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Traditions
December 2005
I love the holidays. Always have, especially the days leading up to
Christmas—when it’s all about the preparations. When I was a girl,
it meant spending hours in the kitchen with my mom and Aunt Lina
--who lived next door—making dozens and dozens of traditional
cookies, made only during the holidays. We had to make major
quantities because everyone who visited our house got a plate of
them to take home. During those years, the holidays were not about
the stressful frenzy of shopping but rather the festive chaos of the
kitchen where the bounty for our festivities was prepared by loving
hands. My only regret was that I never wrote down any of the
recipes—not that they would have done me much good today. A simple
cookie recipe would go something like this: Make a nice size ring
with the flour. Add a few eggs. “How many?” I would ask. “As much as
the flour will take,” was always my mother’s response. Add a cup of
sugar. (Not an actual cup. It was the one with the pink rosebuds
from the cupboard.) Add a few drops of vanilla or fresh lemon, mix
it all together, knead the dough until smooth, and let it rest under
a plate. I’ve been trying to recreate a few of my favorite recipes
with only limited success.
Many years later, when I had to decorate my restaurant, Biscotti,
for the holidays, I replaced weeks of making cookies with making
wreathes. I bought dozens of plain, unadorned green wreathes, raided
the woods outside my house and spray painted all sorts of dying
foliage a dazzling palate of bronze, gold, silver and copper and
transformed them into the gems that would adorn what became my
personal works of art. For my daughter, the official start of the
holiday season is marked by the smell of spray paint. Each year,
every free window and wall in my restaurant held a wreath. The wild
grape vines I collected from patrons who had this treasure growing
in their back yards, hung from the ceiling with hundreds of
twinkling lights. Each year in its own way, the restaurant felt
magical. I like to think that for the 10 years Biscotti was open,
that magic was spread to all who walked though its doors.
This year, because my home is still being rebuilt, I’ve been forced
to be somewhat the vagabond, so my usual traditions have taken on a
new face or place. I spent my first Thanksgiving in California where
I learned that even though palm trees and shorts do not exactly put
me in the holiday spirit, being with people I care about always hits
just the right tone.
And as Christmas grows near, even though I still can’t be home, this
year may just turn out to be one of the best. I’m staying with my
brother and his family in the Berkshires where they have a beautiful
home surrounded by acres and acres of rolling hills and trees. This
afternoon it snowed all day. And it’s gorgeous. All of my siblings
and all of our kids—22 in all--and a large assortment of dogs are
spending Christmas together here. I, of course am planning an all
seafood menu for Christmas Eve—calamari/scallop salad, shrimp
cocktail, sautéed mussels, linguine with clams, salted cod in a
marinara sauce, and fried catfish—7 fishes in all, which is the
tradition, though none of the experts can quite agree on how it
originated. No matter, it’s the celebrating of tradition—whatever it
may be—that gives us a sense of continuity, that binds us in shared
experiences, that fosters feelings of closeness even when time and
distances often keep us apart.
I wish for each and every one of you, the magic and warmth of this
beautiful season.
For some festive seafood
dishes, sure to add to the bounty of your table, click on
recipes to find:
Sautéed Mussels in a spicy tomato broth;
Blackened Salmon over
mixed greens, and Seafood
Risotto (a perfect recipe that includes 4 types of seafood) in a
white wine sauce.
For a great gift idea for
everyone on your list that cooks....Buy a sauté pan. Add a copy a
Simply Sauté (I'll sign it if you can get it to me in time) and
wrap it up!!!
And remember, if any of you are interested in organizing you own style of cooking
class/dinner party, check out my
cooking classes page for more information.
Chef Silvia
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