Christmas on Our Saskatchewan Homestead
BY: Habeeb Salloum/Contributing writer
The snow storm was in its fury as I played with my siblings thinking of Christmas a week away to come. It was in the early 1930s during my youth when I thought of all the goodies that Santa Claus would bring. In my world of fantasy, Santa Claus with his sleigh teaming with wrapped gifts, would drop off toy trains, cars, and other goodies to keep me and my siblings entertained for the season. Even though I had never seen a train or car at that time, I heard from other children about these fantastic moving devices that could transport persons here, there, and everywhere. And they could be purchased as toys!
Just like the eastern Christians, my family did not really cherish Christmas. Easter was the big holiday for them. But as children and influenced by our peers we thought Christmas was the pinnacle of world holidays. I counted the hours when Christmas would be upon us and we would find what Santa Claus had brought.
I vividly remember this specific Christmas Eve when I was on the edge, thinking of the gifts to come and the food mother would make for that feast day. It was time of excitement because the best of mother’s dishes would be offered. A regal feast for a homesteading family – it just couldn’t get any better than this.
Although mother was like a whirlwind working in the kitchen and dad was helping on the sidelines, my job as spokesman for my siblings was to pester them with questions about what they thought Santa Claus would bring. On that day, neither one of them gave me a straight answer as they kept themselves busy preparing for the dinner to come.
However, I did see that my father looked worried. I had heard him tell my mother that the post office had not yet received his order from Eaton’s, a department store where most of the farmers purchased their goods. Dad was visibly upset and kept calling the post office to check on his order. Feeling a little betrayed that I now knew that Santa was dad, I still was excited knowing that my father had ordered gifts for his children.
As the hours slipped by and Christmas Eve night was upon us, my father yelled over to my mother while speaking by telephone to the post office that the present he had ordered had arrived. Dressed in his heaviest winter clothes he hitched a team of horses to our sleigh and departed saying “I’ll be back in a couple of hours since the post office is only 3 miles away.” Mother put all the children to bed and urged us to have a good sleep since the morning would bring a great surprise from Santa.
Excited, I woke up in the early morning hours and found all my siblings standing by a large parcel waiting to open it. It was a thrilling moment that I have never forgotten.
We stood in awe at this large wrapped parcel, all seven of us children. My parents gave the green light to unwrap the gift and we all jumped at it, ripping the paper in shreds, anticipating gifts for all. Alas! There was only one toy and it was for the whole family. A gleaming wagon stood before us, the object of our days of yearning. And we enjoyed it for quite a while. When I think today of my great-grandchildren and the hundreds of toys that fill their houses, I think how poor we must have been to afford only one toy for the whole family. It was a world of poverty and now it is a world of plenty.
Albeit that we had hoped that each one of us children would have received our own gifts, but the sleigh in the Depression years was heaven-sent. But all was not lost. We had a day of feasting before us and mother, one of the best cooks from among the Syrian immigrants, had prepared a good number of tasty dishes for her family and any guest who might stop by. From among these foods, the following recipes are her or my creations.
Rice Stuffed Turkey
Serves 10 to 12
The stuffing for this turkey can be used for all types of fowl, as well as for breasts of lamb or veal.
1 turkey, 10 to 12 pounds, cleaned and washed
4 tablespoons lemon juice
3 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 pound beef sausage, cut into small pieces
3 medium size onions, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 hot pepper, seeded then very finely chopped
3 cups hot water
1 1/2 cups white rice, rinsed
1/2 cup dried cranberries,
1/2 cup blanched almonds, slightly toasted
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger
4 tablespoons liquid honey
Rub turkey inside and out with a mixture of the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons of the salt, then set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter, then sauté sausage over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add onions, garlic, coriander leaves and hot pepper, then sauté for further 8 minutes. Add remaining 1 teaspoon of salt, 1 1/2 cups of the water, rice, cranberries, almonds, rosemary and half of the following: sage, thyme, pepper, cinnamon and ginger. Thoroughly mix to complete the stuffing.
Bring to a boil then turn heat to low. Cover then simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from heat then allow to cool before stuffing turkey.
Preheat oven to 325°F.
Stuff turkey including the neck, then sew openings closed. Pour 1/2 cup of the water into the roaster then place the turkey in it.
