Lingua, thanks for posting about philly. We are headed there next week and hitting up Vernick again for our anniversary. Looks delicious!
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I took Presunto’s advice and made fried rice with some chicken and egg. I still have a serving left in the fridge so that’ll be eatings for today.
The potluck looks extraordinary Linda. So many wonderful choices to be able to pick and choose from!
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I agree. For the most part, the employees made what they brought in - perhaps with a little help from a Mom here and there from the young’uns and a spouse from the married folk. 
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'Twas the night before, the night before Christmas.
Nothing was stirring, not even a mouse. Apart from the fecking rats which reappeared yesterday in the back garden!
As for dinner, a few nibbles while we’re cooking as the main course won’t wait for a proper sit-down starter. That course being sirloin steaks, cooked on the griddle pan by herself (I am well known as a failure at cooking steak - somewhere along the line the man genes to cook big lumps of meat never quite got to me). Accompanied by saute potatoes and cauliflower cheese.
Dessert is a rare occurance - one made here, rather than bought. And made not by me but that course is also being done by the demon baker. It’s a pithivier (bought puff pastry, of course) filled with ground almonds, sugar, lemon zest, eggs and “stuff”. It’s just come out of the oven to cool and been sprinkled with icing sugar which is melting to form a crisp glaze. Should be fab.
My tasks are simply to set the table, light the candle and murmur appreciative noises at the correct points.
May I offer best wishes for the celebrations whether for you it be the solstice, Yule, Hannukah, Saturnalia, Christmas or whatever. And, in spite of the many difficulties our world will face, a peaceful 2017.
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Thanks John. Best to you and yours.
My daughters birthday is on Christmas. A Jewish girl who loves Christmas trees buts what’s not to like. We at least are able to celebrate her birthday with her.
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My sentiments exactly! Thank you Harters - and enjoy your lovely meal! We will be having steaks as well tonight, accompanied by a salad and roasted Brussels sprouts, most likely. We will be busy with singing obligations tomorrow, so I’ve made reservations for brunch at a place up the river with a fabulous-looking menu (smoked pig’s head doughnut? Yes please! http://media.wix.com/ugd/ca759e_e4f0ef2d100c4f9597f449a88298c1ea.pdf). We’ll grab dinner (if we need it) on the way to our evening choir gig.
For Christmas day I’m planning to indulge in truly decadent cream cheese cinnamon rolls (recipe from Saveur http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Cream-Cheese-Cinnamon-Rolls) in the morning, so I’ll prep that dough today or early tomorrow and retard the rise in the fridge. After breakfast, I’ll make some nibbles for daytime enjoyment while I smoke some ribs and prepare a potato and caramelized shallot gratin for our main meal.
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Last night’s dinner was easy & lazy: Wegmans’ honey-brined turkey breast roasted in the oven, and a side of Belgian endive salad with creamy walnut dressing, tangerine sections, toasted walnuts and blue cheese. The latter two were on the whim additions & worked quite well 
As for WFD xmas eve/day, we did the aforementioned shopping at the culinary wonderland that is DiBruno Bros in Philly: picked up two slices of foie to be seared & a bunch of big-ass wild shrimp to be poached and served with homemade cocktail sauce. We also bought Stichelton and were hoping for some Adrahan (both of which our very own @Harters will be familiar with), but apparently, there’s been some family drama this year in March at the House of Ardrahan, and so the cheese is no longer available. Sadness. That was some killer cheese, yo.
The knowledgeable cheesemonger pointed us to Durrus instead, also a very lovely and pretty flavorful Irish soft-ripened cheese.
Further, we picked up a lb. of lump crab meat, which I’ll turn into a lighter version of Crab Louie, and today (despite knowing better) we went back to The Zoo Formerly Known As Wegmans, where I grabbed basically alllllll the Belgian endive left on the shelf, save for some sad looking ones. >cue evil laughter<
Looks like the two of us will feast on the foie & more of my endive salad on the side & maybe some of the cheeses. Gotta save some for our pescatarian buddy, who will dine with us xmas day: crab louie, shrimp cocktail, more cheese, some salad. Exciting stuff for sure '-P
This is a decidedly non-religious household – for us, it’s all about good eats, good booze & good friends: things that should be around regardless of the possible shit show that awaits next year.
Wishing you all a fabulous holiday weekend. Stay warm, safe & love the ones you’re with!
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It’s a good start, MaryC. Keep at it. It’ll get easier (and tastier).
The partner was happy with bread, various cold cuts and soup. Meanwhile yours truly had seared goose livers. Goose livers beat all other livers (according to me anyway).
With spicy pickled chillies.
Livers are fugly. I cropped the photo for a closer look at how fugly it is. Tasted fab nonetheless.
Where I got them. Poultry specialist has offall of birds they sell, including foie gras. No self-respecting poultry specialist wouldn’t. (I got some foie for tomorrow’s dinnner of course)
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Something you are very good at, I’m sure.
