Wednesday, November 21, 2001

Welcome to your next issue of "The Eclectic Cooking Newsletter".
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested a subscription.
Unsubscribe instructions are at the very bottom of this newsletter.


Lydia Jensen, Editor: Lydiajj@get2net.dk
Lars Jensen, Webmaster/Publisher: Lars@Eclecticcooking.com

For this week's edition, you may visit:
www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm



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=> Password
=> Cooking magazines
=> EclecticCooking.com contest!

=> Thanksgiving poll question
=> Article
=> How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer
=> New Recipes of the Week
=> Hot Tip
=> Fruit/vegetable in focus
=> Joke/Story of the Week
=> Next week's Issue
=> Subscribe/Unsubscribe information

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                                          Your password

Your password to the members' section is:   membersOnly

Please include the capital 'O' and type exactly as shown! The member's
section can be found at http://www.eclecticcooking.com/password.htm
which has all of our past articles, tips and jokes - Plus, something
extra:)

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                                  Cooking magazines, (a quick note)

   As promised, we have added cooking magazines of all sorts on our web site. 

All have a free trial option, which means you can ask for a complete refund if you 

are not happy with your choice. There is a huge selection for you here: 

http://www.eclecticcooking.com/magazines.htm along with some really good offers

this November. Save 58% on Cooking Light Magazine! (11 issues)


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                                 EclecticCooking.com Contest 9 days left!

Maybe some of you could have the best Thanksgiving ever and win the first prize! 

First prize is an entire home entertainment system! Other prizes are, an mp3 player, 

PALM IIIC and gift certificates to Barns and Noble. Try your luck here: http://eclectic-cooking.subportal.com/perl/oncontest.pl
There are 9 days left to sign up. Happy Thanksgiving and good luck!

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                                            Thanksgiving poll question

 

Last week we had a poll question on our web site asking if you were going to 

celebrate Thanksgiving. As we predicted, the majority of you said that you were

going to celebrate Thanksgiving (over 90%) It is also important to note that 

Thanksgiving is celebrated a great deal more in North America than compared

to Europe for example. We have 70%+ of our readers from North America so

the results were pretty much what we expected.  Do you agree? How did you

 celebrate Thanksgiving? What country were you in?

 

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                                                 Article


Many countries celebrate a form of feasting or thanking.  Some of the
earliest celebrations took place in Greece.  From there the custom of
celebrating a good harvest or fruitful year spread to other parts of the
world including Europe and the Americas.  Although we could not
possibly write about all the forms of Thanksgiving celebrations in
Europe and/or the rest of the world, we have selected three countries
which we thought might interest our readers:  the U.S.A., Germany
and Denmark.

The U. S. A.
The first Thanksgiving celebration in the U.S. took place in 1621 after a
first year in the new  world and a successful  year of planting and harvesting.
The Pilgrims shared the day with the native American Indians.  Since then
the custom has been celebrated  through the years. Thanksgiving Day is
now an annual American custom. Since 1863 when President Abraham
Lincoln designated a national day of Thanksgiving, each succeeding
president has issued a Thanksgiving Day proclamation which is the
fourth Thursday of each November.

It is a time for families to worship together, socialize,  relax, watch TV., catch   
up on family events, go to the movies and enjoy a good meal together. It is a
time to take a moment to thank and/or reflect on the past year.

Germany
Thanksgiving is a religious celebration in many parts of Germany.  In some
areas the celebration is called Thanksgiving in other areas it is called
harvest celebration.  The celebration can last up to three days.  The event
begins with a festively decorated tractor and wagon or a pull cart which is
driven or pulled through the village until it reaches the town square.   A young
girl in national costume is selected and crowned and then the dancing begins.
Although Thanksgiving is primarily a festive occasion or a festivity, the
underlying purpose of the event is to be thankful for the prosperous year
and/or the rich harvest.

Thanksgiving or harvest celebration takes place on the first Sunday of
October with a special church service.  A beautiful display of local fruits
and vegetables as well as grains and breads are set up before the altar as
symbols of gratitude to God.  Afterwards all the produce may be donated
to the needy.

