A lot of the food associated with Christmas, particularly as it's depicted in movies, comes from the northern hemisphere. It's not just about the produce that's in season, although that certainly plays a part; it's also ideal for the cold weather you'd expect at Christmas in that part of the world.
For those living in Australia, this means party food has a character all of its own, more suited to Christmas falling in the hot days of summer. If you'd like to get some of those classic winter Christmas flavours into your holiday party, however, here are some ideas to help you tailor them to sunny days.
Go cold turkey
Turkey is one of the most popular Christmas meal centrepieces, served steaming hot from the oven during the winter. When your Christmas is in the summer, however, you'll want to eat it cold so you can beat the high temperatures.
For a party, try serving turkey finger sandwiches with cranberry sauce and stuffing. You can also use turkey in vol-au-vents and other party dishes, or simply serve it up sliced for people to enjoy on its own. Don't forget the sauces, though.
Use roast vegetables in a salad
As you're not serving hot food, roast veg can easily be left out. It's a shame to miss out on those delicious flavours, though, so roast some potatoes, parsnips and carrots and let them go cold. Once they're cooled, you can slice them for a novel addition to a festive salad, also making it more hearty and filling.
Spice up your drinks
Spiced drinks are popular at Christmastime, as the warming effect of the spices can give you a nice glow. Some of these drinks, like mulled wine, are served hot, however, which is best suited to a cold environment.
You can also enjoy seasonal spices by making sangria with cinnamon and other additions — a nice cooling alternative to mulled wine. Eggnog is also a good option, as it's most often served cold anyway.
Cool down a Christmas pudding
Christmas pudding is the main traditional dessert in the UK, but its richness and the fact it's usually served hot make it less popular in the southern hemisphere. You don't have to miss out on this seasonal treat, however. Serve it with ice cream to keep things cool, or mash some Christmas pudding into vanilla ice cream and re-freeze it for a lighter, less warming dessert option with the same flavours. You can either serve it in small bowls or let people help themselves.
Share4 October 2018
Hello, welcome to my new blog! My name is Jackie and I recently threw an amazing party for my husband's 40th birthday. I invited friends and family from across the country so I had to cater for 250 people. When we have smaller parties, I normally take care of the food myself with a little help from my daughters. However, this time we decided to call in a professional food service company. The staff were great, the food was tasty and I learnt an awful lot of cool tips and tricks from them. I decided to start this blog to offer advice to others. I hope you enjoy it.
