Page 8 November 1983 Cassiar Courier To many people, Christmas catering is a ‘night- mare’ of feverish planning and cooking but this is not really necessary. Most of the traditional Christmas dishes, the pudding, the cake and mincemeat can be prepared ahead and if you have a freezer, you can. ; Make and freeze both stuffings and sauces for turkey or other bird. Make the mincepies, cook these if more convenient, although many people find they prefer to make and freeze, then cook on -Christmas. eve or-Christmas..morning and reheat. All this means a leisurely Christmas day and time to enjoy the festivities with your friends and family. Roasting your turkey, allow 25 minutes per pound for birds over 12 pounds. Use a moderate oven, 325 to 350 degrees F. CHESTNUT STUFFINGS (serves 4 - 6) Stuffings are better if put inside the bird. This in- creases the flavour of the bird. 2 Ibs. chestnuts alittle stock 2 oz. melted butter 2 tablespoons chopped parsley 4 oz. soft breadcrumbs 1 Ib. sausage meat 2 onions chopped fine Split the skins of chestnuts, boil for 10 minutes in the stock, then remove the skins while warm. Re- turn nuts to the stock and simmer until tender. Then sieve, mix with the remaining ingredients. Use as a stuffing for chicken, turkey or duck. - BREAD SAUCE — for Turkey or Chicken Peel a small onion and press in 3 or 4 cloves. Put the onion into a pan with % pint milk and 2 oz. butter, and 2 oz. soft white breadcrumbs and seasoning. Bring the milk to the boil, cover the pan and put on the side in a warm place. Leave until almost ready to serve the meal, then heat gently, stirring ~ well. Remove the onion, beat hard then serve. This is enough for 4 to 6 servings. It improves the flavour of bread sauce if you add 2 tablespoons cream before reheating. BACON-SAUSAGE ROLLS Stretch a slice of bacon by stroking with a knife. This makes it easier to roll the bacon. Place saus- ages on the bacon and roll up and secure with a toothpick. Cook in the oven for the last 15 to 25 minutes of the roasting time of the bird. BLESSED BE HE THAT INVENTED PUDDING CHRISTMAS PUDDING ; Serves 12 to 14 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1 teaspoon mixed spice 6 oz. soft breadcrumbs 3 oz. flour 2 oz. ground almonds 6 oz. beef suet 6 oz. brown sugar 4 oz. grated green apple 4 oz. grated carrot 4 oz. diced prunes > ee es S-_ aI > Hoods of Feast and 12 02. raisins 8 oz. currants 8 oz. sultanas 4 oz. chopped gl..zed cherries 3 oz. chopped blanched almonds 4 oz. chopped candied peel Grated rind and juice of a large lemon and orange 3 large eggs % pint of Guiness 6 tablespoons Brandy Mix all the ingredients together. Leave overnight if possible, then stir again and divide between two 3 lb. greased pudding basins. Press down firmly, cover with grease proof paper and foil. Secure tightly and steam each pudding for 4 to. 5 hours. Take off the damp papers and cover with fresh, dry paper and foil. Store in a cool dry place. Steam pudding again on Christmas Day for about 2-hours.. To serve, turn out onto a hot dish, pour over a little warmed Brandy, ignite and serve. CHRISTMAS SNOWBALL PUDDING No cooking involved, serves 4 - 6 My mother used to make this cold Christmas Pud- ding for our family in England. It is rich and de- licious. This pudding is for those who are not so keen on the traditional Christmas Pudding. I Can of Mandarin Oranges, chopped 2 oz. sultanas 2 oz. seedless raisins 2 tablespoons sherry 3 oz. glazed red cherries (cut into quarters) 4 oz. butter ~ 4 oz. icing sugar 2 oz: ground almonds 8 oz. white sponge crumbs Lightly butter a 1 pint pudding basin. Drain Man- darin oranges. Place sultanas, raisins, oranges, cherries in a small bowl, add sherry. Cream butter and icing sugar until light and fluffy. Fold in ground almonds and white sponge crumbs. Then. gently fold in oranges, sultanas, raisins, cherries and sherry. Place in pudding basin, press down, cover top with foil and chill in fridge overnight, turn out, decorate with whipped cream and glazed cherries as desired. RUM SAUCE Blend 1 oz. corn starch with just under I pint milk. Put into a saucepan with 2 oz. sugar and 1 oz. butter. Stir over moderate heat until thicken- ed, remove from the heat and whisk in 3 to 4 tablespoons rum. CUSTARD OR VANILLA SAUCE 3 tablespoons Bird’s Custard Powder 3 tablespoons sugar Mix together and then gradually add 2 % cups of milk stirring to blend. Cook and stir over a med- ium heat until mixture comes to a full boil. IRISH CREAM John is not the only person who’s thinking festive thoughts these days. I came upon an interesting recipe for Irish Cream last summer. Considering Baileys is now upwards of $16, a bottle, the following formula offers twice as much of the good stuff for less than the price of one. 12 oz. Irish Whiskey 6 drops of cocoanut extract 6 drops vanilla 1% tablespoons chocolate syrup 250 ml whipping cream 300 ml Eagle Brand condensed milk 3 eggs : Blend the ingredients for a couple of minutes and bottle. Polish off the ‘recipe’ in two or three days as the good stuff doesn’t taste so good when it goes sour! Bob Greenway Festival & John Shepherd CRANBERRY SAUCE Simmer Cranberries in a little sugar and water. Flavouring this with orange juice and a little grated orange rind or port wine. CUMBERLAND RUM BUTTER 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (softened) “4% cup light brown sugar, rubbed through a sieve % cup light rum 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg Combine the butter, sugar, rum and nutmeg in a bowl and beat with an electric beater until smooth. