Aaaaaaaargh – sprouts! Now I love Christmas as much as the next hyper-active 10-year-old but just keep me away from those small, sour, green beasts of doom. Then there is turkey, that most tasteless of meat, and all the thoughtless, tacky, useless presents (admittedly mainly from me).
There’s still a month until Christmas but many people around the world are celebrating Eid al-Adha and Thanksgiving at the moment.. So I want to know: what festival traditions have you had enough of? Which strange holiday habits are ripe for an overhaul? And, most importantly, do you have any recipes that make brussels sprouts edible?
27
Nov
09
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RE “” And, most importantly, do you have any recipes that make brussels sprouts edible “”
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———- Might try lathering on a little bah humbug on them to make them slide down easier.
Or just mash them into your potatoes with either butter or good gravy for good yummy. I like em steaming, fresh off the boil just fine as well.
Boil the sprouts in unsalted water, leave it on one side, and prepare chopped red and green peppers, red onion, chopped bacan, some fresh chivs, fresh basil, oregano, and fresh mint leaves and oxon. fry all together, then mix the already boild sprouts. cover and bring to boil. check for your taste. You will love it.
Fry onions and a couple og garlic pods in butter, drop a spoon of curry powder add the sprouts and enough water, salt to taste and cook till they are done. They don’t different than any other vegetables. Most people don’t spice them while they cook them, the reason they don’t taste good.
Does anyone agree with me that sprouts should be outlawed as a crime against humanity.
Have you tried it raw?
I love brussel sprouts!
It’s only when we don’t know to dance, that we blame the music.
I never liked sprouts as a kid, but now love them. Small ones are more tender. Mix some butter and garlic in with them and some cracked black pepper.
As for turkey it so common these days its no longer a treat for Christmas. I believe the gose is coming back as popular Christmas fare. It was the main staple in the middle ages.
Festival Traditions I’ve had enough of??
All the gift buying and commercialization.
All the drunkenness
All the fights over stupid stuff like gift buting and drunlenness.
At my thanksgiving dinner last night, virtually everyone was eating brussel sprouts. Only me and one other person wouldn’t touch them, and ironically, as a kid, I used to like one until I tried eating one raw. Haven’t tried it since.
I get really bored with Christmas – and don’t get me started on New Year. Gathering with people you don’t see from one year to the next, kissing you and wishing you a Happy New Year when in reality they couldn’t care less whether you have a happy one or die of frostbite in June!
If I tell you I can prove Jesus definately did not exist does that mean the end of Christmas?
Nah – course not. The shops would go bust without our “what recession” attitude.
If anyone did prove that the Christmas story was all a hoax we’d probably have a holiday and buy presents for everyone to celebrate the day we found out we’d been conned.
Humbug!
I’ve checked it out. And there is no binding intl. treay, federal, state or local law that says you MUST eat turkey on Thankgiving. So enjoy the sushi, veggie spaghetti, curry or whatever you like.
As Josiah said,Christmas dinner used to be a treat,now you can have one any day of the week,which sort of takes the edge off it.Nothing wrong with brussels sprouts though.And why is it that people insist on giving presents that you neither want or need.”Oh!thank you Auntie,thats just what I was looking for,(liar).
Thanks all – I’m taking notes on the sprouts thing.. How about non-Christmas traditions – what happens on other religious holidays that bugs you?
I have a tradition every year – no turkey! I go in search of a lavish meal that is either surf and/or turf with exquisite side dishes, no brussel sprouts, but there will be corn on the cob.
I love brussels sprouts. As a child I used to walk among them (I was only 5) and pick them and eat them raw. I love all the “cabbage” family. Today had brussel tops with french beans and fennel. Love my veg. Christmas Day I do roast duck with orange sauce. Crispy and delicious and all that lovely duck fat for roasting or frying sausages! Relatives send me a home made Christmas Cake and pudding. Have both with custard! I agree turkey is a bit tasteless and boring but I think the tradition began when early settlers in The USA shot (did they have guns?) wild turkeys for what has become “Thankgiving”? I imagine they have much more flavour. Do they still exist?
With the exception of the preteen kids, my whole family ignores Christmas. Since workplaces always give time off, we do get together, the few religious ones go to church, but we leave the rest alone.
My favorite holidays in the US are Thanksgiving and 4th of July. Days off and very little commercialism. And turkey, when not overcooked, is very juicy and flavorful. White meat is best fresh and hot, and the dark meat is better for sandwiches or in gravy over potatoes.
An opportunity for celebrations isn’t bad, especially when most people spend so much effort in earning money. Of course we can all have different reasons or none at all.
In India Catholics fast on Good Friday. So no food is cooked at their homes on that day. I and my office staff took that very opportunity to celebrate together at the local Chinese restoraunt and ate more than we usually did.
What tiered traditions. Tradiions are the one keep the community together.Hindus like anyrelious people celebrate tradition to remind our roots going back to indian civilisation itself starting with mohanjodaro harappa civilisation of sarasvathir and indus rivers of more than 5000 years.
I love sprouts and not really turkey.But it is important to be part of christian community celebrating christmas as i have done for about quarter of century.
Brussels sprouts need to be handled and cooked correctly or they are like badly cooked cabbage. stinky and taste like rubbish.
I prefer bread and water.
Don’t much like brussel sprouts or sweet potatoes, or turkey, so we have simply created our own “modified” traditions. I also didn’t grow up with Thanksgiving as a special occasion at home.
This year, we had honey-baked ham. Most years, we have chicken saltimbocca (roll together chicken breasts, ham, and cheese, slow-cooked in wine sauce).
Traditions are especially nice when they are modified by each generation. Then it becomes your own, passed down (with ulterior mods) by your kid(s).
