If Christmas is your thing then your family more than likely had a Christmas Eve "tradition" as far as food is concerned. Mine was a hearty New England chowder, rich and thick. It was never meant to be a "formal" meal, who could really keep the kids in their seats for more than a few minutes with thoughts of The Big Man running electric under their skin. As the youngest, I'd steal away to the hearth, a chunk of sourdough plopped on the bricks, a fire raging at my back, the bowl of soup perched precariously on my lap. No chance of spillage, it was that good. Walnuts and tangerines served as dessert, the shells and rinds popping and hissing when thrown to the fire. No argument to those as treats, as all would be on their best behavior. Chocolates, pies, and the rest could wait for the next day, harsh words surely would be heard by Mr. C. (Yeah, I'd drunk deeply from the "he's real" Kool-Aid.) Later in life, with time and travel often substituting friends for family, I expanded the pot of clams with scallops, large shrimp, and whatever thick, fatty fish (halibut, cod, etc.) was most available where I found myself in the world. The decadent meal of standing rib roast with all the fixings, everyone dressed in their "Sunday best", would represent Christmas Day (as well as an homage to my family's time spent living in northern England before my arrival).
Tonight we veer, but with no loss to our plates or bellies. We'll be with good friends Daniel and Rosie, their twin 7 year old boys providing the pre-Santa energy. The table will swell with friends and family, and while there will be no chowder, we will not suffer. Shrimps rolls will keep all at bay while the rest is assembled: Miyagi oysters, roasted butternut squash soup (with créme fraîche, of course), Kate's raviolis of toasted walnuts (from our trees in Charmé) and ricotta in sage butter and fresh chanterelle, followed by lobsters and sauteed swiss chard (heaped in roasted garlic). A bit of greens and a few offerings from our visit the other day to Cowgirl Creamery in Point Reyes Station will finish us off. At least, that is, until we summon the space for my wife's family tradition of bouche de Nöel.
Be it your holiday or not, may all find themselves with plates loaded, glasses full, and tables crowded. (Recipes on request.)
Chez Gautier Cooking School: http://www.chez-gautier.com
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