Happy Wednesday. I got this idea from Sarah about food staples we keep in our house over the Holiday Season. Here's what's usually is in stock in our kitchen for the holiday season.... both in the past from our island days and currently...
1- Sorrel... it's a spiced drink from the islands made from the sorrel plant and loads of spices... SO delicious and filled with antioxidants. D and I have also begun to have it spiked. I have some at home but also found it online here.
2- We love pomegranates around the season. My kids love it and I use it as garnishes for my drinks and put it into holiday salads.
3- I'm not a huge eggnog fan but my family is and I'll have a spiked sip or two. For the Canadians reading, this is D's favourite. Creamy but not too sweet.
4- Lots of butter for baking cookies and cooking decadently over the holidays.
5- In Trinidad, the markets would be filled with loads of apples and grapes around the Christmas season so we usually have that here as well.
6- Black cake, a Trinidadian rum cake though it looks like that's in short supply this year.
7- Both Ferrero Rocher and Raffaelo usually find their way into our stockings and our bellies
8- A fresh turkey... I started to do fresh many years ago and unless it's an emergency, we'll never go back. Also, to go with the turkey-- kosher salt, orange rind, fresh sage, thyme and rosemary.
9- Nuts... In Trinidad, it was those unshelled mixed nuts, channa (chickpeas) and peanuts... now here I usually have mixed nuts and cashews.
10- Chocolate chips by the kilo, for baking and pancakes.
11- Peardrax-- again a sparkling pear drink we grew up drinking in the islands at Christmas time... I found it in Walmart here and it's also on Amazon.
12- Trader Joe cornbread stuffing. I'm so obsessed my mom shipped me a package this Christmas as I couldn't make my way across the border.
13- Pastelles- Our Trinidadian version of tamales. I don't have the wherewithal to make these by myself so instead my family and I do a pastelle pie.
14- Lots of different varieties of cheeses, pepper jellies and jams.
15- A smoked turkey leg or thigh for our Christmas brunch
16- Fresh bread for the same brunch or when we were younger those crescent rolls from Pillsbury.
17- Things to make our new Christmas obsession, this baked Christmas tree.
An emergency that calls for a turkey?! I can't imagine, haha.
ReplyDeleteSo many fun Island treats, I'm glad you're able to find them.
That baked tree looks amazing. I'm trying out a few new recipes this year too - crab dip, and a marzipan tart.
You have so many unique foods here!
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to try a fresh turkey! And creamy eggnog that's not too sweet sounds amazing <3
ReplyDeleteSounds good! I've seen a drink that's sorrel flavoured here in the UK (I can't remember the name though). It comes in a glass bottle. I think it's imported from the Caribbean. We get catons of peanut punch here which are nice.
ReplyDeleteFerrero Rocher is very popular in the UK!
Zania
*carton I mean!
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