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Did you ever think about all the catchy sayings we have about time management?

• “Time waits for no man.”
• “Slow and steady wins the race.”
• “Move it or lose it.”
• “Slow down and smell the roses.”
• “Hurry up, time is a wasting.”

By nature we are an impatient lot, and we tend to let time manage our lives more than we manage our time. One area that most of us don’t even notice is the time we take eating. Often, what we do for a living tends to dictate how fast we eat. How often do you find yourself “grabbing a fast food” breakfast on the way to work, having a “quick bite” to eat for lunch, or “wolfing down dinner” in order to run off to a meeting at school?

Research has proven that the way we eat has a direct impact on our body weight. Most Americans eat too fast, and, as a result, they take in too many calories before they realize they've eaten enough. It takes approximately 20 minutes from the time you start eating for your brain to send out signals of fullness.  Think about it this way:  If you eat an average of three bites per minute, by the time your brain gets the message that you have had enough to eat, you will have consumed sixty bites of food.

Leisurely eating allows ample time to trigger the signal from your brain that you are full. And feeling full translates into eating less. Not only does eating slowly and mindfully help you eat less, it enhances the pleasure of the dining experience.

Here are some tips to help you slow down, enjoy your food more and avoid over-eating:

1.  Chew your food.  I know, it sounds like something that your mother told you as a child. It's true, though. Chewing your food gives it more time on your tongue to enjoy,  breaks up the food (making it easier to digest), and slows down the eating process, thereby allowing your brain to recognize when you have eaten enough to satisfy your body's needs.


2.  Put down your knife and fork.  It sounds so simple yet it’s a tough lesson to put into practice. We hate to waste energy picking up our utensils with each mouthful, so we tend to hold our silverware in our hands. As a result, we are often in the process of cutting off the next bite before we've really had a chance to taste the previous.


3.  Remove the distractions.  Turn off the TV, put your cell phone in another room and let let your calls go to voice mail, and carry on a conversation with your family and friends. But don’t forget the other rule that your mom taught you:  Never talk with food in your mouth. This is guaranteed to help you slow down the rate at which you eat.


4.  Drink water.  We all know that drinking lots of water is good for us, and many of us try to keep a glass or bottle of water handy for use throughout the day. Drinking water during a meal serves  the purpose of helping you start feeling fuller, faster.


5.  Don’t let yourself become famished.  When we are overly hungry we tend to eat very fast, frequently eating second and even third helpings. You'll find it easier to slow the pace if you eat regular, smaller meals at three or four hour intervals, rather two or three meals with several hours between them.

How many times have you walked past the meat counter and saw some beautiful beef roasts on sale and thought about buying one...but ended up settling for a package of ground beef again?  It’s not that your family wouldn’t love a good beef roast; you simply don’t have the confidence to know that you can cook it without over cooking it. 

We would like to let you in on a secret that is all but fool proof when it comes to cooking a roast of any kind: get yourself a meat thermometer. No carpenter is without a hammer, no nurse works without a stethoscope, and likewise, no good chef cooks without a meat thermometer. Armed with this inexpensive tool, you can roast anything to perfection. To help show you how to best use your meat thermometer, we found an informative article on Hub pages written by Sally's Trove http://sallystrove.hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Cook-the-Best-Roast-Beef

I will admit that I once had a fear of of cooking beef. What if I made a pile of ash? I've had wonderful steaks and roasts in my adult life, cooked by friends or enjoyed at dinners out. But it was only a few years ago that I found the courage to experiment with cooking beef on my own. The turning point was when my mother gave me a meat thermometer as a house warming gift -- which was really funny, because I don't think she ever used a meat thermometer herself. However, my mother is a genius at finding previously used and sale items for pennies on the dollar. I expect this meat thermometer was one of her "finds".

Armed with a meat thermometer, I now needed something to stick it into. Although you can stick a thermometer into a number of meats (chicken, turkey, pork, lamb, veal, and even fish), I chose a beef roast because it was beef and therefore a challenge. Besides, true to my mother's bargain hunting instincts, I found the roast offered at a very good sale price and I couldn't pass it up. I brought the roast home and attacked it with the meat thermometer and a little creativity. The rest is history. 

