Season's Eatings podcast

Now all of us know the significance of plum cakes around Christmas. Making Plum cakes is an English tradition of ringing in the Holiday, and a rather elaborate one at that. When one thinks of plum cakes this country's cake isn't the first to come to mind.   It's unique ingredients and rich history is a favourite throughout the country.   We're exploring the history and origins of India's allahabad...

Where there's a party, there's usually cake.  This colourful cake is consumed on Old Christmas day and is connected to the three visitors to a certain baby many many years ago.  It will remind you of a certain Shakepeare play about turning the world upside down.  If you find it's treasure then prepare for extra fun and frivolity.  So grab your fork and get ready for feasting because we're explorin...

Merry Christmas everyone.  I'm a child of the 70s and I wanted to explore some of the foods I enjoyed growing up in the 1970s plus some great music.  Thank you all for being such loyal listeners.  I wish everyone a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays and a safe and prosperous new year.

It's the big day and you're wondering what to serve the family.  This main dish is popular because of a certain saint, but maybe not the one you're usually familiar with this time of year.  Enjoyed by royalty and common folk alike, this meal was overtaken by the turkey as the bird of choice for the holiday table. From the Middle Ages to Victorian times, we're exploring the history and origins of t...

Nothing warms you up faster than this wonderful combination of cocoa and milk steamed to perfection.  This drink has its origins in the hotter climates so you would wonder how now it's associated with the winter months.  From the deep jungle to tropical islands, this beverage has won the world over with it's intoxicating aromas and flavour. Let's grab your favourite mug and explore the rich histor...

Every year leading up to Christmas magazines are luring you into buying them with pictures of decadent, colorful, baking delights. The holidays are filled with this dessert.  Covered in rich royal icing, sprinkles, or just plain, this sweet treat is found on every Christmas table.  Round or cut into intricate shapes, this portable morsel is the basis for hundreds of variations.  Its rich history s...

The holidays, for most of us in the Northern hemisphere, are filled with cold evenings, frosted window panes, and many get togethers. So, it's not hard to imagine one may get a gift from another that you wouldn't enjoy, a bit of the sniffles.  To soothe your throat, you make this warm alcoholic drink and settle down under a thick blanket.  This beverage has traveled the world, from India, to Scotl...

This is a bonus episode of just instrumental Christmas music you can play when you're having a party, preparing your Christmas, or just when you want some relaxing Christmas music on in the background.  There's over three hours of relaxing, quiet, low-key Christmas tunes for your listening pleasure. All music is used under the creative commons license. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.co...

This dessert is a staple for the holidays in the American south.  It's filling comes from trees which grow all along America's south east coast.  This pie will contain almost eighty of this mighty nut and one ounce provides ten percent of your daily fibre intake with the US providing over 80% of the world's supply.  With the help of a sweet, sticky syrup, this dessert has become synonymous with Ch...

Nowadays warm drinks like toddys are often associated with our cool weather activities. This drink is almost universally connected to Charles Dickens classic A Christmas Carol.  Its flavours of citrus and sweet wine are sure to warm anyone on a cold winter's night.  We're exploring the history and origins of the smoking bishop. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.com Facebook: https://www.f...

This biscuit is available year-round but it's traditionally associated with the Christmas season.  Consisting of just four simple ingredients, this treat is surprisingly complex in its flavour and texture.  So, grab a nice cup of tea, because we're exploring the history and origins of shortbread. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seasonseatingspodcas...

The holidays are times of cocktail parties and social obligations.  It's not uncommon to have a tipple or two when you're out with friends to help you warm up from the cold weather.  This drink may remind people of a certain cat and mouse couple, but its origins go back even further.  This frothy, warm cocktail is a near cousin to the titular holiday drink eggnog and even comes in its own serving...

Made of a thin, waferlike dough, this crisp flatbread is a holiday tradition in Iceland. Many families make it together a few days before Christmas. It's first cut into intricate geometric patterns, then deep-fried and saved to be eaten as an accompaniment to Christmas dinner. We're exploring the history and origins of this Christmas treat: laufabrauð. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.co...

