A Rare Bird: Nontraditional holiday grub to bring to the table

Some families choose ham. Others settle on chicken. When in doubt you can never really go wrong with a perfectly cooked turkey. Growing up, my family had a strict set of traditional holiday menus, and every year my mother would execute those menus to perfection. There were never any major deviations, just slight alterations based on needs and requests. The ritual was set in stone, and we didn’t complain. It wasn’t until the kiddos moved out of the house that my mom finally spread her creative wings and started throwing us complete curveballs for Christmas dinner with “Christmas” meals from around the world.

Since Christmas is celebrated in hundreds of different ways all around the world, there are more than a few options to spice up your run of the mill, ho-hum dinner. Choose a country and start there. Trade out that boring turkey centerpiece for something unexpected and a little more creative.

Italians (much like Americans) love gathering the whole family together on Christmas for a feast. Dinner includes authentically Italian ingredients such as seafood and pasta. Vermicelli — fine long stranded pasta that can be cooked in broth — is a seasonal favorite and often used as the main focus of a traditional Italian Christmas.

In France, the formal meal is eaten on Christmas Eve. La Vigilia Napoletana is a pre-Christmas feast that consists of roughly seven different types of fish. And while turkey is still a part of the meal in some parts of France, in most areas the main protein is in fact, a plump Christmas goose. Parisians also add foie gras and oysters to their holiday meal.

Not your jam? In India, Christmas is celebrated with a roast duck as the focal point. Spiced with local favorites garam masala and turmeric, the duck is a given a more traditional Indian flare. Stewed fruit is served alongside the duck, completing the holiday meal.

The Japanese celebrate Christmas with dessert instead of a standard, traditional meal. Who needs a major protein, right? Skip it and start right at the sweet end. Similar to Victoria sponge, Japanese Christmas cake consists of a sponge cake base, a layer of whipped cream, and strawberries at its center. The cake is decorated with white icing and topped with even more strawberries.

Rounding up the crew for the holidays doesn’t have to be the same every year — it can actually be fun and exciting. When my mom suddenly focused on “nontraditional” Christmas meals, we were thrilled. And sure, sometimes the meal was less than stellar but it was the thrill of the unexpected that fueled us.

Take a walk on the wild side this year and pick up some ostrich meat or alligator bites from the grocery store. Buck tradition and pick something outrageous as the focal point of your meal. The possibilities are endless. Just because your mom, your grandma, and your great grandma made it doesn’t mean you have to do the same. And if you fail, screw it … order a couple pizzas. A pizza at the center of the table is still more exciting than turkey or ham.