The holidays; also known as a multi-week eating palooza. It is that time of year when calorie counting gets thrown out the window as we shove another Christmas cookie in our mouths. The goal is to eat healthy 11 months of year to allow for the big finale- the ultimate food showdown. Christmas in my family has and always will be about food. We make the amount of food for a party, when there is only four of us.
The traditions begin on Christmas Eve, where we like to stay try to be clas
sy and eat appetizers. The key to appetizers for dinner is about variety. I like to start with a charcuterie board. A good charcuterie board often features hard and soft cheeses, spicy and mild meats, pate, and fruit. The best combo is layering pate, lemon saucisson sec, and a dried apricot on a hearty cracker. For those living in Vancouver- check out Oyama Sausage Co on Granville Island, they offer an amazing selection of charcuterie items.
Bruschetta is always an appetizer favourite of mine. The combination of the tomatoes, garlic, and balsamic vinegar on a perfectly toasted baguette is an instant crowd pleaser. Having a veggie platter is also a good go to, it provides freshness and a break from some of the heavier options.
This year we tried our hand at making poke (pronounced poh-keh). It is a Hawaiian dish traditionally composed of raw ahi tuna with a marinade focusing on sesame oil and soy sauce. Be sure to use sashimi grade tuna or salmon, you will need to visit a specialty store for this item! We included mango and avocado in ours to add some excitement.
Our holiday food journey continues on Christmas morning. My family being the food lovers we are, have two breakfasts: tourtiere and waffles. Why choose between sweet and sa
voury when you can enjoy both? The tourtiere should be made in advance, making it the perfect meal to pop in the oven while you are opening stockings and eat before delving into the real presents. The waffles provide the sugar boost needed to keep me going throughout the afternoon, because I obviously still wake up ridiculously early on Christmas morning.
The night finishes off with a turkey dinner. This year was the first year of a combined Christmas meal with my family and my boyfriends’ (Mark who I will now 
refer to as M) family. My family eats vegetarian when we are together as my sister and mum are both veggies. Thus there was even more food to accommodate all dietary concerns. Some of my favourites are roasted sweet potato with pecan brown sugar crumble, a corn casserole we have been making since I was in Kindergarten, and gravy. This is my blog so I can count gravy as a food group.
We also tried a new version of Brussels sprouts. If I were to tell my 8 year old self that some day in the distant future I would put a Brussels sprout on my plate and actually enjoy it, I would’ve laughed myself off the chair. But these sprouts were delicious- par boiled, roasted, and finished off with vinegar, dates and pine nuts. It was a wonderful evening filled with only slightly too much wine, full bellies and warm hearts. Although everyone has their own traditions, it is hard to disagree that food really does provide connections and lasting memories.