This candy for the holidays is reminiscent of berries in new fallen snow or it may be part of your favourite chocolate covered candy bar.  It's a candy whose origins can be traced all the way back to the tenth century.  While it's called many different names depending on where in the world it's made, there's no denying it's part of a classic Christmas dessert platter.  We're exploring the history...

This is a bonus episode of Season's Eatings.  Sugar is around us all the time, especially during the holidays.  I sit down to discuss with Dr. Neil Buttery and his book "The Dark History of Sugar."  We have a frank discussion about Britain and its role in the slave trade to feed the country's growing need for sugar.   Neil's blog: britishfoodhistory.com/ You can pick up Neil's book here: Canada Br...

Sometimes called the Norwegian pancake, this thin bread can be compared to a tortilla or a crepe.  It was originally made from flour, but now is almost exclusively made from potatoes.  Traditionally they are stored in small wooden boxes, or just between layers of cloth.  We're discovering the history and origins of this Viking foodstuff: lefse. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.com Facebo...

This jiggly dessert has adorned holiday tables across the United Kingdom. Originally from Italy, it has made an appearance in such writings as Poldark and the books of Harry Potter.  It's now more commonly purchased in packet form with traditional flavours of vanilla, strawberry and chocolate, but was originally made with poultry and almonds.  We are exploring the history and origins of this cream...

This country is the epitome of Christmas.  The Philippines boasts the earliest and longest Christmas season in the world.  There is one dessert which has ties to the monarchy and crowing roosters.  It can be topped with salted duck eggs, pineapple, cheese, or even vanilla ice cream.  We're diving into the history and origins of bibingka. Free Audible Trial: https://www.audibletrial.com/seasonseati...

We've all been there. The holidays are winding down and you need a way to use up all that leftover sponge cake and whipped cream from the mountain of desserts adorning the Christmas table.  This dessert is a lovely combination of fruit, cake, cream, jelly and a splash of alcohol.  It's a dessert whose origins may have come from a little fun in the hay, to suffering fools, to making something of li...

While this item can be enjoyed all throughout the year, it's commonly created for the holiday season.  It's considered a sandwich cookie with a lovely jam centre.  It derives from a dish considered the oldest recipe for a pie written down.  Like many recipes, the flavours change from region to region, but the original can be traced back to one place.  It's a cookie made from ground nuts, spices, a...

Over the years, this dish has survived being buried, frozen, and drowned.  It's filled with delicious fruits and nuts.  It has been around for over 2000 years and some may say it tastes like it.  Love it or hate, we're diving into the history and origins of this dense, rich, doorstop of a dessert: fruitcake. Links:  Set your FREE book at Audible: www.audibletrial.com/seasonseatings Website: https:...

Merry Christmas everyone!  This serving of Season's Eatings is my gift to you, the listeners, for the holiday season.  I'm exploring the history of some Canadian foods favourites served during the holidays.  Plus we have some guests visiting us!  We'll hear music from the Swinging Belles and The Once.  Both groups come from my home province of Newfoundland, Canada.  And a special thank you from al...

In many of the great Christmas songs there are many references to food.  Who can't remember singing about chestnuts roasting on a open fire, or traveling to enjoy some pumpkin pie?  But this time I want to travel back to a time when people gathered in great halls and made merry during the twelve days of Christmas. This dish is still found on Christmas tables throughout Sweden.  We're exploring the...

This holiday season, some 20 million Americans will tuck into this casserole, a culinary classic consisting of just six ingredients: a can of Campbell's cream of mushroom soup, milk, soy sauce, black pepper, green beans and crunchy fried onions. The retro recipe, which has been appearing on American tables for more than 60 years, can be traced back to one woman.  This woman singlehandedly changed...

It's a cookie whose recipe may have been lost forever, except for one baker's family.  It's a cookie that can be hard to pronounce for some, and despite its name, contains no nuts.  We're exploring the history and origin of pfeffernusse. Website: https://www.seasonseatingspodcast.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/seasonseatingspodcast Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seasonseatingspod Twi...