Either it’s Christmas or any other occasion, you may wonder if you should choose a theme for your holiday cooking or not. Well, it may end up a challenging task, but it’s always good to have variations based on a theme.
For some families, there is constant competition from one year to the next one to top the efforts of the hostess for the last season’s holiday festivities and cooking.
If you are looking for a great way to do just that when it is your turn to do the holiday cooking for the family, how about breaking with tradition and creating your own theme for the holiday?
I know it may seem a little rebellious and some may not like it but others may find it ingenious.
You can make your holiday cooking fit any theme or situation you like. You can create the perfect picnic complete witch a checked table clothe, seating on the ground, and baskets filled with goodies for everyone to dig in when ready.
The idea is to do something a little bit (okay I admit it a lot) different from what others have done in the past and give them ideas to build upon for the next holiday cooking theme.
If you decide to go with the picnic theme, be sure to bring drinks, cheese, and plenty of finger foods that travel well. If the weather permits (and it may depending on where in the world you live) you can actually make a picnic event of your turn doing the holiday cooking.
You can set your food up and display your cooking efforts like buffet if that’s what you like, though I hope your cooking is much better than most of those I’ve tried. The point is to make the theme something that is new and a little bit different but also that isn’t really related to the holiday but allows the family to enjoy the benefits of the occasion, which includes the pleasure of each other’s company.
If you really want something new go with an ethnic theme for your holiday cooking. This leaves a lot of room to explore and those who have the duties of cooking for the holidays next year will have a hard act to follow if you choose a theme that you really enjoy eating and cooking and decorate well to suit the theme. Let your imagination, personal tastes, and knowledge of your family be your guide as you decide what theme to incorporate and how far you want to take it. You can even have a lot of fun by issuing a challenge from the very beginning.
One fun theme that I’ve always wanted to bring into my Christmas cooking (specifically) is a Medieval Christmas theme. I think it would be fun to require costumes for the dinner, dancing afterwards, and observance of some of the cultural ‘manners’ of the time for the celebration of Christmas. It just seems like such a fun way to spend the day with family and loved ones even if you are doing the cooking. The good news is that with a Medieval Christmas cooking theme you have a little bit of room to let your imagination run wild and it will definitely be a hard act to follow.
The downside is that skipping tradition is always a risk. If you are worried that your family might not like it, ask first, and then decide if this may or may not be the right move for your family situation. You could always do the other as a Christmas party or for your own personal Christmas with immediate family only (though arguably that would be less entertaining).
Do You a Choose a Theme For Your Holiday Cooking?
How about you? Do you follow the regular routines or you give variations and choose a theme with some differences? Let us know what you think and share your ideas right below!
Hooshi
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