* In South Africa, an important part of holiday celebration is when neighbors visit each other's homes. Karringmelkbeskuit (buttermilk biscotti) is usually served to visitors, along with coffee or hot chocolate.

    * In Peru, holiday observances continue through Epiphany on Jan. 6. On that day in Peru, families often prepare Rosca de Reyes, or “King's Ring.” This tasty confection honors the three Kings or Wise Men who brought their gifts to Jesus, which holiday legend suggests was on the 6th of January.

    * Today Turkey is one of America's favorite Christmas dinner dishes, but how did this popular bird come to have its name? Historians tell us that around 1530, English traders acquired some wild fowl from Turkish merchants, and when they sold their haul back in Britain they described them as “turkey birds.” Others suggest that Columbus gave these birds their famous name. In 1492, the Italian captain believed he had landed on the coast of India rather than a small island. Columbus's mistaken belief was that the large indigenous birds he saw there were some species of Indian peacock. Since peacocks were known in India as tuka, Columbus identified the fowl with a version of that name.

    * At one time Plum Pudding was considered an extravagance and even sinful. When Puritans controlled the British government in the 1660s, they declared plum pudding to be “unfit for God-fearing people” because of its rich ingredients. It was actually against the law to prepare or eat it, but after the Puritans were deposed, King George I reinstated the dish as part of the holiday season simply because he loved it so much.


Cottage Cheese and Angel hair pasta


Cottage cheese 100 gm
Angel hair pasta 50 gm
Peppers (capsicum) 3 colours (red-yellow-green) ½ piece each.
Mushrooms 20 gms
Bok choy 3
Spring onions 3
Ginger (minced) 1 tbsp
Garlic (minced) 1 tbsp
Black bean sauce 1 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Vinegar 1 tsp

METHOD
Cut the cottage cheese in 2 cm squares and of ½ cm thickness. Bake them in oven at 120 c for 10 mins.
Soak the black beans overnight, boil them and make a paste out of them.
In a wok, heat oil and saute ginger, garlic and the onions (from the spring onions, but cut them in juliennes first).
Cut the peppers, bok choy and mushrooms in julienne as well, and add to the wok when the onions turn translucent.
Saute together and add the black bean paste, soy sauce and vinegar. Mix well.
Boil the angel hair pasta in salted water till al dante and add to this mixture. You may replace the pasta with vermicelli. Check seasoning.
Place the cottage cheese around each other in a plate and transfer the pasta mixture on top of it.
Dilute some black bean paste in water and spoon on top of the cottage cheese.
Garnish with spring onion leaves and deep fried glass noodles. Serve immediately when hot.

 

Steak Esterhazy (Germany)
One of the many styles of having a steak in Germany, this particular steak has regal roots as it is named after Count Esterhazy, a favourite guest among the royalty of the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

INGREDIENTS
Mushrooms, diced 125 gm
Red carrot chopped 50 gms
Fresh Shallots (minced) 10 gms
Butter 2 tbsp
Paprika 1 tsp
Salt 2 gms
Sour Cream 130 gms
Worcestershire Sauce 1 tsp
4 Servings of steak ( filet mignon). In India it is advisable to use the fillet part of the beef.

METHOD
Sauté mushrooms, carrots, and shallots or green onions in butter.
Add paprika, salt, sour cream, and Worcestershire sauce.
Simmer for 2 minutes but do not boil the liquid.
Broil steaks and top with sauce. Try it with semmel knodel.

 

Yasai Itame (New Age, Japan)
This is a Japanese vegetarian recipe normally preferred to be done on a teppanyaki or a flat top, as the caramelization of the soya sauce gives a beautiful aroma and flavour.

INGREDIENTS
Chinese cabbage (hakusai) 50 gm
Carrots 50 gm
Peppers (Capsicum) 20 gm each of green, yellow and red
Asparagus 20 gm
Shiitake Mushrooms 10 gm
Butter 1 tbsp
Japanese Soya Sauce 30 ml
Salt a pinch
Fresh ground pepper 1 tsp
Hondashi a pinch
Oil (any light oil) 1 tsp
Sake 10 ml

METHOD
Heat the flat top pan, add oil and add all the vegetables and sauté on high heat to sear them a little.
Add a little water to blanch them completely, but see to that the water does not go waste. Caution: emission of a lot of steam should be expected
Add salt and freshly-ground pepper and mix fast. Simultaneously, melt the butter (don’t let it brown) and add the soya sauce in the melted butter and let it caramelise a little and mix with the vegetables.
Add hondashi. Caution: as your pan is hotm the butter and soya sauce can dry fast
Finish it with a dash of Sake and serve hot.
This dish can be eaten as it is or with Koshikari Steamed Rice and Soya sauce, To spice this dish one can use a little Schimi (Japanese 7 spice)

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