So after posting about parapets yesterday, I had that Decembrist song “Infanta” in my head all day.
“And all across the parapets a multitude of coronets…”
Grrr… not exactly the music I was looking for. Though I do love that elephant trumpeting.
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas around here, not least because the lobby of our building is playing carols twenty-four seven and all anyone will talk about is how behind they are on shopping. And after last week’s snow, well, it’s all downhill from here. This weekend, I’m going with friends to see the D.C. Revels, and I’m so excited! they put on such a great show.
So this Christmas is being spent with Sailor Boy’s family, which has led to some interesting conversations about various Christmas traditions. The other day, I walked in on SB and his mother debating the main dish at Christmas dinner. “Ham,” suggests SB’s mom. “Turkey,” SB argues. I sit there and blink for a few moments. “Wait, you don’t have lasagna and prime rib?”
So I mentioned this to another friend of Italian extraction and she said, “Oh yeah, lasagna on Christmas Eve, roast beef for Christmas Dinner.” Thank you! You crazy Northern Europeans and your crazy geese and turkeys and hams.
And though I only had one Christmas of it, I still think of it every time the season rolls around: Pavlova. Dear lord, I love Pavlova. I love listening to Kiwis and Aussies debate who it “belongs” to while I eat Pavlova. the first year SB and I lived here, I attempted to make Pavlova, and I failed miserably. I am not good with meringues. Meringues and crusts. This year, I am on a campaign to have my chef friend create for me Pavlova. I even like saying Pavlova. Mmmmm, Pavlova.
Pavlova and lasagna. And wine. That sounds like a Christmas dinner to me!
December 13th, 2007 at 8:19 am
Crust and meringue take practice, that’s all
Keep at it. It will come out perfect one time.
We have tenderloin with bearnaise Christmas eve, and I ruin the bearnaise every time. One year it was like scrambled eggs. *g*
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 9:05 am
*Bill is salivating in Pavlovan fashion at all this yummy talk of food*
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 9:31 am
We always have apple dumplings with milk for Christmas Eve dinner. Then on Christmas day we put out a buffet-style platter with rye bread, really good Swiss cheese, vegetarian “ham”, and lettuce, pickes, etc., plus a big bowl of homemade potato salad, and various cold pies (apple, raisin, cherry and pumpkin usually). Then we graze all day. Started the tradition when I was a kid so that the whole day could be spent enjoying all the Christmas loot, and no one would be cooking or cleaning up the kitchen. This particularly works for me now, since otherwise I’d be the one stuck cooking and cleaning up — much more fun to test out my son’s new video games, then curl up on the couch with a good book.
Sorry such a long post– I love talking about Christmas.
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 10:06 am
We’re having roll-your-own-sushi for Christmas this year. Yummmmm.
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 11:05 am
Our Christmas was always rib roast. But the thing I remember more is that we ALWAYS have those pillsbury cinnamon rolls (the ones from the long can/tube). It’s a HUGE tradition for us.
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 11:24 am
We’ll be having turkey too, over at Science Guy’s sisters. My mom makes Prime Rib for Christmas always and I’ll miss it.
The lasagna on Christmas Eve is new to me, but sounds yummy!
I’ll make the dessert but nothing as fab as the one you’re talking about.
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 12:31 pm
Turkey AND ham.
[Reply]
December 13th, 2007 at 1:18 pm
Unless you are Italian-Cuban, in which case you have Noche Buena on Christmas Eve (roast pork, black beans and rice, platanos, etc.) and manicotti with sausage on Christmas day…though since I end up with the Northern European husband’s family on Christmas Day, it’s ham. Always ham.
[Reply]
December 14th, 2007 at 10:28 am
Oh YUMMMMMM! Curse you for making me think of pavlova when there’s no pavlova in my future!
[Reply]