Recipe for the Holidays

One thing to know, I am the anti-Stewart. As in Martha. The chairs don’t match, actually until the last moment we didn’t even have enough chairs, the wine glasses have never been a matched set, and my plates are chipped. Good times don’t come from a perfectly set table, they come from the love and laughter of friends and family, and that we have in abundance.

I hope everyone had as good a Christmas holiday as we did. Two days before Christmas I was begging Santa to bring me an extra day to get everything done. Instead, Santa told me to get a grip.  What could get done, would get done and the rest probably didn’t matter.

One thing to know, I am the anti-Stewart. As in Martha.  The chairs don’t match, actually until the last moment we didn’t even have enough chairs, the wine glasses have never been a matched set, and my plates are chipped. Good times don’t come from a perfectly set table, they come from the love and laughter of friends and family, and that we have in abundance.

Everyone at the table has aches and worries, but for a few hours, we were all connected and supported by each other. Never, ever underestimate the power of a shared meal.
We observe the Polish tradition of having the festival Vigilla dinner on Christmas Eve and it starts with the sharing of the oplatky. Everyone gets a small piece of the oplatky wafer at their place setting.  And while  the word wafer conjures up tasty images, this is anything but tasty, it’s unflavored cardboard. Right away everyone starts complaining, “Do we have to eat this?”  But, griping is a part of this tradition.
The idea is that you share a piece of your bread with everyone at the table, so you pass your oplatky to the right and everyone takes a little piece of you, and eventually you have some of everybody on your plate.  The trick is to keep track, so the conversations sound like, “Here comes Mike.” “Is this Mom? No, it’s Curtis.” or “Please, come on, take more of me.” (No one wants to get stuck eating a big piece when the cycle is complete.) Eventually it all gets sorted out, my mother reads inspirational words to us, which is the only time the table gets quiet,  and we return to mayhem and mischief and a 12 dish feast.

We eat well, we drink well and we laugh long and loud. And that’s the reason the blog has been quiet, I was far too busy having fun in the kitchen and at the table.  And I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Today a big blizzard is rolling into town, and we’re  cozy at home, eating cherries, savoring a quiet cocktail and getting ready for more festivities later in the week.  It’s gonna be a Bollywood New Years’ so I need to get my costume ready and the curry cooked.

Wishing everyone who stops by Aroma Cucina, a healthy, happy and hearty holiday week!