Gloriously Simple Roast Beef
To make this wonderful beef, you need an eye round roast, a container of Mrs. Dash (I use the "original" blend), a meat thermometer, a pan with a rack that fits into it, and an oven. That's it.
Start with an eye round roast that's at least 3 pounds. Take the roast out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before you start to pre-heat the oven.  Pre-heat the oven to 475 degrees F.

The Seasoning
Shake the Mrs. Dash onto all parts of the beef -- top, bottom, and sides -- and press this wonderful seasoning into the flesh. You might want to do this in your freshly scrubbed kitchen sink. It can make a mess. When all the seasoning is pressed into the flesh, place the beef onto the rack with the fat side down. Put the rack and the beef into the pan. Poke the thermometer into the fattest part of the roast so that the stabbing end of the thermometer goes only half-way down.

Time and Temperature
Your meat thermometer may have a temperature setting for rare, medium, and well done beef, or it may not. So set the desired doneness either by words or numbers:

• Rare = 140 degrees F
• Medium = 160 degrees F
• Well done = 170 degrees F

When the oven is up to 475, put the pan and its beef in, uncovered. Set a timer for 45 minutes.  After 45 minutes, turn the oven down to 275 degrees F.

Depending on the size of the roast, the rest of the cooking may take an hour or two or more. Just check the thermometer's progress. You can do this by turning on your oven's light and looking through the glass door. If you don't have an oven door with glass that you can see through, then you will have to open the door and look, which will delay the cooking time.

The beautiful thing about the meat thermometer is that it doesn't lie. It doesn't matter whether your oven's internal thermometer is working or not. The meat thermometer will tell you when the beef is done.  When the beef is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit in its pan on your kitchen counter for about 10 minutes before you slice it.

About Slicing the Roast
You need a sharp, finely honed knife. I use Sabatier carbon steel knives, which I acquired in the late 60's. Cut across the grain. Think about your own muscles here. Like in your arm. Muscle tissue runs in very discernible straight, thread-like lines from your elbow to your wrist. When you cut across these threads, you are cutting across the grain. This is very obvious with a hunk of beef. You can see how the muscle strands go the length of a roast. You just cut across that.

As you cut, the roast will bleed. Make sure your cutting board can catch the juice, or make sure that you are prepared to pour the juice into a container as it flows. You want to save that juice.  Before you serve your magnificent roast, pre-heat your plates. A warm plate will keep a rare slice of beef warm without cooking it more. Heat the reserved juice in a sauce pot for pouring over the beef-laden plates when you are ready to serve.

Fair warning: you have one week to do something for the special women in your life that will endear you to their hearts. That’s right -- Tuesday, February 14th, is Valentine’s Day. If you are a husband or a dad, one suggestion to get the attention of your wife and daughters is to explain that, as a special Valentine’s Day treat, you want to fix them a delicious meal. Don’t worry, you’ve got your Brookhaven store teams there to back you up.
 
Start with some tender and juicy Angus Pride New York Strip Steaks, on sale this week. In produce, pick up one or two packages of Earthbound organic romaine hearts or Dole™ Classic Romaine salad mix (both also on sale), a bottle of their favorite salad dressing, and a baking potato for each person (only 39¢/lb). Not only will you be a hero for making dinner, but your wife will appreciate the fact that you were able to purchase all the ingredients at a fair price.
 
Here are three recipes in case you need a little help and affirmation:

• Grilled New York Strip Steaks
• Bacon Baked Potatoes
• Lite Caesar Salad

 
Be sure to stop in our wine department for some temptingly romantic Chocolatier Wine. Finally, don’t leave without a stop at the bakery where you can find lots of heart-shaped sweet treats certain to melt your ladies' hearts.
 
You can do this buddy, no problem. But if you are feeling a bit overwhelmed, have no fear! Brookhaven is here with fresh cut long stem roses  -- available in all stores -- for only $10.99 a dozen (while supplies last).
 
