I don't expect anyone to be surprised when I declare that, for me, the holidays are all about the food. The food embodies the feelings and values that represent the season. Food is my lens for life and it is the subject of the anecdotes that I use to explain abstract concepts. The holidays are, first and foremost, about the values of caring, sharing and love. And the foods we eat are the framework on which I hang these values and share them with my family and friends this time of year.
When you are a child, Christmas is what the adults around you make of it. I was fortunate to be much loved by many adults as a child and to have experienced holidays filled with love, togetherness, fun and.... I'm sure it will surprise no one.... good food. When I became an adult it was up to me to create my own holiday experience. When I got married it was up to us to combine our respective family traditions and distill them into something of our own. And when we became parents we took on the responsibility of creating the Christmas experience that our children will draw on for the rest of their lives. <Ahem. No pressure>
Most of my holidays have been spent with loved ones and at gatherings of families and friends sharing food, memories and good cheer. Pot lucks are the name of that game. And as I made the list of foods that I would prepare this year, I noticed something. Not a single recipe is one that either my husband or I has discovered on our own. None come from published cookbooks but every one is written on an index card or printed from an emailed recipe or has handwritten notes in the margin. And all, with the exception of the Cincinnati Chili, are dishes that only get served once a year.
The Menu
Uncle Dick's Cheese Dip
Pepere's Creton
Grammie's Eggnog
Grandma Kathe's Phyllo Triangles
Uncle Bill's Jalepeno Crab Dip
Grandma Kathe's Kolatches
Cincinnati Chili*
Every dish is a memory . A memory of the times we have shared it with others and of the loved ones who have introduced them into our lives. Family legend has it that Uncle Dick keeps a list of the people who are authorized to know the recipe for his secret cheese dip. A decade ago I went to great lengths to procure as set of vintage Pyrex dishes off Ebay because they were identical to the ones my Pepere used for his Creton recipe. I am certain that it tastes better because of it. And the recipe that I have was dictated to me, by him before he passed away. It consists of a list of ingredients and the directions "Cook together and then "wiz" it." Grammie's Eggnog is easy, quick and leaps and bounds more delicious than anything else you've ever tried. Growing up it was what we drank on tree decorating night but my kids insist that we make a batch for Santa on Christmas Eve. And my mother in law has been trying to kick both the Phyllos and Kolatches from the holiday menu for years but the best she has been able to manage is to enlist the help of others in their preparation. There are other recipes that I have made over the years for similar reasons of sentiment- Auntie Lin's Rum Cake, Memere's Toffee, Mimi's Cherry Winks for example. And my husband puts a can of smoked oysters and a bottle of Tabasco sauce in my stocking every year because it is something my dad and I always enjoyed eating together.
Food at the holidays is an extension of my family and friends. Each recipe reminds me of the person who shared it with us and allows us to connect with those memories and to create new ones for our own children. Food is at its very best when it is shared with good people. Love, togetherness and sharing are values that I want my children to associate both with Christmas and with eating and these foods are one of the ways that I am trying to instill this connection in them.
*Not exactly a "recipe" but we do get the packets of seasoning mix as gifts most years at Christmas.
When you are a child, Christmas is what the adults around you make of it. I was fortunate to be much loved by many adults as a child and to have experienced holidays filled with love, togetherness, fun and.... I'm sure it will surprise no one.... good food. When I became an adult it was up to me to create my own holiday experience. When I got married it was up to us to combine our respective family traditions and distill them into something of our own. And when we became parents we took on the responsibility of creating the Christmas experience that our children will draw on for the rest of their lives. <Ahem. No pressure>
Most of my holidays have been spent with loved ones and at gatherings of families and friends sharing food, memories and good cheer. Pot lucks are the name of that game. And as I made the list of foods that I would prepare this year, I noticed something. Not a single recipe is one that either my husband or I has discovered on our own. None come from published cookbooks but every one is written on an index card or printed from an emailed recipe or has handwritten notes in the margin. And all, with the exception of the Cincinnati Chili, are dishes that only get served once a year.
The Menu
Uncle Dick's Cheese Dip
Pepere's Creton
Grammie's Eggnog
Grandma Kathe's Phyllo Triangles
Uncle Bill's Jalepeno Crab Dip
Grandma Kathe's Kolatches
Cincinnati Chili*
Every dish is a memory . A memory of the times we have shared it with others and of the loved ones who have introduced them into our lives. Family legend has it that Uncle Dick keeps a list of the people who are authorized to know the recipe for his secret cheese dip. A decade ago I went to great lengths to procure as set of vintage Pyrex dishes off Ebay because they were identical to the ones my Pepere used for his Creton recipe. I am certain that it tastes better because of it. And the recipe that I have was dictated to me, by him before he passed away. It consists of a list of ingredients and the directions "Cook together and then "wiz" it." Grammie's Eggnog is easy, quick and leaps and bounds more delicious than anything else you've ever tried. Growing up it was what we drank on tree decorating night but my kids insist that we make a batch for Santa on Christmas Eve. And my mother in law has been trying to kick both the Phyllos and Kolatches from the holiday menu for years but the best she has been able to manage is to enlist the help of others in their preparation. There are other recipes that I have made over the years for similar reasons of sentiment- Auntie Lin's Rum Cake, Memere's Toffee, Mimi's Cherry Winks for example. And my husband puts a can of smoked oysters and a bottle of Tabasco sauce in my stocking every year because it is something my dad and I always enjoyed eating together.
Food at the holidays is an extension of my family and friends. Each recipe reminds me of the person who shared it with us and allows us to connect with those memories and to create new ones for our own children. Food is at its very best when it is shared with good people. Love, togetherness and sharing are values that I want my children to associate both with Christmas and with eating and these foods are one of the ways that I am trying to instill this connection in them.
*Not exactly a "recipe" but we do get the packets of seasoning mix as gifts most years at Christmas.