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OzeVillage
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Issue 20 - Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere |
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Living in Sydney as we do we are so fortunate to have one of the worlds best fish markets to buy, what has almost become traditional Australian Christmas fare, seafood. Platters of prawns and oysters are de rigueur on our Christmas table and we also always buy a large ocean trout which we poach and serve cold with home made mayonnaise. In honour of our guests we should eat hot goose but as this is not easy to find, we may be forced to change over to a young free range turkey. Depending on how stressed we are at the time we will either make a bread stuffing using fresh herbs and pistachio nuts instead of chestnuts or, if time is really a worry, fill the cavity with fresh tarragon, orange halves and a piece of butter. We will then spread good orange marmalade over the bird and then keep it moist with freshly squeezed orange juice. We will have a cold ham which, in keeping with our theme, we might even cook in pineapple juice - how Australian is that!
Our Australian Christmas table will be also groaning with a variety of salads, in itself a point of difference for our friends. Have they eaten avocadoes before? Will they know some of the Chinese style vegetables that we now use all the time such as bok choy? We must have big platters of fruit paying particular attention to those that are either unavailable in Europe or hard to buy. The platters will include mangoes and any other tropical fruit we can get - papaya, lychees, rambutans, pineapples - as well as the fruit that is in season such as berries of all kinds, melons, grapes and stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines, apricots.
CHRISTMAS IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
This Christmas we are being joined by our friends from Stockholm. They will be having their first hot Christmas Day and their first in the water rather than in the snow. For them, Christmas in the Southern Hemisphere cant come too soon and they are delighted to leave the bitter cold which is part of their Christmas heritage.
This leaves us deciding what we can do to make the day memorable. What is it that says this is the way Australians celebrate Christmas and what are the points of difference between the Northern and Southern hemispheres other than the obvious one - the weather.
Even so you could hardly imagine anyone in Sweden or anywhere in Europe being able to walk around in December in shorts or a bathing suit. They would hardly have their air conditioning on cool nor would they consider swimming at the beach or in an outdoor swimming pool unless they were masochists. They would be more likely to rub in sunscreen to keep out the snow burn rather than the sun burn and the fires they see will not be bush fires but log fires to keep themselves warm.
You could say that this is enough in itself to make the Christmas season so very different for our friends but of course our Christmas meal should also reflect the differences between the two countries.
Living in Sydney as we do we are so fortunate to have one of the worlds best fish markets to buy, what has almost become traditional Australian Christmas fare, seafood. Platters of prawns and oysters are de rigueur on our Christmas table and we also always buy a large ocean trout which we poach and serve cold with home made mayonnaise. In honour of our guests we should eat hot goose but as this is not easy to find, we may be forced to change over to a young free range turkey. Depending on how stressed we are at the time we will either make a bread stuffing using fresh herbs and pistachio nuts instead of chestnuts or, if time is really a worry, fill the cavity with fresh tarragon, orange halves and a piece of butter. We will then spread good orange marmalade over the bird and then keep it moist with freshly squeezed orange juice. We will have a cold ham which, in keeping with our theme, we might even cook in pineapple juice - how Australian is that!
Our Australian Christmas table will be also groaning with a variety of salads, in itself a point of difference for our friends. Have they eaten avocadoes before? Will they know some of the Chinese style vegetables that we now use all the time such as bok choy? We must have big platters of fruit paying particular attention to those that are either unavailable in Europe or hard to buy. The platters will include mangoes and any other tropical fruit we can get - papaya, lychees, rambutans, pineapples - as well as the fruit that is in season such as berries of all kinds, melons, grapes and stone fruit such as peaches, nectarines, apricots.
When it comes to finishing the Christmas lunch - and that is the best time of day to eat such a large repast - we will really be in a quandary. Do we serve the Australian icon a pavlova or should we go traditional with a proper Christmas pudding with hard or brandy sauce? Is an ice cream Christmas Pudding perhaps more unique but will they feel deprived if we dont have something on the table that they are familiar with?
Because of our love of Italian food, we always have panetone on hand which in turn makes a wonderful left over when toasted and served with fresh berries as a quick desert. And we love panforte filled as it is with all the dried fruit and nuts. On second thoughts perhaps we should present a traditional Christmas cake - the opportunity is too good to pass up.
Naturally we will be serving Australian wines of which we have every right to be proud. We will offer a good sparkling white or a sparkling red to start and a fabulous crisp white reisling will be served with the seafood. Guests can either continue with the white or drink a glass of rosè with the main course. From the cellar will come one of the very special sweet wines to have at the end of meal.
There is no question that this Christmas meal will be almost identical to that being shared by many other Australians on the 25th and while we wont be using one of the great Australian icons - the barbecue - it will be in great use during the rest of our guests stay.
Because we live close to the beach the day will start with a swim and a coffee and will end almost the same way.
Christmas in Sweden and Christmas in Australia. So different and yet, underneath, so alike. Celebrated around the world in different climates and with different traditions but with one over riding theme - being together with loved ones and sharing the joy of the season..
No matter how and where you spend Christmas this year, Gourmet Shopper hopes that it will be a happy time for you and that 2005 will be a peaceful year for us all.
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