Our holiday celebrations are shaping up pretty much the same way they do every year. Well, actually, things have been on the crazy busy side for us lately, even by our standards, so Hanukkah got the most perfunctory nod. But we’ll make up for it by celebrating Christmas as generations of Jewish families have—and as we always do.
Christmas Eve will find us in Chinatown, a family tradition for almost two decades now. Christmas Day will find us at the movies. Our own peculiar twist on this tradition is that we rarely see the “feel good movie of the year” on Christmas. Past selections have included Blood Diamond, The Constant Gardener and Munich. This year’s leading contender is Spotlight. It’s not that we find the holiday a somber one—we just like good movies.
Then at some point, we’ll make a simple meal at home. No lavish spread with a ham or beef roast. This year, I’m thinking Provençal-style roast chicken legs. A couple of sides and some good wine.
Making our plans, such as they are, got me thinking about traditions and how they comfort us all. When our daughters were small and we lived in St. Louis, at the end of our Thanksgiving dinner, we would pile into the car and drive to the Anheuser-Busch brewing plant to see the lights. They were spectacular, stretching for several blocks and culminating with a tall, splendid tree at each end. This would be the first of many visits of the season, both with and without kids.
Now that we’re in Chicago, our substitute is the house in the photo above on Logan Boulevard in our Logan Square neighborhood. It changes from year to year. This year seems somehow more elegant, if such can be said of this kind of million-kilowatt exuberance.
Tradition is clearly woven into the fabric of food. In big ways, of course, in family feasts and national identities, but in small ways too. Traditions, rituals, muscle memory as we chop onions, smash garlic and cook something the way we’ve done it so, so many times before.
A lot of the pleasure of cooking, at least for me, comes from such moments. The other night, I made a basic red sauce for pasta. For a long time, it had been pretty much a weekly part of the rotation, but for some reason, I hadn’t made it for months. Pulling out the heavy French copper pot I always use for the sauce, I felt an immediate sense of well-being. As much as we like experimenting and exploring in the kitchen, the familiar can be so wonderfully familiar.
Happy holidays, everyone. Embrace your traditions, big and small.
Happy holiday, Terry and Marion. And this Boston girl highly recommends Spotlight for your film choice!
We used to have pasta with a basic sauce every week, too. Have gotten out of that habit — really should get back into it. Simple is often best, isn’t it? Happy holidays!
Happy Holidays to you too! (And though I haven’t seen it, friends highly recommended Spotlight to me.)
I like the way you think. Merry Happy, you two. (As for spectacles, in Altadena, we have Xmas Tree Lane and the ridiculously attired ice cream house. )
Every holiday throughout the year is filled with my mother’s traditional recipes ~ her legacy to us. My grandson may not really remember her, but my granddaughter insists just as strongly as my daughter does that we don’t leave any of “Gigi’s” recipes out (G.G. for great grandma.)
Happy Holidays to you both and your family! If I don’t get by next week, Happy New Year as well!
Have a great one….here is to simplicity:)
Have loved so many of your recipes. You do need to re-do movies and Chinese on Christmas, just as we celebrate Jewish traditions and holiday food on Jewish holidays. Just part of our cosmopolitan NY former background. Love all that celebrate beautiful traditions. Potato pancakes, kugul, pot roast, etc. Tweaked version of all, but we are a family of many traditions. Blessings and joy.
Thanks so much, everyone! Lydia and Anita, I think Spotlight will probably be the movie of choice. Karin, photo please. Dani and Barbara, sounds like you have traditions nailed.
Happy holidays, Marion and Terry. It’s our first winter holiday season in St-Cirq and we are loving every minute of it. The facteur just delivered a copy of the original “Amahl and the Night Visitors,” there’s a huge fire burning in the wood stove, and I’m making an enormous pot of my seafood bourride to take tomorrow to share with our new friends and neighbors.
We’ve been fêted over and over by neighbors and friends in the past few weeks. We are sated with foie gras and roast chapon and wild boar and cèpes and chestnuts and Champagne and Montbazillac and all manner of lovely foodstuffs. In simple farm homes and the local manor house. It’s all wonderful. Such a bounty.
Come when you can. The house is finally squeaky clean in so far as a centuries-old place can be, and ready for visitors.
Bonnes Fêtes à Tous!
Happy holidays, Mellen and Steve. Sounds absolutely blissful.