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Thursday, December 18, 2008

Christmas Before Christmas

We had about 40+ people over for dinner last night, mostly church members and their friends. It was a pot luck, and there was so much food. I only did the turkey with chestnut stuffing and a light fruitcake with plenty of rum (rum just goes so well with butter cakes). I have been roasting turkeys for well over 20 years now (first one was to impress my then boyfriend and in-laws to be) , about 2 birds for each Christmas, so turkeys are truly the easiest things to cook for me. It's just an over-sized chicken. Stuff it, push it into the oven and forget about it until 4 hours later.

I didn't have as much success with my petit fours. The light fruit cake turned out delicious and I topped it with a thin layer of marzipan. My intention was to make pretty festive petit fours with Christmas trees and stars for the grown ups and pipe the kids' names on their fours. But it turned out that glace icing is not easy to make. I didn't use the usual water and icing sugar recipe. I consulted books and websites on the pouring fondant or glace icing for petit fours. And I was SOOO upset when the glace icing turned transparent, and worse, hardened before I could even use it. I warmed it, but it turned grainy. Does anyone have any advice on this?

In the end I just served the cake with the marzipan layer on. I was disappointed that many of my guests just peeled off the marzipan, thinking it was just sweet icing. It was lovely marzipan from England, and it cost me a bomb because it came in a 2.5 kg slab.

Am kinda stressed. There are many things I need to do before next week's many holidays (we get 25 & 26th Dec off only but many businesses are winding down as people get into the festive mood) so I will post my turkey recipe this weekend. Btw, if you haven't yet got your turkey, I'm not sure if you should get it from Hong Seng because mine was from there and last night's turkey had a strong refrigerated smell that most people didn't notice! They probably thought turkeys should smell like that. I've never had such a bird in all these years. If my MIL hadn't already got another Norbest turkey for me, from Merdeka Supermarket, I'd go for the Butterballs in Tong Hing. I've never cooked a Butterball turkey and I remember the ads in Canada & US where they zoom into the turkey as the knife cuts in, and the juice drips out and the meat falls off to reveal moist tender flesh...ah, next year I'll get a Butterball.

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These cymbidium orchids are from Taiwan. They don't grow well here because it's too hot. I love orchids, they are so extraordinary in their design. Their irregular symmetry is so artistic.

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I love red roses at Christmas. So romantic and autumy.

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Year after year, I use the same door wreath a friend bought from Germany.

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This year the chairs get the poinsettias.

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I completely forgot that I'd given our old tree to Vero two years ago. Yi came up with this gorgeous creation one hour before the party. It really is the best tree we've ever had! She was going to complete it today but the painter came this morning to repaint the TV room and took everything down--she doesn't know it yet, she's out.

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I imagined that this was a female turkey so I dressed it with whatever fruits I had.

23 comments:

  1. What a lovely spread of food! Very creative of Yi too. Ahh...gorgeous turkey, now i await for your recipe with anticipation. I love chestnut fillings!

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  2. turkey...and a HUGE 1 too..

    omg, christmas season..it only seemed like last month that it was christmas..

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  3. What a wide spread of food for the evening! I like the xmas tree idea, very innovative and save space!

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  4. Wow those gorgeous food. Great Christmas tree too. Tell Yi I might just steal her wonderful idea since I also don't have a tree this year.
    R

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  5. Wow, the tree is gorgeous ! In an hour, Yi is so good, give me 10 hours I still can't come up with such a creation. The grilled sausages looked good, where r they from ??

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  6. Thank you, dear, now I am feeling the x'mas mood. Perfect turkey n I know u did it blindfolded...
    Oh beautiful tree...Yi is so good. Can she come over n salvage our tree, pls???

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  7. Hi, my 1st time here :) I love ur turkey!! I tried this before, it's good, but a bit of too much meat (thick meat) for me - but it's gorgeous bah.

    Mind exchanging link? I've just link u on my site :)

    Cheers!

