ellen_datlow | A delicious holiday

I ate too much--cheese and bread and some kind of smoked cod and a clammy dip on toast and incredible homemade charcutier by Sid (one of the regular guests at my friend's annual Christmas dinner). Then goose and scalloped potatoes, and brussel sprouts and I drank too much (champagne and then red wine and finally bas Armagnac).

Beforehand, my friend Donni and I exchanged gifts (birthday as well as xmas) at my place. She's decided I need things that eventually disappear--like food and drink--so she brought me an intriguing looking bottle of white wine from Oregon and a bottle of red, some chocolate mint Baileys, an olive oil dip for bread, and a wine set with corkscrew, stopper, foil cutter, and wine ring (I don't know what the latter is for)...

Previously, I'd opened gifts that came by mail: a nice bottle of shampoo/bath oil from my friend Suzi and a wondrous Bosch sculpture from Mikey and Richard (of the amazing Cougar Gold Cheddar cheese) called "The Temptation of St Anthony.

I still have a bunch of gifts to exchange over the next week and beyond: New Year's eve I'll be having dinner at my friend Ellie's where we will exchange gifts and hopefully Rob K and his fiance Gwen will be attending so we can exchange our gifts. Then a New Year's Day brunch where a whole bunch of other gifts will be exchanged.

And then I still have my friend John, who I promised to visit to his new house upstate in January and my sister...and there might be a few things still winging their way to me from out of town friends...so it's a monthly ritual this year, not a one day thingie.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ooh, goose, yummy.

We had duck and parsley potatoes, stuffed cabbage and chocolate cake, chestnut puree, wine, and no cheese afterwards. I'm stuffed for the week.

What was the chestnut puree used for? to put on the cake? I loooove anything with chestnuts.

No, it's a separate dessert. I make it with lots of rum, added to the puree, a little sugar and vanilla, topped with whipped cream. It is my favorite holiday dessert.

It sounds incredible.

SO coming over next year. Ummm, where do you live? ;-)

It's already next year. I live in Florida, so you can just hop over any time.

I had the same reaction...me too? me too?

Of course, you too. Just hop over when you're down here visiting your parents.

I'll be in Orlando for ICFA in March. Not visiting my folks then because the triangulation is too expensive.

Not to mention troublesome. I believe we have the worst public transportation in the States.

chestnut puree w/ rum AND warm weather & sunshine!

See you in December! *waves from the frozen Northlands*

Chestnut puree with rum but no sunshine. It was 37 this morning, which I cherished.

Orange Slush weather!

It may be that warm up here by tomorrow.

It's been pretty chilly here in NYC for the last two days. Warmer weather forecast tomorrow. But where's MY snow?

I'd love to have a little snow; hadn't see snow in two years.

A delicious holiday

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

I am...

Re: I am...

Re: I am...

Re: I am...

Re: I am...

Re: I am...

oooh....

Re: oooh....

indeed!

Re: indeed!

Re: indeed!