Make a basting by combining the remaining 1 cup hot water, sage, thyme, pepper, cinnamon, ginger, and remaining butter then baste the turkey and cover.
Bake covered for two and a half hours, basting every 30 minutes, then turn turkey over. Baste and bake covered for further two and half hours or until turkey is well cooked, basting every 30 minutes (if basting juice finishes, baste from pan juices). Mix honey with a little (about 2 tablespoons) boiling water and baste turkey, then bake uncovered for 5 minutes.
Place stuffed turkey on a serving platter and serve with its stuffing and side dishes as well as the pan juices as gravy.
Stuffed Breast of Veal – Dul’a
Serves 8-10
Instead of a breast of veal, a breast of lamb can be substituted or two sets of lamb ribs can be sewn together with a pocket left open for stuffing.
Preparing Breast
5 pounds breast of veal with some fat
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 cup vinegar
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon allspice
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Place the veal, salt and vinegar in a bowl and cover with water; let soak for about 1 1/2 hours. Drain and pat dry.
Using a sharp, pointed knife cut a pocket between the ribs and the meat and set aside. Mix the pepper, allspice and garlic powder; then rub the mixture all over the meat, including the inside of the pocket and set aside while preparing the stuffing.
Stuffing
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound lean beef or lamb, partially fat, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 cup white rice, rinsed
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons almonds, toasted
2 tablespoons pine nuts, toasted
In a frying pan, melt the butter; then sauté the meat over medium until it turns light brown.
Stir in the salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, and rice. Add the boiling water; then bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer, and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove from heat; then stir in the almonds and pine nuts.
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Stuff the pocket with rice stuffing, then sew the pocket closed. Bake covered allowing 35 minutes per pound. Serve with a salad.
Cucumber in Yogurt – Khiyar Bi Laban
Serves from 8 to 10
This healthy appetizer was a common dish in our home that we had almost daily as an appetizer, snack or, most often, as a side dish.
4 cups plain yogurt
2 medium cucumbers (6 to 8 inches), peeled, quartered, then thinly sliced
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint leaves or 2 teaspoons dried mint
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
Place all ingredients in a serving bowl, then thoroughly combine. Chill, then serve.
Chickpea Purée – Hummus bi-Tahini
Serves from 8 to 10
This dish that we often ate on special occasions on the farm is fast becoming one of North America’s most important appetizers.
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1/4 cup water
4 tablespoons tahini
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, crushed
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon cumin
pinch of cayenne
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons olive oil
Place chickpeas, water, tahini, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin and cayenne in a blender; then blend into thick paste. (If a thinner consistency is desired, add more water.) Place in a shallow platter and refrigerate covered for at least 1 hour. Just before serving, decorate with parsley; then sprinkle with the oil.
Chickpea and Burghul Salad – Safsoof
Serves 8 to 10
This salad is a form of the popular Arab salad taboula that mother often made on feast days during our farming era.
1/2 cup medium burghul, soaked for 10 minutes in warm water, then drained by pressing water out through a fine strainer.
1 large bunch parsley, very finely chopped
1 cup cooked chickpeas
1 small bunch green onions, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, finely chopped
1 medium cucumber, about 6 inches, finely chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
A pinch of cayenne
Place burghul, parsley, chickpeas, green onions, tomatoes, cucumber and mint in a salad bowl, then stir and set aside. Thoroughly mix remaining ingredients, then pour over salad bowl contents and stir. Chill for about 1 hour, then toss and serve.s
Christmas Cake
My own version of a cake my mother greeted us with on Christmas day, this cake makes a great culinary ending to a holiday meal.
1 cup dried currants
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped into small pieces
1 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup candied cherries (quartered)
1/2 cup candied mixed fruit, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
5 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon cardamom
Preheat oven to 325° F.
Line the base and sides of a 9 X 9-inch baking pan with double thickness baking parchment and set aside.
Place all the fruit in a large mixing bowl then thoroughly combine and set aside.
Place remaining ingredients in a food processor and process into a soft batter, adding extra milk if needed. Pour the batter over the fruits in the mixing bowl and thoroughly combine.
Transfer the batter to the lined baking pan. Bake for 2 hours or until cooked. Allow to cool then spread if desired brandy on all sides of the cake. Wrap with a brandy soaked cheese cloth then cover with a plastic wrap. Store and use for Christmas or other feast occasions.
