another holiday has past and i'm shell-shocked in its wake; once again amazed at how much energy and passion we (my friends/family and i) gather in the weeks before Christmas just to blow it all on one day, in an atomic blast of eating, drinking and a cloud of shredded wrapping paper.
here's the re-cap:
in case you didn't know, Christmas Eve is the big holiday for Italians. we do it up with enormous seafood dinners which usually start at 4pm and should end around 11 (for those good Roman Catholics who still go to Midnight Mass, who then come home and begin eating red meat till all hours). my family hasn't gone to any mass in years (save weddings, funerals and christenings), so we just keep eating till midnight. in a return to a tradition from years past, Jenn and her husband came for dinner, and a good time was had by all; even those of us who don't regularly partake in seafood (aside from the occasional sushi roll or 2). in addition to the appetizers Stephen and i made and brought (Roasted Garlic spread, Sundried Tomato and Artichoke Tapanade, Flatbread and "Tangy Gouda Gems [mini-tart shells with Smoked Gouda and Pepper Jam]) the menu was the same as it's been since i was a toddler: Linguini with Red Seafood sauce (crabs, lobster-tails and clams), Shrimp Cocktail, Shrimp Scampi, Fish-Salad (Pulpo [octopus], Calamari [squid], and Shrimp, tossed with garlic and olive oil), fried Scallops, Broccoli Rabe (with garlic and oil), Antipasto Salad (Roasted Red Peppers, Black Olives and Artichoke Hearts), Spinach Pie (think spinach quiche made with riccotta and mozzarella), Sauteed Mushrooms in Marsala and (since i don't really eat any of the fish) Chicken Scampi. then came the candy/fruit/nut course and finally the Cookies and Dessert course. we didn't leave till about 1am, and i can honestly say i didn't overeat or leave feeling stuffed (which isn't really surprising since i only ate the chicken, linguini and some cookies).
it was alot of fun seeing Jenn and Brian, they really are a trip. My family absolutely adores Jenn (before i came out, my dad was convinced she and i were going to get married despite all my protests) and she's really become part of the family. she and i exchanged gifts and i was elated to find another Penzy's box, this time containing all sorts of grilling/broiling spices and rubs as well as gorgeous handcarved wooden turtle magnet.
it was also nice to spend time with my family (believe it or not), we did something we haven't done in a very long time: sat around the table talking casually. i mean, sure: there was yelling and cursing about politics and religion, but that's how my family communicates (particularly my brother and father). incidentally, my sister-in-law is due any day now and we were all a bit concerned that she'd go into labor before the coffee was served. thankfully she was able to hold off. we're laying odds on whether or not we'll ring in the New Year in the hospital...
"Chelsea Clinton is a whore"~ my dad, 12/24
1 comment:
Glad you had a nice holiday and plenty to eat!
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