English guest

One of our friends is from London, but has been living in the USA for several years. His family is still living in England. He always spends Christmas with us. Can anyone share some English Christmas traditions, Holiday type recipes or anything that can make his holiday feel a little more like "home"?

Also, how do you make mushy peas (or is it real obvious and I just asked a very silly question)?

Hopefully Rosiemac/Susan will come back on and answer this one for ya!

Mushy peas - my hubby's favourite - I can't stand them, he said you make them like this:


Hubby says you take dried marrowfat (or processed) peas (a cupful per person) and soak them for 24 hours with a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda per cupful of peas.

Then after 24 hours, wash them thoroughly.

Then put them into a saucepan and boil them with half a cup of water per cupful of peas with a good pinch of salt and a pinch of bicarbonate of soda - bring them to the boil and simmer and stir frequently until water is absorbed/boiled off and the peas "break down".

To get them to break down completely you may need to mash them with a masher or spoon.

If they start to dry up before breaking down, you can add more water.

Serve with salt to taste and malt vinegar.
Hope that helps. I'll try to think up some traditional things/recipes for you

Traditional Christmas:

Roast chestnuts.

Mince pies - served with cream/ice cream or brandy or rum butter. Usually taken with a glass of sherry or port.

Christmas dinner - Roast turkey with stuffing (sage and onion); roast parsnips, roast potatoes, veggies like peas. Definitely brussel sprouts (although you either love or hate them). Gravy. Christmas pudding for dessert with any of the suggestions for serving with mince pies or custard.

Boxing day is usually cold turkey with pickles, cheeses - especially stilton and bread or baked potatoes. Normally you'll find a nice village pub for a good pint but that might be a bit more difficult for you.

My daughter also wanted you to know that opening her stocking at 2 am is her most treasured tradition - she's 18

Thanks! This site is great! I post on a company forum and it takes days to get a response!

I would say be very careful who you serve mushy peas to! Many of us Brits think they are the most disgusting food since tripe and onions (and I won't even go into THAT tradition!) If you must, they are usually served with battered (egged, not abused) fish and chips (fries, not salted-in-a-bag). The British and American use of English has to be monitored or terrible mistakes can occur.

Crackers are very traditional at Christmas - the kind you pull that have a joke and a toy inside, not the kind you eat with cheese. Everyone has them on the table to have fun with after dessert. But I know they are difficult to find in the US.

Many families play charades after dinner - the game where you act out a book, play, movie or song title. And our family always has a Christmas quiz, with around 100 questions of all standards, involving general knowledge, trick/joke questions and topics of the year.

Have fun! Sadly, I will not be at home this year to join in the festivities but I hope to enjoy some British traditions here in Bosnia, where CHristmas is not a public or religious holiday though some people do observe it as a family get-together.

What are marrowfat peas? If you treat regular split peas like that you would definitely have mushy peas. Actually, during the rinse part they would go down the drain. Becky

Originally Posted by jennyranson

I would say be very careful who you serve mushy peas to! Many of us Brits think they are the most disgusting food since tripe and onions (and I won't even go into THAT tradition!) If you must, they are usually served with battered (egged, not abused) fish and chips (fries, not salted-in-a-bag). The British and American use of English has to be monitored or terrible mistakes can occur.

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Thanks for the advice. I already know that my guest doesn't like mushy peas. That question I was asking for me. I had them at a place in the states called "The Pig & Whistle" with fish & chips and loved them!

(I wondered what marrowfat peas were too, but was going to ask my friend that since I wasn't suprising him with that dish!)

Mushy peas! Gosh, well they sound different and what a way to spoil fish n chips! good grief!

I do like wierd things like...green pepper slices with peanut butter & raisins.

Mmm Now that sounds like something I would enjoy!

Some tinned marrowfat peas can be found on this site - seems like they've done most of the work!! http://www.englishteastore.com/bamape42.htmlbut they are a variety - usually sold dried in boxes.

Originally Posted by Rockcat

One of our friends is from London, but has been living in the USA for several years. His family is still living in England. He always spends Christmas with us. Can anyone share some English Christmas traditions, Holiday type recipes or anything that can make his holiday feel a little more like "home"?

Also, how do you make mushy peas (or is it real obvious and I just asked a very silly question)?

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YORKSHIRE PUDDING!!!!!!!!~! One year my brother brought his English girlfriend to our home on Christmas and she and my Mom cooked Yorkshire pudding wth beef and WOW!!!!!!!!!! I have NEVER eaten anythiing as good!

Originally Posted by MyBabies

YORKSHIRE PUDDING!!!!!!!!~!

One year my brother brought his English girlfriend to our home on Christmas and she and my Mom cooked Yorkshire pudding wth beef and WOW!!!!!!!!!! I have NEVER eaten anythiing as good!

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Oh yes, Yorkshire Pudding is good. Normally with gravy. Usually served with roast beef. My gran was a Yorkshire woman and made the best Yorkshire pudding ever

How about an English Trifle (it's a layered dessert of spongecake, custard, brandy or rum and raspberry jam) ?

There is also a dessert called "Spotted Dick" - it's a kind of rice/bread pudding with raisins in it.

I don't have recipes but if you type in the above two phrases - there should be some matches on the 'net.

my idea of mushy peas is..... The good brand canned one that you heat up and they are yummy and sweet. very hard to find. Its not very often they turn out great

How about some nice spotted dick?



Friends of mine from England brought us a can a few years ago. Being american, we thought it was the funniest thing!

OK, for the other curious Americans among us, marrowfat peas are whole peas that have dried on the vine and still have their skins on. Split peas are the dried inner pea that have dried on the vine but have been opened and "split" into the inner parts of the pea. They cook up much more quickly than marrowfat peas and don't have to be pre-soaked. Marrowfat peas have the covering on them still, so soaking them doesn't turn them into instant mush like soaking split peas would. I wonder if the skin on them affects the flavor. I love split pea soup, but require it to have ham in it for flavor, as well as some carrot and onion. Becky

Split pea soup is wonderful - as is lentil soup. Mushy peas are served with their juice, called 'liquor' which is a pale greeny grey colour, and their texture is soft and squishy. Have I put you off enough?

Definitely get crackers if you can, but only if you are prepared to wear the silly hat that comes with it! The only other tradition I can think of is putting money into the pudding. It used to be a sixpence, but most people have inflationised this to a pound coin nowadays.
Do you normally get mistletoe? Did you know that for each time a couple kiss under the misteltoe, you shouold remove one berry. When all the berries have gone, the kissing has to stop (well, under the mistletoe anyway!!).

Happy Christmas

Sue

btw, I am familiar with 'liquor' and think it is disgusting (like green gravy). You eat it with pie and mash, and sometimes with whelks.