Don’t put this off because we men all know it a very short walk from the man cave to the dog house.

As has often been said, the Super Bowl long ago stopped being just a game and is now a bigger-than-life event. Many of my friends are trying hard to shed those 5 – 10 extra pounds we picked up over the holidays and going to a Super bowl party is not at all what the doctor ordered.  After doing a little research we discovered some useful tips to help you still have fun this Sunday without blowing your diet. We found this article (written by Rachel Sturtz) on the Fitness Magazine website:
 
Fattening snacks like buffalo wings, potato skins, and chips (and don't forget beer!) make Super Bowl parties a challenge when you're dieting. Here are a few healthy tips so you can enjoy the game without gaining a pound.
 
Kick off with fiber
Place mugs of turkey chili (use extra-lean ground meat) on the first table that guests see as they walk into the room. This filling snack will set the stage for a healthy evening.
 
Intercept fatty snacks
Put buffalo wings out of arm's reach. They're almost always cooked with the skin on, but you can slash fat and calories a bit by baking instead of frying.
 
Tackle cravings
Toss a 3-ounce package of microwave popcorn with 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes for a sweet-and-spicy snack with about 15 calories per handful.
 
Pass on big portions
It's easy to overdo chips and guacamole. Put 6 tablespoons of guac into ramekins with baskets of about 30 chips on side tables. This is the perfect amount for two people to share.
 
Take an alcohol time-out
Save calories by stocking an easily accessible cooler with non-booze beverages like diet soda and sparkling and bottled water. Leave the beer in the kitchen so you have to travel to get it.

In his book  "101 Foods That Could Save Your Life", author Dave Grotto reveals ten foods that provide top doses of the vitamins and nutrients you need to protect and defend against illness. You see, building up our body’s immune system is one of the best ways to ward off the nasty flu bugs.  As you plan your families’ meals in this unhealthy flu season, why not make a point of adding in plenty of the following flu-busters for good measure?  There is, of course, no guarantee that this will stave off any chance of getting sick, but it certainly won’t hurt -- and, by gosh, these foods taste great as well!

Mushrooms
Mushrooms used to get overlooked as a health food, but they possess two big weapons you need this flu season: selenium, which helps white blood cells produce cytokines that clear sickness, and beta glucan, an antimicrobial type of fiber, which helps activate "superhero" cells that find and destroy infections.

Fresh garlic
Strong smelling foods like garlic can stink out sickness thanks to the phytochemical allicin, an antimicrobial compound. A British study found that people taking allicin supplements suffered 46 percent fewer colds and recovered faster from the ones they did get. So start cooking with it daily -- experts recommend two fresh cloves a day.

Wild-caught salmon
In a recent study, participants with the lowest levels of vitamin D were about 40 percent more likely to report a recent respiratory infection than those with higher levels of vitamin D. Increase your intake with salmon; a 3.5-ounce serving provides 360 IU. Some experts recommend as much as 800 to 1000 IU of vitamin D each day.

Tea
Researchers at Harvard University found that drinking five cups of black tea a day quadrupled the body's immune defense system after two weeks, probably because of theanine. Tea also contains catechins, including ECGC, which act like a cleanup crew against free radicals. Grotto suggests drinking one to three cups of black, green, or white tea every day.

Yogurt
The digestive tract is one of your biggest immune organs, so keep disease-causing germs out with probiotics and prebiotics, found in naturally fermented foods like yogurt. One serving a day labeled with "live and active cultures" will enhance immune function according to a study from the University of Vienna in Austria.

Dark chocolate
Nutrition experts agree that dark chocolate deserves a place in healthy diets, and a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition says it can boost your immunity, too. High doses of cocoa support T-helper cells, which increase the immune system's ability to defend against infection. Sweet!

Oysters
Zinc is critical for the immune system -- it rallies the troops, or white blood cells, to attack bacteria and viruses like a flu or cold. One medium oyster provides nearly all of the zinc you need for a day.

