Fabulous Food Fridays: CHRISTMAS MENU

I hate to mention this, but it’s only three weeks until Christmas Day. Giving holidays a countdown as if it were some new earth-shattering event never ever to be seen again seems so commercial. I don’t remember doing this in my youth. That was decades ago.

What I do remember though, was the week before Christmas, usually a Saturday morning, we would pile into the family Buick LeSabre (a huge pearlized light green monstrosity) and drive all the way out to Canarsie. Now Canarsie for those who aren’t from Brooklyn area, was, and I believe still is, not the most desirable of neighborhoods. But it was where the freight trains carrying thousands of Christmas trees from who knows where (probably Canada) would be unloaded and if one was in the know, one could pick the most perfect tree right off the box cars as they were being unloaded, untied and on display for just the chosen few. We were the special folks who knew about this…no street corner tree lots for us. We got ours fresh…just as if we chopped it down ourselves.

This was our “going into the woods to cut down a tree” experience for Brooklynites. But it was a true city experience. Tied safely to the top of the Buick, we then carefully drove the tree all the way back to Bensonhurst where we put up our fragrant seven foot fir in the front room in the front window for all to see from the street. I remember that the radiator which was in the front of the house had to be turned off so as not to dry out the tree. For two weeks we froze our buns off watching television in the living room, wrapped up in Grandma’s handmade afghans. But those branches were as supple soft and pine scented the last day of the holiday (January 6th) as it was the first. Heat be damned!

Now that was a memory! We never counted the days until Santa arrived. He just came. And we had Christmas Eve dinner with seven fishes the night he arrived. And Christmas Day dinner with lots of freshly made ravioli and struffoli and panettone the day after with all the family and toys and holiday cheer.

Just in case you are one of those really organized folks who have a tree up and decorated right after Thanksgiving, the gifts purchased and wrapped and cookies baking in the oven three weeks before Christmas, then you will love to peruse this menu for either Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. If you are a stickler for tradition and have your favorite glazed ham or roast prime rib recipe waiting in the wings, just skip this part of the newsletter.

But for those who are adventurous and courageous, try a crown roast of pork for the star of the show. It’s so easy. The butcher does all the work for you. Just don’t overcook the gorgeous specimen of elegantly presented pork, herbs and a subtle wine sauce. A simple crab cake with mojito mayonnaise for tangy starter and a most divine, creamy no bake Greek yogurt cheese cake for dessert. Made ahead, of course.

This menu has no designation of origins…nothing screams Italian, French, Welsh, Spanish or even Greek, except the unanimously preferred style yogurt. It’s a universally neutral menu. One that no one can possibly find fault with…except the traditionalists in the family.