I wished I could get Brussels Sprouts here. Well, I can but only in very exotic super markets and then they are so expensive that no one can afford them.
You should not complain about them. They are very healthy.
You talked about sour. Where are they sour please? Maybe next time you should not eat them as salad.
I just don’t understand how people even discovered that sprouts were food. I would have spat it out of my mouth on first contact and never considered them edible ever again.
Invasive species of alien cults and religions have been wiping out local traditions of Egypt, Italy, Greece, India. Traditions like idol worship is being scorned at while Christian worship idols of Mary, Jesus if not Holy Ghost. These are multiple Gods and Goddesses they worship though they mock at Indians for their polytheism. Muslims worship Kaaba stone still they are derisive about stone worshipers of India.
Regarding turkey or Brussels sprouts, it is individual taste or family tradition. It is not much to do with religion I think.
I would define brussels sprouts as small cabbage balls.. . an acquired taste-that I never acquired.
Holiday traditions were passed down from previous generations in order to provide a sense of what it was like to celebrate the holidays at that time. Ah yes, nostalgia..the pilgrims, circa 1620…..ok, lets move on.
While there are certain holiday traditions a family may keep, I think it’s fun to build on traditions and create some of your own that you and your family can enjoy. The holidays should be a time of relaxation and celebration. Instead, when you look at the news, it has turned into a time when you are stressed out trying to please the ones you love-with a smile.
Since we all know there is some sacrifice to be expected, you must find a common ground so the holidays can be welcomed in, without the 1620 drudgery.
Are we seeing the rise of a “lets ban it” move, similar to the 6 years pressure for a smoking ban?
As Christmas is part of OUR culture, it seems that it is fair game.
What about COOKING the sprouts? What about saying “Bah Humbug” if you wish?
What about having a can of beans instead of turkey if you like?
But leave the festival alone!!
We already have NLab moves to call it “The Winter Festival”.
Think of the uproar if there were moves to make Ramadan a gorging festival?
Or call it something else!
If you don`t like sprouts, don`t make it an excuse to NOT have Christmas.
(Even if is likely Jesus didn`t exist as one poster says), don`t forget the excitement in the eyes of children everywhere on Christmas morning.
Never mind the vegetables, there are enough of those in parliament!!
If you remain a killjoy or sprout hater, all together now BAAAH HUMBUUG!!
Enjoy Christmas anyway!! After all we have too much gloom in the world,and this Christmas festival at least brings happiness so SOME!
i hate brussel sprouts but my nine years old daughter love them.
this year for x-mas we are having goose instead of turkey, because my dad he from wales apparently that what they used to have, but peple keep telling me goose are too fattening is this true?
I love brussel sprouts, but don’t make them for the holiday because I’m the only one that will eat them. I put a lot of adobo seasoning and cream sherry in and on my turkey, not tasteless at all.
Christmas used to be my favorite holiday, but lately there is such a mob at the stores and such a focus on the commercial side that it just isn’t fun anymore. The last couple of years my family started a tradition to have a family shopping spree on December 26, 27, 28 (within limits, of course). Everything is half price, and Christmas Eve and Christmas day are just for eating, drinking, and being merry.
By the way, foods that are testless and seemingly uninterested to eat may be the best food for your healthy growing and keeping. Give me boiled sprouts, cabbage and any other green for breakfast and I will love you.
sprouts with roasted chestnuts turned in a little garlic and butter……. yummy
Turkey is one of my least favorite dishes in the world. So since my husband took on making Christmas dinner at my mom´s house, we have banned the turkey and choose tastier dishes (last year it was really good steaks).
Here brussels sprouts are not a holiday dish, so I don´t have any good recipes for them.
About obnoxious holidays, I could care less about New Years. For me, it does not have nay sense.
I forgot to mention that this year I tried my hand at lentil loaf for my daughter’s vegetarian friends, so a new tradition was born. There was none of it left, and I didn’t even get to taste it, so I guess it was pretty good!
Talking of what we all will be having for X-mess
I will likely be having rice, 3 different vegetables, some Tofu and on top of it some nice curry sauce for late breakfast
and for dinner a mango-banana-persimmon salad made with yoghurt.
Abstinence and fasting, as far as food or any thing else goes, is the best for anyone to realise what is really important. The very reason why the affluent societies haven’t the slightest idea of what is important or good for them, is that they believe in their ignorance that they’ve got every thing. Or that they can buy it with money.
If you’re tired of Brussels Sprouts, here’s the recipe to cheer you up and revive your beliefs about them:
Put a bunch of those “little green awfuls” in a pan of boiling water and boil them for three days, drain the water, throw away the Brussels Sprouts and then eat the pan.
The tradition I am tired of is the disrespect for Fruitcakes, the constant joking and put downs of them.
I used to be one of the jokers until I thought of the history of fruitcakes. A hundred or so years ago fruits and vegetables were seasonal and in the darkest days of winter I imagine that people would have daydreams of the sweetness of fruits like cherries, oranges, and the like and one way to preserve those fruits would have been to dry them and pack them in sugar and then bring them out around the solstice celebrations and present them in various baked goods like fruitcakes.
They didn’t have Snickers Bars and Almond Joys back then and any sweet thing would have been a delight.
So although I am not a big fan of fruitcakes I have regained respect for their once tired tradition.
It’s really too bad Mike Innes doesn’t know any competent cooks…. Poor guy, really missing out! It’s even worse that he maligns a food(brussels and turkey) because they are difficult to prepare well. Ok, ignorance gets another pointless seasonal blog. Actually shame on me for getting involved, I feel slightly more stupid for it.