My best to you and Mrs. H for a happy Christmas and a safe and enjoyable New Year.
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GOAL: LEAVE WORK ON FRIDAY BY 3:00 P.M.
(despite knowing how much I had to get done)
First at work at 8:15 a.m.
Work, work, work.
Received more loot: two more bottles of wine. Total of 8.
Submit final payroll for the year.
More work, work, work.
Conference call @ 11:30 a.m.with new benefits mgmt. company.
Writing down lots more to do (thankfully, all for next week)
Lunch of potluck leftovers.
Chit-chat, chit-chat while enjoying lunch.
Work, work, work.
Chat with those who are getting to leave the office early.
:::grumble, grumble, grumble:::
Pour remaining wine from potluck into cup.
Drink, drink, drink.
More work, work, work.
Fast, fast, fast.
Confirm with boss everything was done.
Pat myself on the back.
Walked out @ 3:06 p.m. GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!
Except there was a last-minute trip to the stupidmarket on the way home.
And getting stuck in traffic because of a bad accident which was blocking lanes on Main Street.
And going to the bank to deposit checks for work.
And also depositing an expense check for myself so I can pay my Amex bill.
And dropping off company bill payments for work @ the Post Office.
In the house @ 4:20 p.m.
Wine poured at 4:45 p.m. after unloading everything in the kitchen and feeding the boyz.
Dinner will be a big-ass baked potato with butter, chives, sour cream, and whatever else I decide on.
Off until Tuesday, and then back at it. Jeebus.
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Loved this post! All work is virtuous. All rest is glorious.
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Inch plus, top loin pork chop, steeped in Allegro Hickory Smoked Marinade for four hours, then broiled seven minutes a side. Tasty.
The Motts Apple Sauce met the plate a wee bit later.
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Revbjenspäll, Köttbullar, Lingon, Skysås, Potatismos, Rödkål, Ättiksgurka.
Swedish spare ribs, Meatballs, Lingonberries, sauce, masht potatoes, red cabbage, cucumber salad.
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Both lovely cheeses. There’s nothing on Ardrahan’s website to suggest they are no longer producing but, if no longer available for you, keep an eye out for Gubbeen - also from County Cork and very similar in style and flavour.
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So, as to the Xmas Eve dinner:
To start: a cobnut, beetroot & watercress salad. Mustard vinaigrette.
To continue: Roast gammon, fondant potatoes, broad beans. Sauce - to be decided - either parsley or mustard, both classics.
To conclude: Cranberry & apple crumble, with custard. I’ve been waiting for a year to try this since it was mentioned here by LondonLinda
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Had to look up cobnut - similar to hazelnuts. Salad, dinner, and dessert all sound wonderful. Enjoy, and a very happy Christmas to you, Harters!
A particular breed of hazelnut which are particularly interesting when fresh and still in their husks. Different taste and texture to the traditional nut - a sort of bitter milkiness. But you only come across the fresh near to the growing areas. As it happens, I couldnt get the mature dried cobnuts so am using hazelnuts instead.
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One of the sites I read said they have a coconutty taste when they’re fresh - is that flavor just less pronounced when they’re dried?
I find it in the dry ones too. Could also be a textural similarity as well
I read the whole post several times just so I could laugh over and over again. 
The weather just gets worse and worse. Even more miserable and misty today. All this time here in Budapest and still haven’t made any touristy photo because it’s so dark and gloomy there’s really no point. What we like to do in a new place is to ride the tram or bus round and round. Once you get away from the centre you will see the true “colour” of the town, the reality, the “normal” people.
We hopped on the old tram and went all the way to the end of the line. The centre is very developed and modernised (thanks to EU subsidies for which we all pay through the nose but that’s another topic that infuriates me to no end). Once you are no longer in the centre it’s just endless (miserable) flats, the suburb is quiet and primitive like in the old days. Unlike other places drunks are almost nonexistent in central Budapest. On this rickety old tram ride we saw drunks for the first time, also riding the tram with us.
Inside the old tram. The new trams, subway, and metro stations are all sparkling new. Signs at various stops state they got subsidies from the EU.
OK, OKkkk… the food. Well, I’m basking under a goose fat halo, and it’s exquisite.
Almost like the first meal I had last week but I like mine more, and exactly like this.
I’m a killjoy. I don’t need a specific date to enjoy anything. Hungarian sparkling wine made in the traditional way, méthode champenoise, with native grape Furmint.
The other one of us, who doesn’t eat offal, was most happy with this soup we made together. Spicy sausage, Speck, lots of onions and vegs, and dumplings.
Here’s the smallest lobe I could find. 550gr. Costs eur.23.- I ate half, have plan for the other half in the coming days.
Poultry specialist at Central Market Hall was where I got it from.
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