Christmas Cooking from a List
When a special event comes around, I create a menu of foods my family requests or foods I want. This Christmas (December 25, 2020), I asked, but no one had a list of special items, so I made the list of the generic foods everyone likes. Depending on the pocket of space I have for preparation, the list grows and is altered with scratches. I cook in a methodical way, which any chef/cook knows. Start with desserts that must be prepared and chilled the day before. Move to meats and other dishes (Nigerian stew made from fresh tomatoes) that take an hour or longer to cook. Move to sides (carbohydrates mostly) and vegetables that cook for a long time. Finish with veggies and other dishes that can be cooked in minutes. Now we feast! From top left to bottom left: steamed long-grain rice, Nigerian stew made from fresh tomatoes and Scotch Bonnet pepper (only one), black-eyed peas, fresh codfish, brown rice pasta, the veggie trio of cauliflower, carrot, and broccoli steamed in a wok