Since I work in a hospital, and we don’t have kids, I always work Christmas Day. We go out for dinner on Christmas Eve, tonight we’ll be dining at Bond at The Langham Hotel.
After I get home from work, we prepare a bunch of appetizers, and we have a drink, eat some apps, open some presents, repeat.
Oh, that is so sweet!
The report: Since our Christmas Eve plan for a cheese plate happened a few days early, we decided to order Thai from Khao Hom in Billerica for Christmas Eve. Thanks to @Ferrari328 for pointing out on his blog that those good folks would be open on Christmas Eve.
As a result my husband and I had time to clean the house, set a nice table, and invite our neighbor to join us for a festive meal. My neighbor once told me that she enjoys Thai food. And I also know that having reached a certain age, my neighbor chooses not to drive at night which also means she doesn’t get out for dinner. May we all live as long and be as wise.
We three humans spent a convivial Christmas Eve at the table, plus our dog who was curled up beneath. Waiting. For. Treats.
Then my husband and I spent a tranquil Christmas Day being able to get outside with the dog, with a relaxed schedule of getting a small pork roast and delicata squash into the oven in the late afternoon. A simple Serious Eats reverse sear recipe was our friend for a juicy, tasty pork roast. And our neighbor had given us a dish of witlof (a kind of of Belgian endive gratin) that went into the oven to bake as the pork browned.
Appetizers and a glass of bubbles helped pass the time while Christmas dinner cooked.
A stay-at-home, no-stress Christmas turned out to be a welcome gift this year.
My family always meets up on Xmas Eve or Xmas day, depending on my sister’s plans with the in-laws. This was our first Xmas without my dad, so the gathering was a bit muted this year.
We’ve been doing hotpot for the last few years, and it seems to be the preferred meal now. It does feel like perhaps every other Chinese family does the same, because I swear the local Chinese markets were packed and everyone was buying hotpot meats. We typically have so much leftovers, we spend the week wasting the rest of the meats, veggies and noodles.
Sounds like an ideal holiday, I am envious. I can’t think of a better way to enjoy holiday spirit then spending it with a neighbor who might be alone otherwise. Though I’m certain it benefitted and was appreciated by your neighbor, in the end it is usually the host who gains something you can’t quantify by giving the gift of fellowship.
There is absolutely nothing I enjoy more than walking our dogs on Christmas and Thanksgiving. The city is so quiet and peaceful. It didn’t hurt that Christmas Eve and Day were both spectacular days.
Finally, roasted delicata squash was on our Christmas Eve menu as well. I have been completely addicted to this variety recently.
Happy Holidays to the Boston et all HO members. My son was home from Bos this year but we sure do enjoy the celebrations in Boston annually.
Best to you and yours,
Rooster
Truth. Plus our neighbor spoils our dog, who joyously complies.
Our Christmas Eve went as planned, although the traditional seven fish are being replaced by upscale substitutes such as lobster tails. Unfortunately, we had to leave for the airport before the main courses were served and had to content ourselves with starter shrimp (both chilled, and fried) baked clams (expertly made by a niece, nicely loose and chunky with clam and bits of crab, and not overly bready) and some terrific sausage bread, made by another niece.
We arrive at the airport, to find our flight delayed for over two hours. Hungry from having missed the main meal, we were forced to eat greasy (but otherwise tasty) lamb chops at one of the JFK restaurants while we waited. We eventually got home at 2:30 a.m. Christmas morning.
Had a quiet day with a potato-mushroom frittata I threw together, and food delivered from the Cambridge Dumpling House for later. Took a walk, played board games, then watched in the evening some of the Melbourne boxing-day cricket match.
Yesterday, I made my free-form chicken-eggplant-parm for dinner (parsley-breaded and fried chicken cutlets and eggplant slices arranged free form on a baking sheet in layers separated by very spicy sauce, ricotta, slices of mozzarella and parmesan, then topped with a layer of thin mozzarella slices and parmesan. I broil this till the top is golden and bubbly and the layered cheeses just heated through.
The same to you, Rooster.
