by Annie Spaziano, of Annie’s Burger Shack
Christmas is a time when we like to settle down and watch our favourite Christmas movies, which as an American living in Britain is nice, because in the main they’ve been made in Hollywood.
As a result this means over here people know a lot about how Americans celebrate Christmas, from our decorated homes to our customs, as well as the food and drink that help to make the season what it is.
Our shared histories means that we share a lot of those traditions, although there is a big difference when it comes to Christmas Day food, and it concerns the turkey.
Turkey is a Thanksgiving thing
Over here in the UK, everyone sits down for a turkey meal with all the trimmings at midday, but when I was a kid back in New England, we never did that at all.
Instead, because we spent the day visiting friends and relatives, our food was laid out on dishes on tables like a buffet, for everyone to visit whenever they felt hungry, rather than a big meal.
But it was also because we’d already done it at Thanksgiving at the end of November, with a big turkey and all the trimmings that British people will recognise – apart from roast potatoes, which, even though we had Yorkshire pudding, I’d never tried before I came to this country about 30 years ago.
Because of this, the main Christmas Day meat for Americans is a big, glazed ham, which is a hallmark of the North European settlers’ influence on modern-day America, especially in the Midwest.
Otherwise, we’ll eat lots of different dishes, also including plum pudding and cookies. Sweet cookies are a real American tradition at Christmas – everyone bakes them.
Eggnog is THE drink of the season
So I grew up without having turkey for Christmas, and while my Christmas meal for myself and my husband at our home in Nottingham this year will include turkey, it will be just a few slices from my Thanksgiving bird, which I put aside and froze, alongside a glazed ham and a beef Wellington, as well as some really fine wine – because drink is as important as food at Christmas.
And so, on that topic, if you are looking for an American Christmas tradition that unites the nation, then it’s eggnog.
It’s not to everyone’s taste but if you’ve never had it, then you can try this recipe before you settle down to watch Home Alone or It’s A Wonderful Life.
How to make eggnog
It takes 10 minutes to prepare, plus chilling time and serves four to six people.
Ingredients:
50g of caster sugar;
Four egg yolks
I tsp vanilla essence;
397g can of condensed milk
100ml brandy (optional and not required – kids love it too)
Nutmeg
First, put the sugar in a saucepan with 75ml water and simmer it until the sugar has dissolved. Then let it cool and chill. In a glass bowl, separate the egg yolks from the whites, placing the whites in a separate glass bowl. Beat the yolks with the vanilla until smooth, add the condensed milk and the brandy, if you’re using it, as well as the cooled sugar syrup. Mix well.
Using a hand blender or a whisk, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks arrive and then use a rubber spatula to slowly fold it into the eggnog mixture. Pour it into a jug and chill for at least two hours and serve within 24 hours over ice, sprinkling nutmeg (or cinnamon) on top.