Christmas Plum Pudding
Serves about 8 to 10
For a rich decadent dessert serve this pudding with whipped cream.
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup 18% cream
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup dates, pitted and chopped
1/2 cup raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1/2 cup candied mixed fruit peel, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup flour
4 slices white bread, crust removed and cut into small pieces
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 teaspoon salt
lemon and orange rind
Place the first 10 ingredients in a saucepan and bring to just a boil, stirring occasionally.
Immediately remove from heat and stir in baking soda. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the two rinds, and continue stirring until well blended. Pour into buttered pudding mold.
Cover tightly with aluminum foil.
Place mold on a shallow rack in a large deep saucepan with enough boiling water to come halfway up sides of mold. Cover saucepan then steam pudding over low heat for 3 hours or until done, adding more water as needed.
Garnish with the lemon and orange rinds then serve warm with a little brandy poured on top.
Baklawa
Makes 24 to 35 pieces
In the lands of the Fertile Crescent during the bygone ages, when the affluent held their banquets, Arab sweets reached their height of magnificence. At any of these feasts, pastries similar to baklawa, the king of Arab pastry, were prepared in their lavish forms. The paper-thin dough used to prepare these sweets the shredded version known as kunafa, is the base of the many varieties of syrup-soaked-sweets found on the dessert tables of these ancient lands and later in Eastern Europe to where they were introduced by the Ottoman Turks. Today baklawa and similar sweets are found in many large urban centres throughout the world.
Syrup
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons orange blossom water – found in all Middle Eastern stores
Baklawa
2 cups walnuts, chopped
1 cup sugar
2 cups clarified butter, melted
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon orange blossom water
1 package phyllo (filo) sheets
To make the syrup, place sugar and water in a saucepan then place over medium heat and stir constantly until sugar is thoroughly dissolved and mixture comes to a boil. Lower heat to medium-low and allow to simmer for 12 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice and continue to simmer for further 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the orange blossom water. Allow to cool somewhat but keep warm. Set aside until pastry is ready.
Combine walnuts, sugar, 1/4 cup of the butter, cinnamon and orange blossom water; then set aside.
Butter well a 9 X 13-inch baking pan.
Remove phyllo (filo) sheets from the package, unroll and spread out on a towel. Be careful to cover the unused sheets with a very lightly damped towel or cling-wrap to prevent it from drying out as you work. Take one sheet and place in the baking pan, folding back any overlap, then brush with butter. Keep repeating the procedure until one-half of package is used. Place walnut mixture over buttered layers then spread evenly.
Take one sheet of phyllo (filo) and spread over walnut mixture and gently brush with butter then continue this procedure until remainder of the dough is used.
Heat remaining butter then pour evenly over dough.
Preheat oven to 400° F.
With a sharp knife, carefully cut into approximately 2-inch square or diamond shapes. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the heat to 300° F and bake for 45 minutes or until the sides turn light brown.
After the sides of the baklawa turn light brown, place under broiler, then turn pan around until top of baklawa turns evenly golden. Remove from oven, then immediately spoon syrup over each square or diamond. Allow to cool before serving.
Syrupy Balls – ‘Awamee
Makes about 3 dozen pieces
As a child growing up on an isolated prairie farm, I often watched my mother make a similar version of these deep-fried balls.
2 cups flour
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 oz package yeast, dissolved in 1/4 cup of warm water
2 cups warm water
1 1/2 cups maple or similar syrup, mixed with 1/2 cup water
2 cups cooking oil
Combine flour, cornstarch and salt in a mixing bowl, then pour in yeast and mix well. Add water then stir until mixture resembles texture of pancake batter, adding more water if necessary. Cover; then set aside for 1 hour.
In the meantime, prepare syrup, then set aside, but keep slightly warm.
Heat oil in a saucepan, then drop 1 tablespoon of batter into hot oil, deep-frying a few at a time. Cook over medium heat until ‘awamee turns golden brown, then remove with a slotted spoon and place on paper towels to drain for a few seconds. Dip ‘awamee balls into syrup, then remove with a slotted spoon and arrange on a serving platter. Continue until all the batter is used. Eat freshly made. If not immediately eaten the balls will lose their crispiness and some of the taste.
