Sunlight Christmas Food Fayre

Are you planning on attending the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre?  If so, have you considered how you are going to get there?  If not, you should be aware that you can travel on Merseyrail trains intoPort Sunlight from any of the Merseyrail stations (you may be required to change depending on where you are travelling from).

What is the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre?

For those of you who don’t know the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre is an event designed to celebrate the finale of Wirral's Year of Food and is described as the launch of the biggest event of the Season.

If you are attending the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre you will get to see over 100 of the leading local producers of food, all of whom will be housed in a massive, heated marquee, so there is no need to worry about the cold.

At the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre you will get everything you would expect from a food fayre, but with the addition of some yuletide cheer.

Port Sunlight is the perfect place for the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre as it is described as a beautiful and historic village.

At the Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre you will find tasty cheeses, cakes and confectionary right through to delicious preserves.  There will also be a magical children's village with an enchanting Father Christmas experience all complete with a real reindeer, to get your children (and the adults) in the mood for Christmas.  You may also get some alternative gift ideas if you attend as we know how stressful Christmas time can be.

This years’ Port Sunlight Christmas food fayre is running from December 3rd through to December 5th and it is a must if you live in the area or anywhere on the Merseyrail network as we know you will enjoy it immensely.

Spanish Christmas

Traditional Spanish Christmas pastries (of the non-"turrón" type) add a special touch to the holidays with their own distinct flavours - and textures! Here is a look at some of the most popular specialities. Once upon a time they were only available in December and January, but that is changing. Nevertheless, it's only during the holiday season that you'll see them in such large amounts. In fact, in most supermarkets you can even buy them in bulk.

The pastries we're looking at here come wrapped in thin printed tissue paper that most often carry name brands our Spanish contemporaries have grown up with - yes, even the contemporaries of the oldest among us. Take the time to read the labels because many of these sweets are specialities that are produced in only one town in Spain, for example. Others are made from recipes handed down by generations of nuns at a certain convent or from a specific order.

While it appears that there are a zillion different types of Christmas pastries sold this time of year, in actual fact there are just two main categories on offer. The first is a kind of shortbread and the second are made from marzipan.

Traditional German Christmas Food

1. Christstollen or Weihnachtsstollen  – A dry cake shaped like a loaf of bread filled with marzipan and raisins and covered with powder sugar. You can find this bread in any supermarket in Germany during the Christmas season.

2. Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) – Served in all different shapes, sizes and toppings.

3. Weihnachtsgebaeck (Christmas Cookies) – Christmas cookies are made in many different variations and flavors throughout Germany. You are sure to find some that suite your taste buds. Here are two of the more popular types:

- Zimtsterne: These are star-shaped cinnamon cookies and they are THE traditional german Christmas cookies.

- Spekulatius: Traditional spicy Christmas cookie.

4. Weihnachtsgans  (Christmas goose) – This dish traditionally consists of a stuffed goose (prepared just like a Thanksgiving Turkey,) potato dumplings, red cabbage and a wine flavored sauce. There is no special technique in preparing this dish but the sauce consists of wine, the juices produced while cooking the goose and a gravy. You can find this at many German restaurants during the Christmas season and many German families make it as well.

5. Gluehwein – Hot red wine seasoned with cloves, cinnamon sticks, peel of a lemon or orange and sugar. This is a very popular drink in Germany during the Holidays, served at all of the Christmas markets in all parts of Germany.

6. Weinachtspunsch (Christmas punch) – Hot black tea spiced with cloves, lemon juice, orange juice, sugar and red wine.

7. Fondue – Can be prepared in different ways:

- Cheese Fondue:  use forks to dip bits of food (i.e. bread) into the warm and thick liquid sauce (usually a cheese mix).

- Meat Fondue: spike raw meats (i.e. chicken, beef, pork) on a long fork and fry it into hot oil until done. Usually eaten with other dips (i.e. Garlic Sauce, Ketchup etc.)

8. Raclette – Frying slices of cheese and lunch meat on tiny pans, which sit on a small, round stove that sits in the center of the table. There are typically 6 or more of these small “pans.” Each person has their own pan. Food is cooked and eaten by each individual.

9. Rehruecken  (roast saddle of venison) – Deer meat, usually served with slices of pears, spaetzle and Brussels.

10. Kartoffelsalat mit Wurst  (Potato salad with sausage) – A classic and fast recipe for Christmas. There are many different ways to fix the potato salad. Sausage can be any kind, but usually smoked.