From Couscous to Christmas Markets
This year, we had a unique blend of Christmas traditions. Normally we celebrate Christmas with my family and my mom’s food. 😅
Picture this:
A cozy gathering with my siblings, my many nieces and nephews all coming together to enjoy the season, and the food is served up big—the star of the show — my mom’s feast, a culinary adventure that spans continents.
Anyone who has ever been to an African family celebration knows that there is always more food than you can eat, so you should wear loose clothing. 😂
I was born in Algeria, a beautiful country in North Africa, and my mother makes many dishes from many countries. Dishes like traditional couscous with meat, lots of vegetables, and a Senegalese rice recipe called Ceebu Jen. It’s something like tomato-infused rice, with fish or chicken and assortments of vegetables. And if that isn’t enough for the woman who always tells me to watch my figure, she tops it off with a Portuguese dessert — a creamy pudding made from condensed milk, with orange juice and sugar caramelized to perfection on top. In some cultures, this is known as flan. This explains why I’ve become so big and strong. 😅
But if this made you hungry, I have to disappoint you, that didn’t happen this year. 😝 We did something new.
Moving away from our traditional African celebration, this year we visited my friend Sandra’s family down in the south of Germany and celebrated the traditional German way. Since we don’t celebrate together often, Sandra’s family sent a list of dishes that were prepared for us, which I thought was cute.
On Christmas Eve there was traditional potato salad and Vienna sausages. Christmas Day, roulades, red cabbage, and bread dumplings. And on the second Christmas Day, white sausage with pretzels and sweet mustard to help me maintain my beautiful physique. haha
With so much change and trying new things, there’s one family tradition that I took to Germany with me — watching old Disney films at Christmas, like Mickey Mouse’s rendition of A Christmas Carol — very nostalgic. This film is from 1997 and I always watched it as a child and have continued that tradition. Some things are just timeless.
As the holiday approached, I mentally prepared myself for all the eating, because now it’s time to go back to the gym and work off the calories again. It’s all part of the festive package. 😊
Stay healthy and I hope you had a very merry Christmas!