Almonds
Heart-healthy almonds boast the immune-boosting antioxidant vitamin E, which, according to researchers at Tufts University, can reduce your chance of catching colds and developing respiratory infections. You'll need more than a serving of almonds for your daily dose, though, so try fortified cereals, sunflower seeds, turnip greens and wheat germ, too.

Strawberries
Even though vitamin C-rich foods (hello oranges!) are probably the first thing you think of when you feel a cold coming, Grotto says the illness-preventing power of the antioxidant is debatable. That said, some studies show it can reduce the intensity and duration of the cold and flu, so it's worth a try. One cup of strawberries provides 160 percent of your daily needs.

Sweet potato
Beta-carotene improves your body's defenses. It's instrumental in the growth and development of immune system cells and helps neutralize harmful toxins. Sweet potatoes and other orange foods like carrots, squash, pumpkin, egg yolks, and cantaloupe are top sources.

If you have shopped at your local Brookhaven Marketplace recently, you may have noticed our new line of exotic spices from Morton & Bassett of San Francisco. For all of you foodies, home chefs, master bakers and apprentices, you now have a source for those more unusual spices, herbs, and seasoning blends that so many recipes call for.
 
To help introduce other customers to some of these new ingredients, we will occasionally feature a blog article about one of the less common spices that we carry. Today’s story is a about an unusual spice often used as a decoration because of its unique appearance...
 
Star Anise
Bouquet: sweet and fragrant
Flavor: similar to fennel with a mild licorice taste
 
Star anise is a spice not to be confused with the herb of a similar name, anise. Star anise is the seed pod of an evergreen tree grown in southwestern China and Japan. Like regular anise, star anise gets its distinctive licorice taste from a chemical compound called anethol. However, the two are not related botanically -- star anise is a member of the Magnolia family.
 
Star anise is a dark brown (almost rusty colored), irregular, star-shaped fruit with eight carpels joined around a central core. Each carpel contains a seed. It is used in the following forms: dried whole, broken pieces, or ground. Star anise characterizes Chinese, Vietnamese, and other cooking styles in Asia. It is used in marinades, barbecues, roasts, stews, and soups that require long simmering. The Chinese have introduced it to every region where they have settled.
 
Star anise pairs well with roasted poultry and pork, braised meats and fish, and steamed or roasted duck. It is an essential flavoring in the red cooking of the Shanghai region of China and is one of the five spices in the "five-spice blend", which is used as a marinade for meats, to flavor soups and sauces, and for batters.
 
Star Anise is also popular in Southeast Asia, where it is used in Chinese-style dishes such as simmered beef, stir-fried vegetables, and steamed chicken. It is also a popular spice in the North Vietnamese beef noodle soups called "phos". Malaysians and Singaporeans add it to their curries, soups, and sauces to give them unique tastes. Thais add it to tea with milk, sugar, and other spices. It is also used in Caribbean masalas and spice blends. The Europeans use star anise to flavor cordials, liqueurs, syrups, jams, and confectionaries.
 
Star anise pairs well with mint, cinnamon, ginger, soy sauce, orange, rose essence, curry leaves, chili peppers, curry powder, and black pepper. Typically, it is discarded before the dish is served.
 
Star anise can replace regular anise in most western recipes. In slow cooked or simmered dishes, star anise is usually added whole (not broken into pieces) and discarded before serving. It can also be used as a substitute for anise seeds in recipes: 1 crushed star anise = 1/2 teaspoon crushed anise seed. Occasionally, you may find stir-fry recipes calling for ground star anise.
 
Goes Well with: savory meat dishes; in marinades for chicken or beef; added to Indian curries; ground and sprinkled on chicken wings; or cooked with beans and brown sugar.
 
Combines well with: cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla
 
Substitutions: fennel seed, anise seed, Chinese five-spice powder, or dried tarragon (in most recipes which call for a ground version).
 
