Tradition!

[whatnext]

every time i see that word, i immediately think of the guy in "Fiddler on the Roof" dancing around and singing about "tradition" at the top of his lungs. i'm taking some time out from preparing sauerkraut and cabbage a million different ways in preparation for our Christmas Eve dinner, as i watch the snow fly outside. and i'm wondering. anyone here still carry on ethnic traditions from the "old country," (wherever that might be for your family) during the Holidays? i guess some of us still LIVE where our families have always lived, but for those of us who find ourselves "someplace else," what have you kept of your ethnic past to incorporate into the Holidays?

[oldvwblues]

When we were growing up my grandparents and great grandmother (on my Dad's side) cooked different dishes from Sweden and Denmark and my Dad carried on their tradition until he passed in 85. I have one sister that is trying now to find those old recipes and duplicate what they had made. Some was made with raw fish..afraid I never ate it though because when I was a kid it looked "yucky" My great grandmother's cooking is missed by all of us to this day..she didn't leave her recipes..she never wrote them down because she wanted us to miss her..and it worked! My Mom says that Nana's cooking was the best was the best she'd ever had...meatballs out of this world..and apple pie to die for...with coffee icecream on it while it was still warm and sharp cheddar on the side. The crust was amazing...have tried and I just can't make it like she did.

[whatnext]

we have a raw fish thing in our traditional dinner. we call it "schlegi," but it's just pickled herring. love the stuff!

[digigrandma]

My dh and I are both of Scandinavian heritage (his father immigrated to America from Sweden and my grandparents on both sides immigrated to America from Sweden and Norway). Our menu items for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, the Christmas decorations in our home and our traditions definitely reflect our Scandinavian heritage.

Christmas Eve dinner is a smorgasbord including Swedish meatballs, Swedish sausage, boiled potatoes, herring, lefse, rice pudding and Swedish cookies. We open presents on Christmas Eve and set out rice porridge for the Tomte who leaves us presents which are opened on Christmas morning.

[whatnext]

it's so weird how ethnic cuisines sometimes overlap. i didn't know what "lefse" was, so i looked it up, Merr, and found out that we have something just like it. we call it "palachinky." my Dad used to make that for us on Friday or Saturday night, when we were watching tv. we used to put butter and jelly on it and roll it up.

[digigrandma]

Originally Posted by whatnext

it's so weird how ethnic cuisines sometimes overlap. i didn't know what "lefse" was, so i looked it up, Merr, and found out that we have something just like it. we call it "palachinky." my Dad used to make that for us on Friday or Saturday night, when we were watching tv. we used to put butter and jelly on it and roll it up.

Phyllis, my Norwegian grandfather on my dad's side used to make lefse. He would be covered from head to toe in flour after making it. Now, we buy it in grocery stores or specialty stores that carry Scandinavian items, but, homemade is definitely the best! It's true, I think, that just about every culture has something similar to lefse.

Fun thread you started! I wish I could taste test the different foods mentioned so far!

[LisaD]

I just went to my very first lefse party. My pastor and his family do a lefse open house every year. They made it homemade. Everyone gets a chance to roll it out & cook it. Served with butter and sugar (brown for me) -Yummy. But he was saying that they had to rice 20# of potatoes for the event. Yikes!

[digigrandma]

Originally Posted by LisaD

I just went to my very first lefse party. My pastor and his family do a lefse open house every year. They made it homemade. Everyone gets a chance to roll it out & cook it. Served with butter and sugar (brown for me) -Yummy. But he was saying that they had to rice 20# of potatoes for the event. Yikes!

Oh, how I would love to taste that homemade lefse, Lisa! Every so often I get a chance to have some homemade lefse at Christmas time because there are people like your pastor who make it.

[oldvwblues]

Is lefse anything like Portuguese Sweet Bread?

[LisaD]

Oh, personally I like Thanksgiving to have my turkey and Christmas to be a more varied affair. Fine for when only my sister & her family traveled to my home. (pecan encrusted salmon; goose; lamb chops; duck; prime rib have all been menu items). But since moving within distance of my husband's family hasn't been so well. Many picky eaters and so I cannot be creative. This year will be a pork crown roast. His family heritage is all from eastern european regions, they prefer saurkraut and bread ?dumplings? with their holiday faire. I do not comply. Although I let my MIL bring her bought kugela and finger dumplings, which seems to satisfy their need. (And in my defense, my inlaws did come up to our house the lamb chop year and I served a braised red cabbage as a side, my compromise to their sauerkraut, which I just cannot do & my dh made it for his family the first year they came over).
Although next year I'm already planning a Christmas Around the World theme.