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Serve with Christmas pudding. BRANDY BUTTER 4 tablespoons unsalted butter % cup fine sugar 3 tablespoons brandy ¥% teaspoon Vanilla extract Combine the butter, sugar, brandy, vanilla in a bowl and. beat with an electric beater until smooth and-well blended Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or until firm. Serve with Christmas Pudding. RICH CHRISTMAS CAKE 8’ square or 9” round cake tin, cooking time, 4 to 4% hours. 12 oz. butter 12 oz. brown sugar Grated rind of 1 lemon and I orange 6 egges(large) . 2 tablespoons of brandy 12 oz. all purpose flour ¥ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¥% teaspoon ground mace I lb. currants I Ib. sultanas 12 02. raisins 8 oz. glazed cherries 2 tablespoons Black Treacie (molasses) 2 oz. ground almonds ‘ 8 oz. blanched almonds, chopped & oz. mixed peel Cream butter and sugar with molasses, lemon and orange rind. Gradually beat in the eggs plus the brandy. Add the sieved flour and spices to the egg mixture. Stir in dried fruit, halved cherries, chop- ped nuts and ground almonds together with the chopped peel. Put into the prepared tin which has been double lined with greased greaseproof paper on bottom and sides of cake pan. Bake in centre of oven, 300 - 325 Degrees F. Al- low just I hr. at this temperature then lower the heat to 275 to 300 degrees F. for the remainder of cooking time. MINCEMEAT FOR MINCEMEAT PIES Makes 3 quarts ¥% Ib. Beef suet : 4 cups seedless raisins 2 cups currants 1 cup chopped almonds 4% cup chopped candied peel 4% cup chopped dried figs : ¥% cup chopped candied orange peel. % cup chopped candied lemon peel 4 cups chopped peeled and cored green apples 1% cups sugar 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon allspice I teaspoon ground cinnamon ¥% teaspoon ground cloves 2% cups brandy 1 cup dry sherry Combine all ingredients together. Mix until all ingredients are well moistened. Cover the bowl and set the mincemeat aside in a cool place (not the refrigerator) for at least 3 weeks. : Check the mincemeat once a week, as the liquid is absorbed by the fruit, replenish it with sherry and brandy using: about % cup ata time. Mincemeat can be kept indefinitely in acovered container in a cool place without refrigeration. VERNA KNOWLES Not in favor of it. If I had known that was their policy I wouldn’t have voted for them. RAY HAMILTON From an educational standpoint the program can only be condemned. Its short-term effects have been to un- dermine morale by creating an atmosphere of insecurity. In the long-term, both the quality and quantity of edu- cational opportunities offered to children can only be adversely affected by the restraint program. DAVE PEWSEY I feel a lot of the restraints are necessary provided they are implemented in a democratic manner. PETER JONES I think they’re very necessary. I don’t:see why the public sector should not be:subject to the:same restraints as the private sector. hal QUESTION: With so much controversy about the B.C. Government’s Restraint Program, we took to the streets of Cassiar to ask......‘.WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE RESTRAINT PROGRAM?” é BILL ZEMENCHIK I think it’s great—a good move—long overdue. MARY ELHORN I think they could be done in different areas. I feel they’re cutting down on the essential basics of society. BETTY CAVANAGH The B.C. Government’s restra‘nt program has taken away the rights of the people of B.C. who for years fought to gain the right of Collective Bargaining and Human Rights for all. The people of B.C. are the ones who put this Government into power and I am sure it won’t be long before they are out again. THE JOB OF THE -GOVERNMENT: IS. TO REPRESENT THE. PEOPLE. Cassiar Courier November 1983 Page 9 NG REPORTER ED CRAFT Generally I agree with restraint in government spending. However, the timing is poor in that it does create hard- ship on a large number of people: We have been living above our means for a number of years and the restraint should have been exercised during more prosperous times so that the large disruption to people would not have been necessary. DAVE BROCKLEBANK I believe in the need for restraint, but not in the present government’s method of restraint. Their’s is a do as I say, not as I do program. They take $50 a month away from old age pensioners in need and lease a private suite for government ‘personages’ at B.C. Place complete with fully stocked bar and full services. They are following the guidelines given to them by the Fraser Institute, a group of big business people who are out of touch with ' the needs of common people. JOHN WONG Restraint is good—we have to stop spending sometime, but I think the way the government is going about re- straint is wrong—their areas of priorities. BUBS CROSSLEY _ (picture not available) I think a restraint program in these times has merit, but don’t like to see Education, Health, Recreation and Hu- man Resources become the victims of the program. A lot, of other departments could stand cuts.