Sources 
Handbook of Spices, Seasonings, and Flavorings, Second Edition, by Susheela Raghavan
http://www.thebaldgourmet.com/star-anise
 

Here are a few recipes that we have whichcall for Star Anise:

• Carrot Ginger Soup with Star Anise Recipe
• Sweet Potatoes with Star Anise, Ginger, and Lime 
• Anise Pillows – Pfefferneuse Cookies
• Vietnamese pho bo (beef noodle soup)
• Star Anise Lace Cookies

Today we thought we would share some information about the most popular fruit in the US based on tons sold, the banana.  As it turns out, our bananas are all imported because we simply don’t have the type of climate conducive to their growth.

We’ve all seen pictures of bananas growing in large bunches, hanging high up in tall, slender banana trees, haven't we? Actually, that was a trick question.  Bananas don’t grow from trees. The banana plant is not a tree, it is actually the world's largest herb! 

The true origin of bananas is found in the region of Malaysia. By way of curious visitors, bananas traveled from there to India where they are mentioned in Buddhist Pali writings dating back to the 6th century BCE. In his campaign in India in 327 BCE, Alexander the Great relished his first taste of the banana, an usual fruit he saw growing on tall “trees”.  He is even credited with bringing the banana from India to the Western world. 

The first bananas arrived in our country wrapped in tin foil. They were sold for 10 cents each at a celebration held in Pennsylvania in 1876 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

Bananas are grown today in almost every humid tropical region and constitute the 4th largest fruit crop in the world. The plant needs 10 - 15 months of frost-free conditions to produce a flower stalk. All but the hardiest varieties stop growing when the temperature drops below 53° F. Growth of the plant also begins to slow down at about 80° F, and it stops entirely when the temperature reaches 100° F. High temperatures and bright sunlight will also scorch leaves and fruit, although bananas grow best in full sun.

Since we simply don’t have these climate conditions anywhere in the US (except for Hawaii), we need to rely entirely on importation to get our bananas. The United States is the single largest importer of bananas; we consume more than one in every four bananas sold. Almost all of the bananas sold in the US are brought from countries in central and south America, such as Columbia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Ecuador, and Guatemala.

Nutritional Facts about Bananas
Because of their impressive potassium content, bananas are highly recommended by doctors for patients whose potassium is low. One large banana, about 9 inches in length, packs 602 mg of potassium and only carries 140 calories. That same large banana even has 2 grams of protein and 4 grams of fiber. Those reducing sodium in their diets can't go wrong with a banana with its mere 2 mgs of sodium. For the carbohydrate counters, there are 36 grams of carbs in a large banana.

Vitamins and minerals are abundant in the banana, offering 123 I.U. of vitamin A for the large size. A full range of B vitamins are present with .07 mg of Thiamine, .15 mg of Riboflavin, .82 mg Niacin, .88 mg vitamin B6, and 29 mcg of Folic Acid. There are even 13.8 mg of vitamin C. On the mineral scale, Calcium counts in at 9.2 mg with Magnesium at 44.1 mg. There are also trace amounts of iron and zinc.

Now that you know a little more about our favorite fruit, perhaps you would like to try a new way of enjoying bananas? Now would be a great time to experiment with new recipes, since we are featuring bananas for only 39¢/lb this week at Brookhaven.

Enjoy our collection of over 175 banana recipes. Click Here

Most of us wake up on January 2nd and realize we have acquired a little something extra over the recent Holidays that we would have been perfectly happy without: about 5 additional pounds.

Here is some encouraging news, though: Losing weight doesn’t necessarily mean cutting back on your food intake. We came across a very interesting article written by Michael Downey
(RE: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FKA/is_1_67/ai_n8587544) where nutritionists provide simple food substitutions that, if used consistently, will actually help you to shed several pounds over a year’s time.

Here is a list of 25 painless food swaps that will pare hundreds of calories from your daily intake (and ultimately reduce your waistline), strip plaque buildup from your arteries, and reduce your risk of a heart attack or diabetes.

Feel free to tell us your own ideas as well

Read Labels
As you walk through your Brookhaven store doing the weekly grocery shopping, take the time to read the ingredient label and nutritional information of prepared foods. Try to eat less sugar, salt, and unsaturated fats. If the ingredients list is full of names that you can’t pronounce, perhaps you should ask yourself if it’s really something that you want to serve your family.

