Smorgasbord Blogger Daily – Friday 20th December 2019 – #TurkeyandGravy Carol Taylor, #Breadstuffing Sheryl Lazarus, #Dessert Silvia Todesco

The first blog is from Carol Taylor who writes the food and cookery column for us, and if you have not yet explored her own blog – Carol Cooks Two.. then you have been missing some great posts. Today is another Christmas themed post from her kitchen.

Christmas…In my house…Traditions, Treats and a touch of Trivia…How to cook the perfect turkey and gravy…

Come and join me for a mince pie and a toddy…Then I will show you how to cook a turkey and make a lovely Christmas gravy…

Christmas is nearly upon us …although it is arriving quietly here…well a few Chrismas tunes are belting out…The ham was a great success not so good to carve…I was used to purchasing nicely butchered and trimmed joints of meat and have had to get used to something different…Butchering is not a skill that many possess here…

A farmer with a few pigs or a couple of cows plus a small vegetable patch is more the norm just enough to feed the family and maybe sell a little to raise funds for the seeds or seedlings for the next crop is how it is…A small price to pay for fruit and vegetables raised with love and no chemicals and meat where the animal roams free and grazes to their heart’s content. Which means I have tasty ham just not always perfectly shaped slices…

Today I have some recipes for gravy which can be made 2-3 days in advance or frozen.

Head over for the recipe and a Bahama Mama cocktail (cook first, drink later): How to cook the perfect turkey and gravy with Carol Taylor

You can find all of Carol’s posts: Carol Taylor’s Food and Cookery Column 2019

You have now had the turkey and the gravy (with a cocktail thrown in) and now time for the stuffing…This is a 100 year old recipe for bread stuffing which still sounds delicious from Sheryl Lazarus of A Hundred Years Ago

I’m a traditionalist when it comes to stuffing, and I still use the bread stuffing recipe in my 1976 Betty Crocker Cookbook. Betty Crocker calls for combining bread crumbs with lots of butter, minced onion and celery; and then seasoning with sage and thyme. That recipe is tasty – but this year I wanted to make an authentic hundred-year-old recipe, so was thrilled to find a Bread Stuffing recipe in a 1919 magazine.

The hundred-year-old recipe skips the onion and celery – and uses poultry seasoning instead of the individual spices that I usually use. It also calls for an egg that acts as a binder to help keep the stuffing from falling apart.

The seasoning for the old recipe was just right, and is perfect for those who want an authentic, old-fashioned bread stuffing recipe.

Head over to see the original recipe and Sheryl’s modern version and add something very special to your Christmas dinner this year: Hundred year old recipe for bread stuffing

Head over to find out more about Sheryl and check out her archives of recipes: A Hundred Years Ago

If you have not made a Christmas cake and are feeling guilty or are in need of a dessert for Christmas dinner.. then don’t worry as Silvia Todesco, our Italian food writer, has a wonderful alternative that the whole family with love.

Pandoro Christmas tree. You’ll be able to eat even the ornaments!

I remember how hard was, seven years ago when we moved here in the US (Midwest to be more precise), finding a Pandoro or a Panettone somewhere. Therefor, with the passing of the years these two typical Italian Christmas “cakes” have become pretty popular and nowadays, I would say pretty much the day after Halloween (Lol), you can find both Pandoro and Panettone in many stores around (I don’t want to make any advertisement – especially because I would not earn a penny from it – but Marshall and TJMAX have plenty!). Before to talk to you about my new recipe, I would like to explain quickly (for those who has never heard about it) what Panettone and Pandoro are.
Differences between Pandoro and Panettone

1) Originally from Milan, Panettone has a domed shape, with a soft and airy interior beneath a dark exterior. The cake dough requires several hours to make because it must be cured in a way similar to sourdough, rising and falling three times before being baked. Traditionally, it contains candied orange, citron, and lemon zest, as well as raisins.

2) Pandoro hails from Verona (Romeo and Juliet town). As its name suggests – literally “golden bread” – it is the product of the ancient art of breadmaking. Sweet breads enriched with eggs, butter and sugar were reserved for nobility and were known as “golden bread”. Pandoro has an eight pointed-star section shape. It is often served dusted with icing sugar.

Discover how to create this stunning Christmas Tree Cake::Pandoro Christmas Tree Cake from Silvia Todesco

If you are over at Silvia’s you can subscribe to Italian Goodness if you would like to receive a new recipe each week for free.

I hope you have enjoyed today’s selection of post and that you will head over to enjoy in full.. thanks Sally.