Just wondering what special recipes, treats or dishes everyone’s planning to serve over the holidays.
I’m not quite sure what I’m going to have yet this holiday season. I’m thinking a smoked Pork Shoulder might be in order. hmmm. :-\
nuttin special - just the traditional rib roast and all the fixins, a nice napa cabernet to go with it (this is after many pints while playing cornhole during the cooking of the roast).
Gonna dry age a rib roast for 4 days. Never done it before, but gonna give it a whirl. Then a simple salt crust and roast to about rare. Gonna do some whole carrots on the side with a greek seasoning with honey and carmelized onions.
We are doing the traditional Slovakian Christmas (Vianoce) feast.
We will start with Oplatky with honey.
Then some Lokse and Pagace.
Next coarse Riba.
Slovakian potato salad, (forget what that is called in Slovakian)
Kysla Kapusta Poleyevka.
And of coarse beer. Lots of beer and a little Slivovitsa
A few other things too.
Ill post pics.
I’m going to roast my first turkey 
I got one for you to try… Make a simple syrup - Heat it up good and hot, now dump in the Slivo at about a 50/50 ratio.
Too hot and you start losing alcohol strength. So depends how anal you want to be about temperature.
Now serve up a cup of it, like you would a nice turkish coffee or cup of tea. Drink it while it’s hot!
Ziveli!
I got one for you to try… Make a simple syrup - Heat it up good and hot, now dump in the Slivo at about a 50/50 ratio.
Too hot and you start losing alcohol strength. So depends how anal you want to be about temperature.
Now serve up a cup of it, like you would a nice turkish coffee or cup of tea. Drink it while it’s hot!
Do you drink a specific brand or is it the bottle with no label? :-X
Ziveli!
Simple bone-in rib roast, taken to medium rare indirect on the grill, with charcoal and hickory. Probably with a simple rub of salt, pepper, garlic, and herbs. Roasted potatoes in the oven, maybe some freshly made bread. And a spot of Australian port. Not typical dinner pairing, but on Christmas, a good tawny just seems to fit the bill.
I had lost about 5 lbs in the past few weeks, may make up for that in the next couple weeks! 
Not sure yet. The in-laws are due to arrive on Wednesday from Slovakia. They will be packing the Slivo. Ill post some pics.
We will have sauer kraut soup (kapustnica).
Kids will hate it again I am sure 
No Bobalky or Oplatky?
Im not so into the kupustnica either. It is like sauerkraut and klobasa with a lot of water added to it. Whats the trick?
Totally off topic, but Cap, I found that book you posted about on the “other” forum at my local library, entitled Charcuterie. Will be perusing it, now that I have a good stock of curing salts and a rather formidably capable cold smoker.
But back on topic, I need to have a Hungarian or otherwise east european meal as an excuse to finally get a bottle of slivovitz…however, Norman poulet vallee d’auge is next on the list of dishes to try that justify an expensive bottle of something (in this case what is probably my favorite spirit, calvados), followed by gravlax and akvavit, so maybe sometime next spring.
No oplatky in here.
Actually our capistnica is pretty good and generally people here like it.
I think trick is to make a little rue with cream. I could post a recipe if you like.
That would be awesome to see your recipe.
No cream or sour cream in the wife’s recipe.
That is a good book. There is lots of info on the web too. I havent been practicing charcuterie as much as would like. Its been pretty busy around here. Im usually slow this time of year but not this year. I suppose that in this economy I should consider my self lucky to be busy when so many others are out of work. Now if I could just figure out a way to get people to pay on time or even at all my problems would be over very quickly. :
Well anyways, let me know how your experiments go, I will be waiting to hear. I have been practicing on less expensive cuts of beef, starting with corned beef, Irish style back bacon, and the other smoked items I posted back on the “other” forum, like the wild oar and the venison.
Hungarian food is delicious. Try Chirken Parickash, or goulash first.
Yamm.
I agree
The traditional Slovakian Christmas Eve Dinner.
First, Oplatky drizzled with honey. (strange stuff. Think communion wafers with honey on top.)
Second, Kapustnica (Sauerkraut and Klobasa soup.)
Third, Bobalky. Again strange, Think Oyster crackers made soggy in butter, hot water and poppy seeds
Then the final coarse of fried fresh water fish and potato salad. The fish would traditionally be carp. Carp (IMO) tastes bad and has no meat and lots of bones so we use Talapia, which is related to the carp but tastes much better.
Slovakian love this potato salad. You will find it at every holiday, wedding picnic and party table without fail. They cant get enough of it. They practically bathe in it.
Then Finally desert. Nic, you may find this interesting. Im having a Hungarian herbal liquor similar to Bekarovka. This one I had the first time in Hungary. Its flavor is Ok but more importantly it gives a relaxing buzz. Must be the herbs. Good story behind it too. When I had this in Hungary it was called Unicum. here in the US it is called Zwack. Zwack is the family who owns the recipe and production facility.
Bottoms up.
So your wife doesn’t find it weird at all - all the pictures you take of the food before she is allowed to eat?
Yeah she does, who wouldn’t.
Usually though I take a few quick shots before I bring it to the table. Ya know while it is still to hot to dig in.
Been doing it for about two or so years now. You should see how many pics of food I have in my photo bucket album.
Have you ever seen the cooking thread over at NB? Lots of good stuff in there.