Countdown to Christmas 8 - Where in the world?

from http://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/barker/christmas/christmas.html
Christmas Cake in Four Quarters

Where else in the world is the Christmas fruitcake? Here are just a few of the more well known....

Germany: Stollen is a traditional fruitcake for Christmas. It is loaf shaped and dredged with powdered icing sugar. The most famous recipe is the Dresden stollen sold at the equally famous Christmas markets. However, I tasted an absolutely scrumptious stollen just a couple of days ago (right in the heart of Newcastle NSW Australia) and that's what inspired this blog post.

Italy : I think they like fruitcake in Italy? Panforte is a heavy Tuscan cake , from the traditions of 13th century, heavily spiced and baked in a shallow pan. Panettone is a another sweet fruit cake, made with dried and glace fruits. Also well known is the fruitcake from Genoa. I remember it filled with lots of glace cherries, but I am not sure if this is what is called Pandolce.

Ireland: Barmbrack was traditionally eaten at Halloween - a fruitcake with special charms which predicted the fortune of the person who ate the slice of cake.

"Barmbrack is a traditional Irish cake eaten on holidays. After pouring into the prepared pan, it is tradition to add objects to the barmbrack which symbolize certain things for the person who receives each in their slice. Thoroughly clean objects before adding them to the barmbrack. These objects can be pressed into the bottom of the loaf after baking instead: coin-wealth or good fortune; ring-will marry within the year; bean-poverty; pea-will not marry within the year; matchstick-unhappy marriage; thimble-single for life." from http://allrecipes.com/recipe/162072/irish-barmbrack/

Portugal : Bolo Rei ( the King's cake) has its origins in France, but is now a popular cake for Christmas. It is usually made with a hold in the centre - a crown - with lots of crystallized fruits and nits. A fava bean ( broad bean) is usually placed inside the cake and whoever receives the bean makes the bolo rei for the following year. The story of the bean dates back to the Magi, who supposedly met a baker on their way to greet the Baby Jesus, and he gave them a cake with a bean baked inside . The baker told them whoever got the bean had to give Jesus the first gift.

Spain : Bollo de Higo ( Fig bun) is a traditional fruit cake with figs, other dried fruits and nuts, shaped by hand into a roll. I have never tasted this, but others say it is a little like Italian panforte.

I am sure there are many other countries who have a fruitcake tradition, and of course I will devote a whole post to the English tradition later in the blog, but these are the ones I think are most known....

However, I came across the digital book :Christmas Cake in Four Quarters (1871) where the story wanders from England, to Jamaica, to India and to New Zealand.... so something for you to follow up if you are interested in the multi-cultural experiences of Christmas fruitcake.
Tomorrow :? It will be a surprise for you and me!

Too Precious to Waste

Stitched tea bags/ old doily "tea lights" - Wilma Simmons More than a year ago, a decision was made. The annual exhibition of NCEATA ( Newcastle Creative Embroiderers and Textile Artists) 2015-2016 will have the theme "Mottainai". Mottainai in Japanese refers to more than just physical waste (resources). It is even used to refer to thought patterns that give rise to wasteful action. Grammatically, it can be used in Japanese as an exclamation ("mottainai!") or as an adjective phrase ("it feels mottainai"). There is no plural form. The collection of mottainai things could be called mottainai koto ( もったいない事 ? ). As an exclamation ("mottainai!") it means roughly "what a waste!" or "Don't waste." [2] A simple English equivalent is the saying "waste not, want not." A more elaborate meaning conveys a sense of value and worthiness and may be translated as "do not destroy (or lay waste to) that

Fish and Sticks : Art Dolls

This week I've been working on fish and sticks .... The sticks are the message stick art dolls which were very popular, attracting some attention and a few orders at the Wise Women exhibition. Each of the message stick dolls are from the Wise Women series, each with her own personality and message of wisdom, handwritten on a handmade timber tag. I gather the sticks during my walks around my neighbourhood and the tags are made from special bits of timber, some collected by me or my husband or from off cuts gifted to us from another doll making friend whose husband makes bagpipes. These dolls start off very simply with a wrap around a stick, in the general shape of a body. 'Naked" message stick dolls - strips of wadding wrapped around found sticks. Then I usually wrap other layers of fabric, wool, and/or fibres, over which I do some simple embroidery. I sculpt or mould small face masks for these dolls. I really like using "sari ribbon" as wrapping str

May I Present Mrs Chalumeau...

Finally Mrs Chalumeau takes a bow …She is a Pearly Queen … 695 buttons on the doll and 10 on the journal.(I think – could be more). I would like to thank Paula from Antiques and Collectables here in Hamilton, Newcastle and Raku Buttons ETSY seller for supplying me with about 500 of the vintage mother of pearl buttons, and the rest I had in my stash. I think they look great on my pearly queen, but I am truly tired of sewing on buttons. It made me think however, how many buttons must be on the elaborate clothes of the real pearly Kings and Queens! I drew my inspiration from the lovely lady pictured here, and the following description from Wikipedia. ... A Pearly King ( feminine form Pearly Queen) is a person dressed in a traditional Cockney costume covered in mother-of-pearl buttons. These costumes were treasured heirlooms, hand made and sometimes representing much of a family's wealth. .... This doll is all cloth – a little different from most of my other dolls which generally h

Empress Wu Designs with Wilma

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