Celebrate the season with Homegrown Ontario

This is the time of the year when families and friends come together in the spirit of celebration and converge over the delectable dishes they have come to look forward to year after year. Why not put a new twist on your old favourites by introducing different cultural traditions this holiday season? From shami lamb kebobs or a beef brisket to a glazed ham or roasted turkey – variety is indeed the spice of life this holiday season.

Hanukkah

Hanukkah or Chanukah, also known as the Festival of Lights, is a Jewish celebration commemorating the military victory of the Jewish Maccabees in Jerusalem in 164 BCE. When they recaptured their Temple, only one night’s worth of oil remained to light the Temple. Miraculously, however, the oil lasted eight nights and that’s the miracle of Hanukkah. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days and the central observance of the festival includes lighting the Menorah each night. On the last day of Hanukkah many families and their friends sing songs, exchange gifts and play dreidel over a traditional Hanukkah meal.

Traditional Hanukkah Foods

Brisket is a popular Jewish holiday entrée which can be quickly and easily prepared ahead of time. The term brisket usually refers to beef or veal and is a cut of meat from the breast or lower chest. Ask your local butcher or grocery retailer for top quality Homegrown Ontario Kosher beef or veal to prepare your brisket. The brisket should have good marbling between white fat and dark coloured meat that is distributed throughout the meat rather than concentrated in just one area.

Jewish brisket is slow-cooked in a tightly covered roasting pan which allows it to become tender, juicy and delicious — even when it is reheated on the second day of a Jewish holiday. Ideally, brisket is best when prepared in advance, sliced thinly against the grain and refrigerated prior to reheating. Making brisket ahead of time not only enhances the taste but cuts down on last-minute holiday prep work.

Did You Know? Latkes, or potato pancakes, are a traditional Hanukkah dish made with potato, corn, zucchini, and cheese topped with applesauce or sour cream.

Kwanzaa

Kwanzaa is a seven day celebration held throughout the world honouring African heritage and culture. The celebrations provide an opportunity to focus on the importance of family, community, and history, and to reflect on the Nguzo Saba or seven principles of African culture. These principles emphasize unity, self-determination, collective work and responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith. Kwanzaa, meaning “first fruits of the harvest”, is observed from December 26 to January 1 and features activities such as candle-lighting, the pouring of libations, gift giving and a large feast. To build a Kwanzaa feast, many recipes are derived from African and the Caribbean cuisine. Perennial centerpieces include smoked turkey and shrimp gumbo, jerk chicken, Tunisian-marinated flank steak and North African lamb kebobs — all of which are served with yams, collard greens, sweet-fried plantains and cornbread.

Did You Know? Kwanzaa cuisine is also referred to as Soul Food. The term Soul Food became popular in the 1960s, when the word soul became used in connection with African American culture. While Soul Food is the traditional cuisine of African Americans in the United States, the origins of soul food are much older and can be traced back to Africa.

Christmas

Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday celebrated on December 25 that commemorates the birth of Jesus of Nazareth over two thousand years ago in the country of Israel. Christmas is celebrated throughout the Christian population, but has also come to be celebrated by many non-Christians as a secular, cultural festival. Christmas traditions have a way of feeling timeless — you may have seen the same ornaments, sung the same songs and eaten the same foods for your whole life. Some Christmas traditions are, in fact, ancient.

Christmas fare is a delicious combination of harvest feast foods, like turkey, squash and potatoes and winter festival foods like roasted meats, an irresistible honey glazed ham and an array of baked goods. Food historians tell us the practice of serving large, stuffed fowl for Christmas, like many other Christian holiday food traditions, was borrowed from earlier cultural practices.

A plump, juicy turkey is a perennial favourite. Be sure to order a delicious Homegrown Ontario turkey from your local butcher shop or grocery store two to three weeks in advance of your holiday celebration. If you need some help to prepare it, Homegrown Ontario has an easy-to-follow guide to turkey roasting. From thawing to cleaning, storing to stuffing we’ve got you covered.

Did You Know? According to the food historians, mincemeat pie dates back to Medieval times. At that time, this recipe did indeed, include beef and left over pieces of other meat. It also often contained dried fruits, sugar, and spices, as was the tradition of the day.

Not sure where to purchase Ontario meat and poultry for your holiday gathering? Click the Homegrown Ontario store locator to find a convenient retailer close to home.

Sources:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/christmasfood.html
http://christmas.howstuffworks.com/traditions/christmas4.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org
http://www.ehow.com/christmas/hanukkah.html
http://kosherfood.about.com/od/hanukkah/a/hanukkah_menu.htm
http://musiced.about.com/od/historyofmusic/a/hanukkah.htm
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