Eat your Vegetables
Most of us fall considerably short of the suggested daily intake of fruits and vegetables; if you shop at our stores regularly, you will have to agree that it’s not for lack of variety. In any given week we carry over 400 different fresh fruits and vegetables. If you see something that you are unfamiliar with, ask for help. 
 
In addition, our web site has over 6,400 recipe available for you to use. All you need to do is go to the search box and type in the specific ingredient you are interested in using. For example, if you were to look up brussels sprout, you would discover 13 different recipes that all call for that ingredient.

Try Something New
The next time you go to a favorite restaurant, don’t pick your old stand-by. Ask your server to suggest something new and exciting, and give it a try!
 
Cook More
I love eating out as much as the next person, but there’s nothing more satisfying than cooking and enjoying your own meal.
 
Dinner with Family and Friends
Dine with family and friends. In the process, take the time to sit and enjoy your food, not mindlessly gorge while watching the television. This is the best opportunity you will have each day to bring the family closer together. Take advantage of your time together and appreciate each other's company over a good, home-cooked meal.

For most of us Americans, Christmas is a time for family gatherings. It's a time for coming together, for forgiveness, for sharing memories and for enjoying the company of family who may live far away, but who  try so hard to be home for Christmas. Whether your family history in America goes back to the Mayflower or to a more recent date in the not-so-distant past, all of us have family traditions which we cherish and enjoy rekindling this time of year. Have you ever visited the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago during the Christmas season to see their collection of Christmas trees, each decorated in the tradition of a unique country? It makes for a wonderful family outing and it is something my family has enjoyed since I was a toddler.

Much of every family’s Christmas tradition centers around the foods we prepare for this most joyous celebration. Here are a few traditional foods from different corners of our world. How many have you enjoyed?

Australia: Christmas cake or Christmas pudding - traditionally with a small treat baked inside, often a silver coin such as a Threepence or Sixpence. Christmas damper - in wreath or star shape, served with butter, jam, honey, or golden syrup. Made in the Australian bush in the 19th century.

Belgium: Cougnou - sweet bread in the form of the infant Jesus.

Chile: Cola de mono - meaning "Monkey's Tail", is a Chilean Christmas beverage with aguardiente, milk and coffee, and flavored with vanilla and cloves. Pan de Pascua - Chilean Christmas sponge cake flavored with cloves, with bits of candied fruits, raisins, walnuts and almonds. Ponche a la romana - eggnog-style beverage made of champagne and pineapple-flavored ice cream.

Cuba:  Crema De Vie - Cuban eggnog made with condensed milk, rum, sugar syrup, lemon rind, cinnamon, and egg yolk. Majarete - corn pudding made with coconut milk, fresh corn, cornstarch, milk, water, vanilla, cinnamon and sugar.

Czech Republic: The traditional meal (served as dinner on Christmas Eve) consists of either fish soup or pea soup and fried fish (traditionally carp) served with potato salad. The main ingredients are: potato cooked with jacket (skin), canned peas, onions, cooked carrots, parsley and celery, pickled gherkins, cooked eggs and mayonnaise.

Denmark:  Ableskiver - traditional Danish spherical pancakes sprinkled with powdered sugar and served
with raspberry or strawberry jam.  Brun brunede kartofler - caramelized potatoes.  Julebryg - Christmas beer.  Gløgg - mulled red wine combined with spices, sugar and chopped chestnuts. Typically served warm. Risalamande (rice pudding) - a dish made from rice, whipped cream, and almonds. Served cold with cherry sauce. For meat the Danes serve Flæskesteg - roast pork with cracklings, or Andesteg - roast duck with apple and prune stuffing.

Finland: Christmas smorgasbord from Finland, "Joulupöytä" (translated "Yule table") - a traditional display of Christmas food, often including: Christmas ham with mustard; Gravlax (freshly salted salmon); pickled herring in various forms (tomato, mustard, matjes or onion sauces);  Lutefisk and Béchamel sauce; and a whitefish, pike-perch and liver casserole.

