Every family has their own Christmas traditions. Some traditions dictate when to open presents, others instruct whose house to go to for brunch or dinner, and many others simply resolve to spend as much time as possible with as many different family members as possible. Growing up, my family traditions included all of the aforementioned items. Now that I’ve moved away, married, and have two children of my own (ok, ok they are children of the canine persuasion but they are still my babies), Dan and I have created our own annual tradition that I absolutely LOVE and would not trade for the world! On Christmas day, Dan and I sleep in, open presents with the puppies, make breakfast together (Dan makes coffee with Bailey’s, it counts as helping) and then spend the entire day lounging around the house in our pajamas watching parades and various Christmas-themed movies. Sometime mid-to-late afternoon, I get up, get showered, put on some fresh pajamas and start making an elaborate Christmas dinner that is typically served somewhere around 8 or 9pm, depending upon degree of complexity and level of absolute laziness (usually it’s the laziness causing delays). Last year, I created a steak house sensation! It was fabulous and ohemgee delicious and it was difficult to think of something to top it.
For this year’s Christmas feast, I’m dishing up some fantastic French fare and am oh so excited about it!! If you asked Dan, he’d say he’s never eaten French food. That’s because he thinks French food has to be fancy or include things like snails in order to be considered “French.” He has no clue that meals I make on the regular are actually classic French cuisine! He’s had boeuf Bourguignon, poulet cordon bleu, poulet frit au paprika, petit salé aux lentilles, hachis parmentier, vichyssoise (but warm), and his all-time favorite gratin dauphinois just to name a few. Of course, when he asks “what’s for dinner,” I don’t always tell the whole truth as it is much easier to say “beef stew” or “potato soup” (I ask you all dearly to please not mention anything about leeks to him, ever).
I spent quite a lot of time poring over recipe sites and flipping through my cook books to create what, I believe, is the BEST Christmas dinner menu ever!! Also, BIG thanks to Ms. Fonda for letting me bounce ideas off her and for her fabulous suggestions (and just for putting up with my obsessive menu planning behavior in general). If I were to win an award for this meal, I’d totally thank her in my acceptance speech. I do still have one hole in the menu: the salad. However, I’m not stressing over it because I do not eat salad. I’d love to do a salade de pissenlit, but I’m too afraid I’d slip up and tell him he was eating dandelion and he’d ruin the mood by gagging (even if he loved it). So, for the salad course, we’ll just see what fresh field greens I can find and toss them with some shallot and a fun vinaigrette; maybe I’ll do a raspberry champagne vinaigrette!!!!
So without further ado, here is my Christmas Feast:
Appetizer Course: Brie en croûte with Almond Champagne
Soup Course: Soupe à l'ail with Sauvignon Blanc
Main Course: Coq au Vin, carottes vichy, Haricots verts à l'étouffée and Purée de pommes de terre à l'ail with Chardonnay
Salad Course: as we discussed, this is still open and up for debate
Dessert Course: Crème Brûlée with Champagne
I really hope I can pull this off, and that we are able to eat dinner before midnight!
I wish you all the happiest of happy holidays and the best of luck with your Christmas meals, whether they be at your house or another’s. Cheers!!
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