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  8. Look at the Turkey!!!! =DD I love the Xmas deco on the wall x)

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  9. Beautiful turkey! What a spread. Yummmm! And that Christmas tree is so clever and beautiful. I'm not as creative as Yi, so copied the photo so I can do that next year in our den!

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  10. Wow ... That's a long table of food which I always like. But never stand a chance to celebrate my Christmas like that before ... =(

    Hope I was there to taste ur turkey =p

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  11. Everything looks delicious. HOpe you and yours have a Happy Christmas.

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  12. AWESOME! well done. as everyone has already stated, yi's tree is great. another example of less is more, k.i.s.s (keep it simple stupid) and simplicity is elegance.

    as long as they are not handled incorrectly (re-frozen over and over), butterballs are great. being a new yorker i can attest to their great flavor and moistness. i've been eating them since i was kid.

    happy holidays to you and all the posters here. may the new year bring everyone a brighter future and prosperity.

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  13. pp:recipe coming up. will u be cooking a turkey? let me see what's happening at precious' hse st Christmas :)

    joe: it was the biggest i could get here, a 6.3kg bird. i used to get 7kg birds but not anymore :(

    didally: yes, but it's gone for now. i hope the next one will be even better

    r: she can do it for u, just get all the decor ready. n ur kids can help. really, just tell her.

    ganache:thnx, yi is really good at these things but she broke one of my candle holders :( very typical.

    the sausages r made by a friend. he supplies them to merdeka supermarket. check it out on my previous posts, under brekkies i think.

    a feast: if u really need her touch, tell her. i'm sure she'll help. foc too :)

    val: u commented on my previous post dear, so i went to urs. ok, will link.

    agnes: yes, very innovative. looks even better in real.

    terri: y wait, do it this yr. r u putting up a post on ur hsehold this time of the yr? would love to see tt.

    icey: get some friends together n have a party!

    tealady: u too, margaret, merry Christmas n all the love, peace & joy to ur family n u :))

    lunch guy: thnx david. i like tt, k.i.s.s.. i'll borrow it. i'm hoping d butterballs rn't sold out after Christmas so i can keep one. my fridge is bursting & sweating right now :(

    merry Christmas to u & urs too, n tons of peace, joy & love :DD

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  14. hA! Merry Christmas to U, W, W, M, and Y

    Luv,
    Denise

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  15. Everything is so pretty....so festive and so inspiring too. i am only doing christmas day lunch for 10 people but had not even gotten down to think about deco or the food for that matter. so it is good to be inspired. thanks.

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  16. Hi,I'm a silent reader of your blog. Enjoy reading your blog very much.

    Merry Christmas to you & your family!

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  17. Wow what a feast Terri! Everything looks great! Merry Christmas! :)

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  18. It’s Friday morning here & snowing steadily, will get 20 – 30cm by end of day. Just as well I’m off 2 day ; tt’s why U find me chking in @ this hour. Yi’s creative Xmas tree is truly one of a kind & d picture of your turkey is worthy of a magazine cover. And the spread on d table will get everybody on a see food diet. Merry Xams & Happy new year 2 U & Ur family.

    Luv,
    Mike , K, Mel & Alx

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  19. yikes!! i know i'm late, but i couldn't go without commenting on what a gorgeous tree HongYi made!! too bad it had to come down, but, did it go up again after the painting?

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  20. Merry X'mas Terri. Wishing you the best in everything come New Year 2009.

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  21. Mum.. I want to eat the food u made. =(

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  22. denise: u too, merry christmas!

    nee: i'm waiting to c ur creations!

    hooi li: thnx, keep on reading :) n merry Christmas to u n urs!

    JACQ: Merry Christmas to u & urs too!

    mike, k, mel & alexa: Merry Christmas to u all!!
    ..n i miss the snow, the frosted windows n the crisp air...

    trishie: it did, n it's even more beautiful! Merry Christmas to u, ur sis n ur mom!

    lilyan: Merry Christmas to u n family too!

    ming: we miss u honey :( but i know smone is keeping u company.

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  23. Your Christmas Tree is fabulous. I hope I remember it next year so I can copy it!

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