For our neighbors to the North, the day after Christmas looks a lot like our Black Friday, a time for competitive bargain hunting. But this “bank holiday” goes way back to pre-retailing times.

Thanks to Wikipedia for filling us in on the nitty gritty: As long ago as the 17th century, this day was traditionally recognized as a time for the upper crust to be charitable and generous to the people working for you. Right before you hopped onto a steed and gallop off on a fox hunt!

Naturally, I was curious about the menu for this under-the-radar holiday. Sure, I’ve seen the 2001 film Bridget Jones Diary a dozen or so times, and I adore the scene where Ms. B meets the stuffy Mark Darcy over a Boxing Day buffet of turkey curry. Could that be the quasi-official dish of the day celebrated in England and Canada?

I love the idea of dispatching leftovers into a aromatic stew flavored with that intriguing mix of spices known by its generic title “curry powder”. I’ve long been marinating on the idea of creating my own curry powder, something that’s long on notes of tumeric and cumin, cardamon and fenugreek, but a little lighter on the fiery chilis. Which is why I finally invested in spice grinder.

This isn’t one of those instances where a small appliance has got to multi-task. It’s not going to be a coffee bean-slash-spice grinder. It’s going to be dedicated to the task of turning whole herbs and spices into powdered versions that can be blended together. 

For the skinny on that process, I turned to a super nifty cookbook I’ve had a lot of fun playing with, 660 Curries by Raghavan Iyer. I love the straightforward how-to in this thick tome, describing the best way to make your own curry powder. The most important thing to remember about getting the most out of almost any spice is to gently heat it first in a dry saute pan, releasing its essential oils and maximizing the flavor. The fragrance this creates is unbelieveable. Just be careful not to take it too far, too fast.

Because my family had leg of lamb for Christmas dinner, our Boxing Day buffet will feature Lamb Vindaloo instead of Turkey Curry. Can’t wait! What’s on your Boxing Day menu?

— Leslie Kelly