On the third day of Christmas… we had our Family Christmas dinner. Due to my Mum’s sudden ill-health we ate it at my parents home, so cook [BiL] had to juggle with pots and pans but also with the stove and oven. When you have a 6 burner stove at home and 3 ovens, you just have to make the best of it on a four ring electric cooker with just one oven. All went well. The twelve of us enjoyed a multi-course meal between 7 and 11.30. Just before midnight everyone was on its way home, it took me under 10 minutes, but Big Sis, BiL and nephew #2 had another two hours on the road up north to Groningen. Lil Sis, BiL [cook], nephew #3 and Julius had just a travel time of 20 minutes and nephew #1 and girlfriend just under 45 minutes to IJsselstein.
For starters, my Mum’s favorite, goat cheese in puff pastry with drizzled honey over it.
Giant ravioli with lobster and crab filling
Carpaccio rolls, with white bread and cream cheese with herbs
Sliced veal tongue with tuna mayonnaise and capers
Potato, pumpkin and spinach pie & sirloin steak with sage
Salad with red onion rings, tomato and ripped mozzarella cheese
Homemade pears, stewed in port wine, made by Big Sis. [Just found out Lil' Sis made those]
Homemade tiramisu and a slice of orange peel cake, smothered in cream, als made by Big Sis.
And to finish it all off… coffee or tea with chocolates. My part of the deal, but I was restricted in what kind of chocolate pralines I could serve. No spicy fillings like pepper, chili, sea-salt, or rhubarb. So I bought a big box of almost common chocolate balls, filled with nuts, or cinnamon, cream or caramel. The tablecloth you see is not a tablecloth just a piece of fabric once bought to make an evening dress and jacket out of it. As soon as the stains are washed out of it, it can be done…
This morning I had to step on the scales at Novarum… still 700 grams less than last month, even after the meal of last night.
I put on 5 kilos just looking at the photos Peter! I’ll be enjoying roast guinea pig on New Year’s Eve. Hope your Mum is feeling better. xxx
Andrew, Mum is doing fine, she’s slowly getting better.
The meal and table look sumptuous! What a menu! Beautiful! Hope your mother is feeling better.
Your sister must be married with dessert making skills like hers. If not, consider this a proposal.
Sounds like things are improving since the drama of Christmas. Positive energy for your mom, you and your family Peter!
It was indeed a very yummy Christmas dinner made by our beloved BIL, who is an excellent cook and with the help of their son who enjoys helping out at the kitchen.
Thanks to little sis who did decorate the table and made the poached homemade pears, stewed in port wine.
I am happy we could celebrate another Christmas meal with both our parents sitting around us all.
All delicious, except for perhaps the veal tongue.
@ Andrew, If it was was served to you and you wouldn’t know what kind of meat it was… you could have thought it was loin roast. Smothered in tuna mayonnaise you wouldn’t taste the difference.
I normally wouldn’t have bought this meat as well, but have you aked yourself what’s in a hamburger or other mass produced meat product lately? Nothing is thrown away today its all used.
That all looks fantastic.
What a lovely meal.
OMG! A great meal and wonderful pictures. I am about to go to bed and find that I am hungry again. I had supper only 2 hours ago. This has not happened before.