Help! What to cook Christmas??

[loretta]

I need ideas for bullet proof recipes. My mother in law and their family visits us this christmas for the first time. I am 20 jears older than my boy and jewish....they hate me, so this has to be absolut perfect and wonderful. Any ideas?

 

[haiducii]

Homemade walnut potica and an array of cookies for dessert are a must have!

Potica is a typical Slovenian festive dish, baked for the holiday season, for Christmas, Easter and other important occasions. The cake can be rolled with different fillings - nuts, raisins and tarragon, however some potica’s also include cheese, poppy seeds or even chocolate.

I'm sure that potica just may steal the show from your Christmas ham.

Potica recipe

Good luck with your cooking loretta!

 

[gorgik9]

Homemade walnut potica and an array of cookies for dessert are a must have!

Potica is a typical Slovenian festive dish, baked for the holiday season, for Christmas, Easter and other important occasions. The cake can be rolled with different fillings - nuts, raisins and tarragon, however some potica’s also include cheese, poppy seeds or even chocolate.

I'm sure that potica just may steal the show from your Christmas ham.

Potica recipe

Good luck with your cooking loretta!

This looks really delicious!!! :thumbs up:

But when it comes to the mere look of it, it's a lot like a kind of cake my maternal granny used to make - and she was a fantastic baker, such delicious cakes, cookies and buns.

Though looking at your recipe I see a number of ingredients my granny didn't use in her cakes.

But if I come to visit you in Maribor, you make sure to offer me some potica - even if it's not Christmas!

 

[trencherman]

Just make the dish that you are famous for, your signature dish. If not, whatever you decide to make that you intend to gouge the eyes of your in-laws with, make sure you do a dry run first before the actual big day.

 

[topdog]

Trencherman's advice is good. They tell writers to write what you know, so that applies to cooks having guests as well: cook what you know. That is not the time to experiment with fancy cuisine.

If you are an absolute beginner and need somewhere to start, here are some ideas:

• Roast chicken comes off as fancy but is dead easy to do. There are lots of ways to do it - just make sure you have a good instant-read meat thermometer handy and you will never have to guess when it is done.
• Soups and Stews can be made the day before, and then just reheated. The same goes for pot roast which is better overcooked and made the day before.
• Save yourself some trouble - make one big thing, and then buy side dishes at the deli or grocery store. The hardest part about doing a big dinner is to get everything done at the same time. The cheaper, homemade alternative is to make the side dishes the day before and then just reheat.
• Don't create a situation where you are a frazzled mess just when the guest arrive. Plan a dinner that is done early, so you can be the relaxed host.
• Ask your guests for help in the kitchen. Give them a specific job they can do. Nothing builds relationship like working on a project together. It also overcomes trying to come up with awkward small talk. And everyone likes to be asked for advice - to be treated as an expert.

Remember, making your guests feel welcome is more important than impressing them with your culinary skills. Give them good food (whether prepared by you or someone else) and let them know that (whatever their feelings) you consider them part of your family. This is your turf; set the example that they are in a home where everyone is loved and valued.

Best wishes and let me know if you need anything more specific.

 

[mattla]

Plenty of good advice so far, especially the dry run idea if you are cooking something you are not as sure of. Be sure to ask your boyfriend if there is anything that his family really does not like or has allergies to - tends to be downer if someone is hospitalized. Something that they tend to have around the holidays may be nice, although trying to copy great grandma so-and-so's world famous whatever may be setting yourself up for a lot of stress and potential failure. His input is invaluable not only for the above reasons but it would also show how much you and he get along and care for each other.

 

[RazzmaTazz]

Since I can remember, my family (mom, dad and me) have always done an Italian Christmas dinner. Italian being spaghetti, meatballs, loads of garlic bread, and lots of salad. And every so often mom will switch it up and do a lasagna instead. It's fun, it's simple, it's easy to clean up, and I've grown so used to it I would be extremely disappointed if we didn't have it.

 

[brmstn69]

Keep it simple and don't worry about trying to impress them. If they don't like you a fabulous dinner isn't going to change their minds. All that matters is what your boy thinks of you...

 

[Stonecold]

I would have a fabulous dinner with an array of desserts. I don't think there is much of a chance to get them to like you but you can damn sure let them know their boy is well fed.

You need to find out what cuisine they like and take it from there. You can at least make the men in his family envious.

 

[loretta]

Thank you so much for all your kind advices

But to be honest, I am very upset because my hubby don't want to celebrate Channukka with me (not even Latkes or Kreppl) but I have to cater his family for Christmas....so maybe I just order pizza or chinese

 

[trencherman]

Thank you so much for all your kind advices

But to be honest, I am very upset because my hubby don't want to celebrate Channukka with me (not even Latkes or Kreppl) but I have to cater his family for Christmas....so maybe I just order pizza or chinese

Chinese food for Christmas goes back a long way as a Jewish tradition.

 

[topdog]

Chinese food for Christmas goes back a long way as a Jewish tradition.

Which reminds me of this.

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[trencherman]

Lumps of cheese studded with almond slices

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