Any of you that have ever struggled to get into the Christmas spirit, just imagine what it’s like embracing the silly season during the heat of the summer. The 21st of December is the longest day of the year on this side of the planet. Day time temps are in the high 90’s or low 100’s. Night time brings a refreshing breath of 80 degrees. Heavy rains in November caused the insect population to EXPLODE and lizards are getting fat and happy with the bug smorgasbord. (There’s some sort of critter living in the living room ceiling and lizard is on the suspect list – but that’s a whole other story).
Maybe it’s because Christmas is in summer and not despite of it, that Aussie’s make a week long party of the holiday. Many offices and businesses are closed on Christmas Eve; nothing is open on Christmas Day and most things are closed on the 26th for Boxing Day. Many companies are closed from Christmas Eve thru the first of the year. With News Years falling late in the week many local businesses are closed through the 5th of January this year. Grocery stores and liquor stores were crazy on Christmas Eve with people stocking up. Lines at the local butcher shops were out the doors on Christmas Eve, with everyone picking up the main course. There are some traditionalists that stick with ham or turkey but many opt for seafood, lamb chops or steaks for the barbie. It’s just too darn hot this time of the year to run the oven all day and have a house full of people. Families often roast the meat the day before and have a “cold dinner”. Let’s face it; leftovers are the best part anyway! Dave and I were invited to a Christmas dinner yesterday and I was intrigued to learn that the host had prepared all the hot foods earlier in the day and was keeping them hot on the barbeque grill outside.
Again this year we hosted a Christmas Eve party. Once word got out that we were smoking a beef brisket, the guest list grew from 16 to 30. Thank goodness it is summer here and the crowd could spill outside. We have 6 dining room chairs and can seat 5 comfortably in our living room. It appears that for smoked brisket and handmade chocolate truffles people don’t mind standing up!
I played with a couple of tasty new drink recipes that must be shared.
Champagne and Berries 2 bags of frozen berries ( I tried the raspberries and strawberries blend. It included blueberries, but I picked them out threw them away. Blueberries are not my friends! ) Put berries in a bowl with 1 cup of water and ½ cup vanilla vodka. Add about a 1/8 to ¼ cup of white sugar and stir. Let mixture set for a few hours then taste. It should be tart. Add more sugar if needed. When you serve it, it should be mostly berries with just enough liquid to stand in. Serve with Champagne or lemon sorbet. Berries can be mixed up a day ahead.
These were a HUGE hit on a hot summer evening:
CRANBERRY GIN AND TONICS from Gourmet.com and the December 2006 edition of Gourmet magazine. MAKES10 DRINKS ACTIVE TIME:15 MIN START TO FINISH:2 1/4 HR (INCLUDES CHILLING) Festive and beautiful, this creation of Editor Nichol Nelson is packed with real cranberry flavor. Forcing some of the berries through a sieve into the syrup intensifies the drink’s fruitiness. 2 (12-oz) bags fresh cranberries 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup water 3 1/3 cups chilled tonic water 1 1/4 cups gin 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon fresh lime juice Bring cranberries, sugar, and water to a simmer in a 3- to 3 1/2-quart saucepan, then simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until berries just begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Drain cranberries in a fine-mesh sieve set over a 1-quart glass measuring cup, then reserve 2 cups cranberries and force remaining cranberries through sieve into syrup. Discard solids remaining in sieve, then add reserved cranberries to syrup. Cool to room temperature. Transfer to a pitcher and chill until cold, about 2 hours. Add remaining ingredients to syrup, stirring gently to combine. Serve drinks over ice in 8- to 10-ounce glasses. COOKS’ NOTE: Cranberry syrup can be made 1 day ahead and chilled, covered. Add tonic water, gin, and lime juice just before serving.
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