In the wine growing areas of Germany, Thanksgiving is celebrated with
cider, new and old wine, food and dancing when the last grapes have been
picked.

Denmark
Denmark has a similar celebration called Morten's Evening on November 10.
This is celebrated with a dinner of duck (sometimes turkey).  Danes enjoy
"winter hygge" or winter coziness.  From late November until late January the
mornings and evenings are dark quite early.  There may be no sun, but Danes
light a lot of candles.  There are many burning candles visible in the windows
of the homes of the people. Candles give a warm cozy light.  Danish "hygge" is
very important in the winter.  The closest word to English is "hug".  Hug and
hygge seem to stem from the old Norwegian "hugga" - to soothe.  It is the
feeling of a warm glow or hug that a lit candle provides. Winter and darkness,
darkness and candles, candles and hygge all go together.

Although Danes do not celebrate Thanksgiving the way the Americans
celebrate it, many Americans living in Denmark celebrate together  or with
Danes and Americans.  Americans in Europe tend to have traditional
Thanksgiving dinners - turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes and sweet
potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce and pies.  Pumpkin pie does not come
from the can; it comes fresh from the pumpkin.  Thanksgiving is not a
national holiday in Denmark, so many Americans celebrate the event
with friends on the weekend with soft music, lit candles and "hygge".


This week's edition:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

 


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                      How to Be Featured as our Guest Writer:

Please contact the editor or Email your article to:
Lydia Jensen at Eclectic Cooking: Lydiajj@get2net.dk

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                        Added recipes for November 21

                                   
To keep our newsletter short but informative, you may click on the links
below. This will mean a much shorter newsletter download for you.

This week's recipes:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/whatnew.htm

Article:        Thanksgiving
Recipes:       Vichyssoise
                  Turkey with Ground Veal Stuffing
                  Potato Soufflé
                  Mandarin, Celery and Walnut Salad
                  Green Beans with Onions and Bacon Bits
                  Spiced Peaches
                  Pumpkin Chiffon Pie

This week's edition:
http://www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

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                                                      Hot Tip


If you are using freshly cooked pumpkin or sweet potatoes, you can have both 

smooth as butter.  Put the sweet potatoes or cooked pumpkin in a large bowl 

and use an electric mixer at high speed.  Beat for a few seconds, then reduce 

the speed to low.  Disconnect the beater, hold it over the sink and spray rinse 

it. You will be surprised at how many strings are on those beaters.  Repeat the 

process again. You will have smooth potatoes or pumpkin.


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                                         Fruit/Vegetable in focus

Dates - Phoenix dactylifera

The Date  is a very old cultured plant which has been grown vastly in the 

African-Asian dessert belt. It is also the main source of nutrition for many Arabs. 

Dates are often eaten plain but are also good in fruit salads and with cheese. In 

the Arabic kitchen Dates are often used in recipes, either fresh, dried or 

preserved. When preparing Datess, the peel is removed and the stone is 

removed.  Dates last best in plastic bags in the refrigerator for about 14 days. 

They can also be frozen. They are available all year round in most places.


Pictures and more fruits & vegetables here: www.online-cooking-recipes.com

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                                             Jokes and Stories


Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you will find them at the end of 

your arms.  As you grow older, you will discover that you have two hands - one

 for helping yourself and the other for helping others.

Audrey Hepburn

 

Take a look at what thanksgiving is like without Martha Stewart

 http://www.laughingitup.com/martha.html


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                              Next Week's Issue, November 28


Article:    The First Sunday of Advent
Recipes:   Cocoa-Cappuccino
               Gluewein (Hot Mulled Wine)
               Hot Apple Wine
               Aebleskiver (Pancake Balls)
               Gingerbread Cookies

www.eclecticcooking.com/CookingRecipes.htm

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Please feel free to pass along/email this newsletter to family or a friend.

They are also welcome to subscribe at:
update@Eclecticcooking.com

Recipes and funny stories/jokes can be Emailed to
Lars@Eclecticcooking.com

(For advertising rates please contact, Lars@eclecticcooking.com)

What do you think of our newsletter? Do you have any comments about the
article, recipes, jokes, etc.?

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                        Copyright 2001 Eclectic Cooking
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