Home Again Home Again...

The corsage my sister bought for my Mom every Christmas.

A little history: The island of Newfoundland is my birthplace. I dearly love going home! This is where I learned to cook and travel too. My paternal grandmother was a great cook (simple yet delicious) and she inspired me to help her cook from the time I was a small girl. She taught me to bake bread when I was 8 years old and I learned so much just standing at her side watching what she did so skillfully. I also have my father (my grandmother's son) to thank for gifting me with an adventurous spirit where food is concerned. He cooked many dishes that he learned from his Jewish and Lebanese friends. From the first time I ate rice I couldn't get enough. I really wasn't a potato person ever... which is quite interesting considering that my heritage is partially Irish.
My mother's people were Mi'Q maq who travelled and settled in Newfoundland from Nova Scotia years before the Europeans came to the Island. It seems they travelled quite a lot back and forth and Newfoundland was called 'the land on the other side'.
Went home to see my family in Newfoundland for the holidays. Christmas in Newfoundland...white...right? No, not a flake of snow...anywhere. Well there was a little in Labrador. Yes, this means that I took the chance of arriving at a destination in the winter months in Canada...brave soul!
But, first I had to stop over in Toronto to visit my daughter. Two girls just having fun...and both foodies...yes! We went to the Sultan's Tent http://www.thesultanstent.com/ and I must say it was great. We both enjoyed the food, and the wine, and the atmosphere! Great service too! When you are in Toronto you must try this place...I can't say enough good about it. Then of course we had to have seafood...Toronto being so close to the ocean...oh right it's not! But that's OK because the Red Lobster http://www.redlobster.com/ downtown was fantastic. I always have some sort of 'platter' because I can never decide to have only one item... and I am so glad that I do it this way. I always end up with a buffet on a plate and love every last bite. We ate too much... need I say more.
Once I finished Toronto I grabbed the next flight to Halifax and then on to Goose Bay Labrador to visit my sister. Oh no not two girls again...both foodies! I can see the pounds waving at me as they are getting closer. The first night dinner and dancing...at the Christmas party. Yes, I loved it but my sister loved it more. A turkey dinner to die for...the whole meal deal cooked and served (delightfully so) by the local Royal Canadian Legion. Great job everyone! Again, ate too much, but you can't say no to turkey!
Cooking at home has always been a great deal of fun for us so my sister Sandra did Lasagna ( I still can't beat her recipe) the second night. A little wine always helps the cooking process or at least the cooks. The next night I made Greek food (always on order as my sister loves it). Some Greek salad, lovely steamed rice, souvlaki (grilled of course) another full bodied wine and we were set for a night in Greece. We ate too much and needed to go for a walk but didn't. Two more nights of good food and then on to Christmas at home in Newfoundland.
This is a very special time where our family comes together for even more food. We laughed a lot, we cooked a lot, we drank some wine. Now, many of you will not know that Santa's elves do not work wrapping presents if there is no Bailey's in the house. But, my sisters and I found this out many years ago... always have Bailey's. The gift wrapping goes much smoother when elves are NOT grumpy! hence the Bailey's...
My sister Krista (also a fantastic cook) creates such a 'wonder' full Christmas meal that words cannot do it justice (see pictures). My husband says that I always go overboard when preparing food, enough is never enough... but my sister puts me to shame! She prepares a turkey(stuffed), six or seven sides, gravy, pudding and desert! There is so much food that there is no more room on her extra large table and it spills over to the counter serving area. But then I must admit that there are also a lot of people ... sometimes up to twenty for a meal. She has on occasion even outdone herself (which is very hard to do!)