, but please tell us western-continent people what on earth Christmas pudding is? I'm not familiar with that, either.

I'm guessing it is variant of the British christmas pudding, or plum pudding. A round, very rich, steamed pudding stuffed full of dried fruits and nuts, made with far too much alcohol. It is traditionally doused in flaming branding when brought to the table. It is traditionally served with Brandy Butter, (though I prefer cream, but ice cream or custard are often used as well).

It is exceptionally good at inducing a spare tyre in those who eat it, hence (I guess) Marc's remark about being tired.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

I'm guessing it is variant of the British christmas pudding, or plum pudding. A round, very rich, steamed pudding stuffed full of dried fruits and nuts, made with far too much alcohol. It is traditionally doused in flaming branding when brought to the table. It is traditionally served with Brandy Butter, (though I prefer cream, but ice cream or custard are often used as well).

It is exceptionally good at inducing a spare tyre in those who eat it, hence (I guess) Marc's remark about being tired.

Never use the words "british" and "pudding" in the same sentence, else I will have to AGAIN fight the massive urge to fly to England to try Yorkshire pudding.


That trip will never come soon enough

[LazyScot]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

Never use the words "british" and "pudding" in the same sentence, else I will have to AGAIN fight the massive urge to fly to England to try Yorkshire pudding.

I remember a pub in York from many, many years ago that provided a lunch that consisted of one Yorkshire Pudding, with a range of delicious stuff in the middle. I should point out that the pudding was the size of a dinner plate.

Oh.....

I'm not helping, am I?

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

I remember a pub in York from many, many years ago that provided a lunch that consisted of one Yorkshire Pudding, with a range of delicious stuff in the middle. I should point out that the pudding was the size of a dinner plate.

Oh.....

I'm not helping, am I?

No

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by LazyScot

I'm guessing it is variant of the British christmas pudding, or plum pudding. A round, very rich, steamed pudding stuffed full of dried fruits and nuts, made with far too much alcohol. It is traditionally doused in flaming branding when brought to the table.
...

I'm sorry, LazyScot, but you are, in fact, incorrect. Our Christmas is not a "variant" of British Christmas Pudding - it is British Christmas Pudding.

Most of our culinary Christmas traditions are, in fact, British carry-overs. Gradually these have been evolving, as the family has come to realise that having several roasts going all day in the kitchen while it is 35C outside generally brings the entire inside of the house up to a slow-broil itself, and a warm roast Christmas lunch is probably not the optimum way of cooling down. So (and this is where "variant" becomes applicable), we still have the roast, but now everything is cold, and cooked if necessary in the days before. Cold roast meats, salads, cheeses, pate, biscuits, bread, et cetera are layed out for picking, and are either eaten at the large table (usually made up of several tables, though I bought a 10-seater for the new house, so we only had to extend it with one extra table last year), or on your lap anywhere you feel like (such as around the pool, out on a lounge on the balcony, in the loungeroom on the sofa...wherever you feel like it, really). Since we generally buy enough food to feed a hoarding mass of noisy, ravenous porcines (a.k.a. "my family"), we're generally doing the same thing for lunch and dinner over the next few days, with sub-variants often including, for instance, sitting in the loungeroom watching the start of the Sydney-Hobart Yacht Race on Boxing Day on the telly.

...but, yes, Christmas Pudding. This is as described by LazyScot. Some prefer it with brandy custard, or fresh whipped cream, or icecream. Me, I think those people skewer themselves on the horns of a trilemma - I just have all three. After pudding (well-after) we slice into the marzipan'ed-and-thick-white-icing'ed Christmas cake. Actually, I'm not that fond of Christmas cake, and so, if mum's around, she will often make Honey Joys or Nanna's Chocolate Cake and I'll pig on them.

Cheers,
Marc

[pshrynk]

I enjoy seeing a man pace himself on the Holidays.

[zelda_pinwheel]

right now i'm wondering how the cats are getting the crack that they are clearly on. also, who is paying for it ? i hear that stuff is expensive. if they've got that kind of cash maybe they should pay rent.

[RickyMaveety]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

right now i'm wondering how the cats are getting the crack that they are clearly on. also, who is paying for it ? i hear that stuff is expensive. if they've got that kind of cash maybe they should pay rent.

Nah .... crack is pretty cheap, especially if you get it from CatsOnCrack.org

[badgoodDeb]

The wikipedia entry above pointed to this recipe for British Christmas Plum Pudding.
Judging from the ingredients, that sounds closer to what we call FruitCake over here. Lots of dried fruits, held together by a very little bit of sweet bread batter. Frequently doused with alcohol.

"Pudding" over here (perhaps helped along by the jello brand people) now means a milk, sugar, flavoring mixture -- brought to a boil, and then cooled to a jell. Or to a custard -- but not the thin stuff that the UK pours over desserts. (Or did in '76 when I had a full summer over there)

[DixieGal]

I love pudding. Jello sugar-free instant got me through a bad time after I fell down the stairs in Spain and broke my face. I lived on it while I waited for my wired jaw bones to knit.