Jouluruoka 2009

[Juulia]

Hello forumers!

I did not wanted to dig up last year's old thread, but I have a few questions about Christmas cooking. I already set up the whole joulupöytä last year for my family in France, but this time I'd like to spread the cooking over a few days, unlike last year's marathon. How long in advance do you think I could/should prepare:

* Rosolli salad (I read somewhere that it's better to do it "some time" in advance to let the flavours develop, planning to do it two days before Christmas, is that too long? I fear that the beets dye red any other nearby veggie ...)

* Munajuusto: how long does it keep when cooked? I thought I'd start to prepare it tomorrow (21st).

* Lanttulaatikko, perunalaatikko: is it OK to prepare them on 23rd and bake them on 24th?

* When is christmas loaf/pumpernickel best? Does is keep well when wrapped air-tight in plastic, and cut only after two days?

How do you manage usually when you're alone or very few to deal with many Christmas dishes?
Thanks for your advice

[Rosamunda]

Doing my swedes today, all the laatikot can be made in advance. I think Finnish Xmas dinner is much easier than the UK traditional meal in that so much can be done ahead. Even the ham is usually served up cold (though I prefer it hot). UK Xmas dinner involves impeccable timing (the turkey roasted to perfection, the gravy moment, not to mention tap-test roast potatoes... )

If you put fish into the rosolli I wouldn't prepare that in advance. But as Cory says, you can prepare the onions, beets etc separately and just plate them up on the day.

Not sure about the peruna laatikko though. It needs to ferment before it is cooked, but I guess you can reheat it (after all, the bought ones are already cooked). I prepare the spuds the day before and then my DH does the rest. His contribution to the proceedings!

[Juulia]

Laatikot are fine done up a few days ahead and just popped into the oven to reheat before eating.

Thank you! That changes a lot the way I was planning to make it.

Not sure about the peruna laatikko though. It needs to ferment before it is cooked, but I guess you can reheat it (after all, the bought ones are already cooked).

Yep, I was wondering about that. I thought about preparing it up to the end of the sweetening process, then store it in the fridge and do the actual 2-3 hour final cooking right before serving. Same idea for lanttulaatikko, actually, but I don't know if raw eggs would keep that long even in the fridge...

[Pursuivant]

My sister has an enormous trouble trying to find swedes in France (its animal food) - the marche has them only small and the color of casserole is baby poop instead of brick.

[Juulia]

Yep, the closest variety widely available here is navets -- quite a surprise when I first made a casserole out of regular rutabagas in Finland, since I had made the Christmas one with navets. Turned out OK back then, but regular one is SO much better.
I could find swedes here (Northern France) without too much trouble, but 1) not in any supermarket, rather at fancy greengrocers or organic stores 2) they are often quite old and ugly since few people eat that in France nowadays (rutabagas are the kind of veggies my grandmother used to eat during the war, so, well...)

[Karhunkoski]

rutabagas are the kind of veggies my grandmother used to eat during the war

It's ok, many people are still re-living the war here.

[AldenG]

Talk about a food with a lot of names...

"Rutabaga" (from dialectal Swedish rotabagge, literally, "root ram") is the common American and Canadian term for the plant, while "swede" is the preferred term used in much of England, Wales, Australia and New Zealand. In the U.S., the plant is also known as "Swedish turnip" or "yellow turnip", while in Ireland, it is referred to as a turnip. The name turnip is also used in parts of Northern and Midland England, Cornwall and Atlantic Canada. In Scots, it is either "tumshie" or "neep", and the turnip (Brassica rapa var. rapa) instead is called a "white turnip". Scots will refer to both types by the generic term "neep" (from Old English næp, Latin napus). Some will also refer to both types as just "turnip" (the word is also derived from næp). In North-East England, turnips and swedes are colloquially called "snaggers" (archaic). They should not be confused with the large beet known as a mangelwurzel. Its common name in Sweden is kålrot (literally "cabbage root"), similarly in Denmark it is known as kålroe, while in Norway it has usurped the name of kålrabi in addition to being known as kålrot.

Wikipedia on rutabagas

[rinso]

How do you manage usually when you're alone or very few to deal with many Christmas dishes?

Planning and timing.
I normally cook each year for 30 people.
20.12 starting the kalja
21.12 shopping
22.12 marinating fish, making ice cream
23.12 final shopping, baking, preparations
over night kinku baking
24.12 cooking
apart from dish washing help i do it alone.

[onkko]

How do you manage usually when you're alone or very few to deal with many Christmas dishes?

Planning and timing.
I normally cook each year for 30 people.
20.12 starting the kalja
2.1 sobering up