 Poster: A snowHead
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Ok it will be our first Christmas in our mountain home in France. Despite numerous holidays in our place this will be our first ever Christmas (for various reasons).
So if we are looking to have a traditional type of yuletide fare what should we be taking with us. My research informs me that brussel sprouts can indeed be bought in Super U in Bourg St Maurice.
But what about the turkey? mince pies? cranberry sauce? All the other things we eat during the festive season?
What can we get there and what should we take?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Mouth, Avoiding the obvious like why not do a traditional French Xmas 
The only things we've not been able to find regularly are mince pies, Xmas pudding and Xmas cake ( but Stollen (sp) cake is better imho) . Having said that it must depend upon your locale ... we get fresh turkeys as well as Capons but not sure that applies everywhere.
May be an idea to take everything other than fresh produce if it's operation critical.
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Brussels sprouts are freely available, either fresh or frozen (had some last week). You won't get a whole turkey off the shelf, but you can order one from the butcher - give him at least a week's notice. If you want stuffing and bread sauce, you need to make it - can't get it in packets. You can't get those little short chipolatas, but you can buy long ones and cut them up. For strips of streaky bacon to put on the turkey breast, you're looking for 'poitrine fumee tranchee' - get it from the supermarket, either in packets or off the deli counter.
You should bring:
mincemeat
cranberry sauce
crackers
Christmas cake/pudding
sloe gin
Stilton
Super U in Bourg has a very sharp eye for the English market, and might sell some of it, bit I wouldn't risk it - even if they have the stuff, the chalets will probably wipe out their stock in short order. They will also be expensive.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Its possible to get tinned sprouts, yes they are disgusting, but not much worse than the fresh type, which for most, only make it onto the table once a year then don't get eaten.
q whats the difference between sprouts and boggies?
Answers on a postcard.
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Lizzard, STILTON?? You kidding with all that Tomme de Savoie and Reblochon around? 
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Mouth, how do I know what you consider essential Chrizbit fare? Plenty of people insist on Stilton. If you want local, I'm recommending the Beaufort.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| Mouth, how do I know what you consider essential Chrizbit fare? Plenty of people insist on Stilton. If you want local, I'm recommending the Beaufort. |
Yes and it will have to be Beaufort D'ete as well. My favourite.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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If you want traditional English fare, stay in England.....go on, dip your toe into the exciting world of trying something different
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I won't be cooking traditional Christmas dinner.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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We never take anything over for Xmas....it's just too much fun choosing from all the wonderful goodies in our local supermarket. Mr HH is all turkeyed out long before we get to the day so likes to have something different, last year he picked up a stuffed guinea fowl which was fantastic (or so he said!). It's harder for me as a veggie but I can normally track down some delicious stuff to concoct into Xmas lunch.
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You wont find parsnips anywhere in France.
Turkeys are v small compared to British ones.
Sweet mincemeat is in short supply.
French dont do crackers.
Although none of the above are essential for an Alpine Xmas - being away from Blighty is a pleasure itself.
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You know it makes sense.
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Guvnor, the French eat oysters and foie gras on Christmas Eve and then lots of them round here go to work on Christmas Day. It's not really what holidaymaking British types are after, is it? 
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Poster: A snowHead
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T-Dub, good point - add parsnips to list. Although you can always get them from wholesalers, and I've bought them on the market here before now.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Lizzard, And? Or are you the sort of person who insists on chips with everything whilst you are reading the Sun and drinking a pint of John Smiths on holiday?
Most threads on here wail on about Christmas being nothing but commercialised nonsense, and that they couldn't care less about it, so why not forget about turkey and all the trimmings and just follow whatever the local custom is?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Lizzard, T-Dub, had already sussed out the lack of parsnips - we had our french friends for dinner in the chalet in the summer and we mentioned parsnips (in french of course) and he (as a chef) did not know them! Parsnips on list.
Guvnor, we are adventourous and always eat tradiitonal french stuff but we thought it would be fun to have a traditional xmas dinner in mountians. Having said that last year we had pheasant and partridge - not sure how many of those we would find in super U.
stewart woodward, thanks for the trading post tip - I know where you mean and will pop in this season.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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T-Dub, Super U in Bourg sell lots of weird stuff which the French don't want. Mr Sylvestre's view is that if the English want to eat animal feed for Christmas lunch, he might as well sell them it.
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| jbob wrote: |
Its possible to get tinned sprouts, yes they are disgusting, but not much worse than the fresh type, which for most, only make it onto the table once a year then don't get eaten.
q whats the difference between sprouts and boggies?
Answers on a postcard. |
You can't get kids to eat sprouts...
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Mouth, I assume that you are driving, but if you were flying don't take Christmas Crackers. The dogs that sniff for explosives at airports sniff out the banger in the crackers. 
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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| Quote: |
If you want stuffing and bread sauce, you need to make it - can't get it in packets.
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Lizzard, goodness me, surely nobody makes a traditional Christmas dinner with stuffing and bread sauce made from packets!.
One thing's for sure, the chestnuts are far, far, better in France. Though this year has not been a good one, and they're all a bit small.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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pam w, apparently so. I have no idea why.
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You know it makes sense.
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I've never yet seen parsnips in 7 1/2 years in Switzerland either so it's not really an "imperialist" comment. I happen to like parsnips.
What we've done every year since we've been here is a traditional English dinner (although usually goose or duck rather than turkey) but on Christmas Eve evening as per the Swiss tradition. It's rather nice eating by the lights of the Christmas tree. Then we go and ski on Christmas day
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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| Quote: |
a traditional English dinner (although usually goose or duck rather than turkey) but on Christmas Eve evening as per the Swiss tradition. It's rather nice eating by the lights of the Christmas tree. Then we go and ski on Christmas day
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sounds like the best of all worlds to me. 
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Poster: A snowHead
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SPROUTS?????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Don't you realize that 21st November is FAR TOO LATE to get your sprouts on if you want them to be ready to eat by Christmas?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Mouth, .... if you fancy a traditional baked Ham, or one simmered in cider, then bring it with you - also rashers of bacon for use in cooking turkey, or for traditional bacon butties - the French do hams & bacon , but not as we know them .....
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Lizzard wrote: |
| T-Dub, Super U in Bourg sell lots of weird stuff which the French don't want. |
Yeah, including lots of stuff they percieve to be British like cook-in Chinese sauces etc.
To add to the list of strangely hard to obtain things, I struggled to find a pad of feint lined A4 paper. When I did it was v expensive. Plenty of plain and squared paper though.
I preferred the nearby Intermarche anyway.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Off at a tangent, but still on the subject of 'ooh you'll never get that in France', I've just bought all the spices I could need for making proper Indian nosh, as well as gram flour for onion bhajis. There are some very good ethnic grocery shops in Grenoble, if anyone needs to know.
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Lizzard, Thanks for that although a bit late for me ... - I have been making up my own again this year - garam masala and batches of sauces to last the entire season, bagged & frozen & ready for action .....
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must be said that parsnips are the best part of xmas diner...all parsnips in France (if you find them that is) were obviously grown in the 80's as they are as woody as an oak. Blumin' frogs! But merci for the mont d'or 
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