Cooking traditions

While the holiday season is sure to evoke a broad spectrum of warm feelings and fond memories, the most prominent is likely to be the abundance of delicious food.

Around the world, gathering together over a large meal is an integral part of the holiday tradition. 

TURKEY

Traditional images of early holiday meals often depict Pilgrims and Indians joined together, ready to feast on a a large roasted turkey.

In actuality, it’s most likely that early settlers would’ve dined on foods that were already familiar to the Native American palette, such as venison, oysters and corn.

Turkeys weren’t incorporated into holiday dining menus until some time later, presumably because the bird was large enough to feed many folks, and better yet, affordable.

FRUITCAKE

What are your feelings about fruitcake? Despite being the butt of many jokes, a well-made fruitcake is a tasty treat that is rich in Christmas tradition.

In ancient times, cakes filled with expensive nuts and dried fruits were a sign of prosperity. Often served at special events, these dense cakes quickly became a holiday tradition.

Their consistency and longer shelf life made them ideal for shipping to friends and family, resulting in the cake’s misaligned connotation.

THE PROCESS

But what about holiday traditions in the kitchen? The process of preparing food can often be just as rewarding as the meal itself. Many of the cooking traditions we hold dear today were born simply from a mother’s request for help in the kitchen or a child’s desire to help and learn.

If your child plans to leave cookies and milk for Santa this year, why settle for store-bought cookies? By using simple recipes for sugar cookies or other favorites, you can introduce children to the process of cooking, while also establishing a tradition they’ll hand down to their kids, too.

The idea that homemade candies require special skills is a misconception. Creating sweet treats for your family is easier than you think, and your kids will be look forward to carrying on the the tradition, too.

If cooking just isn’t your thing, there is another holiday cooking tradition that you’re sure to embrace — the tradition of not cooking for the holidays, and instead, just being grateful for the culinary talents of others. You don’t necessarily have to be the cook to enjoy and appreciate your family’s holiday cooking traditions.