What people are eating for Christmas dinner
Kerry McCluskey
Northern News Services
Coral Harbour (Dec 06/00) - Christmas is the time of year when people are forced to loosen their belts or, if things get really bad, carve another notch in the leather.
The constant barrage of chocolate, egg nog and turkey has caused more than one trim waistline to expand. That said, it's the perfect time to write about what Nunavummiut are planning to cook up for that all important meal -- Christmas dinner.
With the plethora of Canadian geese roaming the tundra around Coral Harbour, it seemed the ideal place to ask, "What's for dinner?"
A call placed to Louisa Kudluk at the local Hunters and Trappers Association confirmed the idea that more than one resident saved a goose from the spring hunt to boil up on Christmas day. Kudluk had however, just purchased a medium-sized turkey for $38 to cook up for her and her brother.
"We also have salad, meatballs, pies and stuff like that," said Kudluk.
Hamlet employee Cindy Ningeongan said the holiday dinner she went to -- at dear old mom's house -- also brought more than one course to the table.
"We have turkey and all the goodies like stuffing and she makes her own gravy, too. There's ham and egg salad and lots of pies and cheesecakes and she makes a special punch," said Ningeongan.
"And of course we give thanks before we dig into the feast. My mom or dad usually gives the blessing."
Mouth-watering visions of turkeys and cheesecake meant a call had to be placed to Cindy's mom. The result? A tantalizing description of how Elizabeth prepares the meal for 20 or so people.
"We have specially made caribou for the occasion," she said.
"I cut it up into small pieces, fry it and add potatoes, carrots, corn, rice and then bake it in the oven," adding that "it's making me want it right now."
A well-made gravy was also crucial to her dinner, although a turkey just isn't a turkey unless it's properly stuffed.
"I usually make my stuffing from the turkey guts. I mix that with bread crumbs and then spice it up," said Elizabeth.
She also said with last week's birth of her grand-daughter, there'd be an extra place set at this year's festive table.
"She's spending her first Christmas with us," she said.
Over at Leonie's Place, Coral Harbour's renowned hotel famous for its warmth and home-cooking, Ron Duffy said he'd be taking the day off.
"We don't usually have guests at the hotel. We stay home and relax," said Duffy.
The chief cook and bottle-washer, Duffy said he even got the day off and his wife did the Christmas cooking. Although this year, things promise to be a little different in that the family is heading off to the sunnier climes of Tampa Bay for the holiday season.
"I haven't the slightest idea of what we'll eat," said Duffy.
"American turkey probably."
