80 DAYS TO NEW YEARS! (#55)

For The Love Of Fruitcake

​Holidays are filled with many traditions.  Though many might celebrate the same holidays, each family has its own special way of bringing the joy of the holiday into their home and life. 

​It is our background and culture that help shape the way we celebrate the holidays, making it unique and meaningful to each of us. It’s not only the region where we were born and raised that plays a major role in our celebrations, but also individual family’s customs and preferences that are handed down from generation to generation.
 
Food is featured prominently in our holiday customs—its flavor and presentation are greatly affected by tradition.
 
Let’s talk fruitcake. Fruitcake has been one of my favorite foods for many years. However, it was never included on our family holiday menus—that’s why I never bothered to find a recipe and prepare it—occasionally I just get it in the store. However, living and traveling all over the world allowed me the opportunity to explore the many different variations of this holiday tradition. After treating myself to this cake outside of the United States, I understand why many Americans don’t care for it—and why it has become the source of many jokes.

Fortunately, my Romanian friend keeps her family’s tradition alive: Not only does she bring it to her own household and family, but also she brings it to me along with the splendid flavor I experienced while being abroad.
 
With my passion for cooking, I reached out to her, asking if she would share the recipe. “Don’t worry about it. It’s easier for me to just make it for you,” she said.
I figured the language barrier was in her way—writing a recipe in English would take her out of her comfort zone. I finally convinced her to teach me how to bake it.

As I stand in my kitchen and go through the steps she taught me, I promise you this: if this fruitcake unfolds in my house, in my kitchen, in my oven as it does in my memories from the days I lived in Europe, I’ll invite you to my kitchen and share the recipe with you.
 
If you happen to have a “to die for” fruitcake recipe (with the sauce that goes with it), please send it my way.
 
I wish you a delicious holiday.
​
Michelle