France:  Foie gras en cocotte, Oysters, Crêpes, Dinde aux marrons (chestnut-stuffed turkey), and Fougasse  (Provencal bread).

Germany:  Christstollen - A fruitcake with bits of candied fruits, raisins, walnuts and almonds, and spices such as cardamom and cinnamon; sprinkled with icing sugar. Often there's also a plate of marzipan. Pfefferkuchenhaus - a gingerbread house decorated with candies, sweets, and sugar icing. Weisswurst - sausages with veal and bacon, usually flavored with parsley, lemon, mace, onions, ginger and cardamom. Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) with Wiener sausages and Schäufele (a corned, smoked ham) - usually served with potato salad in southern Germany for dinner on Christmas Eve.

Greece:  Preparing a "holiday table" means a soup, two or three main dishes covering the major meats and cooked in different ways, several salads, a couple of side dishes, lots of bread, cheeses, and, of course, olives. Pork is a traditional meat at the Christmas meal. If a turkey or chicken is served, it’s stuffed - generally with a stuffing that includes ground meat.  Christmas dinner is followed up with a selection of traditional sweets such as Greek coffee and spirits and Christopsomo ("Christ's Bread"), a sweet bread decorated with walnuts.

Italy:  Typical Italian Christmas dishes include baccalà (salted dried cod fish), vermicelli, baked pasta, capon, and turkey. Traditional Christmas Eve Dinner, which includes seven types of fish (or nine, eleven, or thirteen, depending on the town of origin), is known as La Vigilia Napoletana in southern towns and includes drowned broccoli rabe (also known as "Christmas Broccoli"), roasted or fried eel, and caponata di pesce (fish salad) to complete the main course. Desserts include struffoli (Neapolitan honey pastry), cenci (fried pastry ribbons sprinkled with powdered sugar), dried figs, candied almonds and chestnuts, marzipan, and panettone, a traditional Milanese Christmas bread.

Lithuania:  Twelve-dish Christmas Eve supper - twelve dishes representing the twelve Apostles or twelve months of the year. Plays the main role in Lithuanian Christmas tradition. Other traditional dishes served on December 24th include Aguonų pienas ("poppy milk");  Slizikai - slightly sweet small pastries made from leavened dough and poppy seed;  Auselės (deep fried dumplings); silkė su morkomis - herring with carrots, or silkė su grybais - herring with mushrooms; and  spanguolių kisielius - cranberry and milk sauce dessert.

Mexico:  Christmas Roast and Ensalada de Noche Buena - Christmas Eve Salad. Romeritos - small green leaves of a particular type, generally mixed with mole and potatoes. Some Mexican families, particularly in the northern part of Mexico and southern American states, have tamales only at Christmas Eve instead of the typical Bacalao, Romeritos, and/or turkey.

Poland:  For starters, Poles serve barszcz (beetroot soup) with uszka (ravioli). Carp provides a main component of the Christmas Eve meal across Poland. Examples include carp fillet with potato salad, carp in aspic, etc. Other Polish favorites include pickled herring; pierogi with sauerkraut and forest mushrooms (usually filled with white cheese and potatoes);  fish soup; kiełbasa; makowiec (poppy seed cakes); bigos - a savory stew of cabbage and meat; fruit compote; and kutia - a sweet grain pudding.

United Kingdom & Ireland:  In the United Kingdom, what is now regarded as the traditional meal consists of roast turkey, served with roast potatoes and parsnips and other vegetables, followed by Christmas pudding, a heavy steamed pudding made with dried fruit, suet, and very little flour.

We are sorry if we missed your family’s traditions or some of your favorite foods. Perhaps you would like to share special dishes that are always a part of your family’s Christmas tradition? Just go to the COMMENTS section at the end of this article…we’d love to hear from you! 

We at Brookhaven would like to wish you and your families a very Merry Christmas in whatever tradition you celebrate. And for those of you who don’t celebrate Christmas, we would like to extend our sincere wishes for peace and happiness for you and all your family in whatever holiday celebrations that are dear to you.