I have done my best to give a complete  Christmas Menu and recipes that refelect Dickens Old World England Chritmas  Prime Rib Roast 1 (4-rib) standing rib roast Lawry's Seasoned Salt 1 bag (5 lb.) rock salt Sprinkle fatty cap of roast with Seasoned Salt. In heavy roasting pan, spread rock salt evenly over bottom; place wire roasting rack on top of salt. Place the roast on rack, fatty side up. Make sure no salt actually touches the beef. Insert meat thermometer in thickest part of meat, making sure it does not touch a bone. Roast in preheated 350 degrees F. oven until thermometer registers 130 degrees F. for rare, 140 degrees F. for medium, or approximately 20 to 25 minutes per pound. Remove from oven and let stand 20 minutes before carving. Using a sharp carving knife, slice meat across the grain for serving. Discard rock salt. Makes 6 to 8 servings. Note:        If desired, use an instant read thermometer and insert to test internal temperature periodically; do not leave this type thermometer in roast.    Yorkshire Pudding These are easy to make and tasty with any roast dinner. ingredients - makes about 8 puddings 4 oz/125 g plain flour 2 eggs 8 fl oz/250 ml milk salt & pepper method Make batter - put flour in bowl, add eggs. Mix using whisk (easier) or wooden spoon. Pour milk in slowly, or little by little, while constantly whisking/mixing. If you add it all at once or too much too soon you'll just end up with a lumpy gunge. (Maybe this isn't so easy after all...) It'll start off doughy and lumpy anyway but if you go easy with the milk it'll end up as a thin smooth batter. Trust me. If you do get some lumps you can always strain it through a sieve. Season with salt and pepper. Leave for 30 mins. Preheat oven (425F, 220C, gas 7). Put a daud* of lard (or oil) in each of the pudding tins. Lard is best. Put tins in a hot oven near the top until the lard smokes. Don't be tempted to put the batter in before the lard is smoking hot.Pour the batter into the tins. Don't be afraid to put plenty in. (If you don't put enough in there won't be any substance to rise.) Stick in oven and keep an eye on them. Depending on your oven and the size of tins you're using, they could take anything from 15 - 30 minutes. Practice makes perfect. chef Vernalisa,s tips _Try to avoid washing the tins if at all possible. Well-oiled tins will prevent the puddings sticking. After use, clean any debris off tins with kitchen roll or a dry washing-up brush, or whatever you have. If you have to wash the tins, rub cooking oil over them afterwards. It's not authentic but you can add some herbs to the batter. If you're having roast pork, sage goes very well. I like cooking with wine. Sometimes I even put it in the food!  * I think "daud" may be a Scots word. Anyway, it's an imprecise measurement. Try a walnut-sized piece if you want to be more posh about things Whipped Cream Horseradish 1 cup whipping cream 1/4 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, well drained or 4 tablespoons finely grated fresh horseradish root Dash Tabasco sauce Whip cream until stiff peaks form. Fold in Seasoned Salt, horseradish and Tabasco until well mixed. Creamed Spinach a la Christmas 2 pkgs. (10 oz. each) frozen chopped spinach, thawed 4 slices bacon 1 small onion, minced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons flour 1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste 2 cups milk Drain spinach well and squeeze out excess moisture with hands; chop finely and set aside. Fry bacon in heavy skillet until crisp; remove, drain and chop. Sauté onion and garlic in bacon drippings; add flour, Seasoned Salt and pepper and blend thoroughly. Slowly add milk, stirring constantly until thickened. Add spinach and bacon; heat. Makes 4 to 6 servings. Creamed Corn 1 1/2 tablespoons butter 1 1/2 tablespoons flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups whipping cream 2 tablespoons sugar 3 cups fresh, frozen or canned whole kernel corn Melt butter in heavy saucepan; add flour and salt, stirring to blend. Slowly add whipping cream, stirring constantly until thickened. Add sugar and corn, heat. For Au Gratin, place corn in 9 or 10-inch shallow casserole dish; sprinkle with 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese and brown under broiler. Makes 4 to 6 servings. English Trifle 1 recipe Vanilla Pudding Sauce, cooled (recipe follows) 1 cup whipping cream, whipped 2 tablespoons red raspberry preserves 1 (10-inch) round sponge or white cake 1/4 cup dark Puerto Rican rum, optional 1/4 cup dry sherry 1 cup frozen raspberries, thawed Fresh raspberries for garnish Carefully combine cooled Vanilla Pudding Sauce with 1 cup whipped cream. Coat the inside of a deep 10-inch glass bowl with raspberry preserves to within 1 inch of top. Slice cake horizontally into fourths. Place top slice, crust side up, in bottom of bowl, curving edges of cake upward. Combine rum and sherry; sprinkle about 2 tablespoons over cake slice. Spread 1/3 of chilled pudding mixture over cake. Sprinkle 1/3 of raspberries over pudding. Repeat procedure twice. Cover with remaining cake layer, crust side down. Sprinkle with remaining rum-sherry mixture. Place remaining whipped cream in pastry bag with fluted tip; pipe rosettes around edge of bowl and in center. Top with fresh raspberries. Chill at least 8 hours before serving. Makes 12 servings. Vanilla Pudding Sauce 3/4 cup sugar 2 tablespoons cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 1 (3-inch) piece vanilla bean or 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 large egg, well-beaten 2 tablespoons butter or margarine In heavy saucepan, blend sugar, cornstarch and salt; add milk and vanilla bean; blend well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and bubbly and continue cooking 2 minutes. Stir small amount of hot mixture into beaten egg, return to pan and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat and remove vanilla bean; add butter and stir to blend. Chill thoroughly, covering top with plastic wrap to prevent skin from forming. Back To My Index Page Graphic set purchased from Strevels Graphics