Today's post is the introduction to the Christmas cooking chapter of my cook book which describes my childhood with the family in Alaska.
''The Christmas holidays
are an exciting time for family food and entertainment in most places around
the world and so it was on our homestead in a green Sitka spruce forest in the winter
wonderland of rural Alaska.
The season started
with my father organizing a family afternoon expedition to scout a tree for our
cabin. We put on our skis and
began a cross-country trek over the snow, with father pulling his hand
crafted toboggan carrying the Swede saw and axe. He would find a prospective tree and my mother,
brothers and I would critique it for
suitability. Often it meant cutting
down more than one tree and tying each onto the toboggan so that back home we
could determine the one best suited to decorate. On our one hundred and sixty acres of unspoiled land grew a
deep green forest of prickly trees thicker than we could easily manouvre through in many places. There were welcome openings now and again within this congested tangle, where we would see the bright white hoarfrost on large leafless birch limbs which served to guide us through. The chirping chickadees and Canadian jays overhead in the snow ladened branches seemed to give vocal approval
to our presence. Our brown
Chesapeake dog, Scamp, ran and jumped around us, not wanting to be left out of
the fun. Back in the cabin, warmed by our wood
burning fire, we erected and decorated the tree. Colourful, bright baubles were used year after year, and the angel in light pink dress and honey
blonde hair to adorn the top. I
also remember that our inquisitive black and white cat, Kitty, usually broke a couple of baubles with
playful investigation. Gentle
bubble lights of red, green, blue and yellow were my favorite. I was enchanted by the colorful fluid
with the air bubbles moving endlessly through. As Christmas approached, the festively wrapped presents
collected under the tree with abundance.
Outside on our
homestead lake, we enjoyed skating.
The rare years, while the ice stayed perfectly clear from snow, my
father built us an adult size sail to hold. It took us racing up and down the frozen ice in front of the
cabin. Other years with snow
collecting all over the lake, Father would chop a hole through the ice, and
hook up an outboard motor to flood a large area. Friends from surrounding homesteads
would come to join in on the fun. A floodlight was attached high up in a tall tree to light
the area as darkness fell. Father strung multicoloured Christmas lights up and down the same tree. The cabin was only a few feet away to
warm ourselves afterwards and enjoy mother’s hot cups of steaming dark cocoa
with melting marshmallows floating on top.
On Christmas day we
enjoyed the traditional turkey with all the trimmings and family
specialties. These included my mother’s
plum pudding which is similar to the Christmas pudding famous in the U.K. She also made delicious French garlic bread which we requested not only at Christmas, but for every family celebration. Enough stollen was made prior to the holidays to last through the season. Every year my grandmother’s German
fruitcake, rich in nuts, raisins, and candied fruit arrived from Florida. Using comic strips from her city
newspaper to protect the cake for mailing, Grandma also enabled plenty of
laughs from my brothers and I as we read Blonde, Dick Tracy, Little Abner and Alley Oop and unpacked the cake. There was plenty to share among family
and friends.
In this chapter are our family favorites of sweet stollen bread, pumpkin pie and ginger cookies which have been made
and enjoyed by kids of various ages in my cooking courses. Cinnamon spiced candied almonds, from my
husband’s family are also included.
I lay out a three course
lunch with homemade fresh pasta as
the main dish which is good during holidays or really, anytime throughout the
year when you want to engage the family in the enjoyment of food preparation.''
© Judy Labi 2013
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