christmas merriment

Christmas. It's one day past, 364 until the next.

There are plenty of presents and four giggling children. And of course, there is the Christ Child. My Savior. But when he created me he gave me tastebuds; possibly, the greatest Christmas present ever received. Around here, we don't dream of sugar plums. We dream of yorkshire pudding and prime ribs. We wait, we salivate for the Christmas food.

Breakfast

• williams-sonoma croissants
• chive scrambled eggs
• cherry bacon from Sparrow Market
• sliced fresh pineapple
• eggnog latte
• virgin Marys (with a declaration from Dad that "It's been a while since he's had a virgin ... Mary"- seriously?)
  

Snacks and Apps

You've had a late filling breakfast during break from present opening. You know you're going to have a rich dinner, but you need a little snack in the early afternoon to tide you over.

various crackers & breadsticks, prosciutto (can't live without it), brie, comte, beemster aged gouda, zingerman's pimento cheese, marinated mushrooms, green spanish olives

nantucket bay scallops seared with a balsamic reduction


cranberry prosecco

Dinner

• spinach salad with poached shrimp, pomegranate seeds, mild gorgonzola simply dressed with Joseph vinegar, my favorite french olive oil and maldon sea salt.

(apologies for the poor picture quality - I was exhausted)

• beef tenderloin from Sparrow roasted with a mustard herb paste :: topped with a mushroom cabernet cream
  
• truffled mashed potatoes (mashed in the food mill and combined with truffle butter and white truffle oil, with sour cream)
• roasted broccoli tossed in pistachio paste

Dessert

• christmas cookies
• cannolis, mail ordered from Mike's Pastry (an Anastasio tradition) - (I left my heart in Boston, after all)
• homemade kahlua with a dash of calder cream