Christmas Day, part 3

The transmogrification of food traditions

The palate changes over time. Over the years, we adjust for it. The buche de Noel shrinks (who can eat that much…), the chocolate ‘bark’ grows darker, more bittersweet, because that’s how preferences fall these days. The Cornish hens get zestier, spicier, the warm mushrooms in the salad get funkier, more exotic.

But the basic ingredients stay the same. Unless you forget to buy some of them. Then you adjust. Happy are those who can adjust, because let me tell you – all grocery stores are closed on this day, and the local PDQs do not carry such fancy items as heavy cream (for example). Adherence to rituals and traditions is satisfying. But shifting things around a bit is what makes the day especially interesting.

The final item to come out of the kitchen: a buche that recognizes current tastes and makes do with available ingredients. 

Christmas Day, part 2

Further proof that my proper place is in the kitchen:

The puff pastries come out of the oven in time for Christmas breakfast. The spice cake was made last night.

Starting the day with a nice carb high 

Gifts: am I for them or against them? Oh, for them. Especially when the gift giver really wants to make you happy with that little wrapped package. Someone thoughtfully purchased for me Baltic Voices 2 (Estonian choir, singing “choral riches of the Baltic Sea countries”). Being sort of an out-of-it type, I’d never heard of them before. Wonderful music, written by contemporary musicians. Makes me ashamed that I ever doubted Estonia’s greatness and influential position in the world. Yay Estonia! Glad you’re in the EU after all.

And, fan that I am of the Daily Show (I pay for cable just to occasionally catch Stewart – you might say that I am that deprived of opportunities to laugh), I somehow completely neglected “A Citizen’s Guide to Democracy Inaction.” Today it appeared under the tree. It’s a good book to flip through. I just picked up this piece of legal trivia that I am certain will help me sound impressive in social gatherings: Until 1943, Supreme Court nominees were wrapped in litmus paper and dipped in acid to determine their worthiness for the Court. later Courts were less literal-minded.

Gifts are good. They put a shirt on my back and a pear in my stocking.

Christmas Day, part 1

Merry Christmas to all who wish to be merry, and to all a good morning!

Does anyone else wake up at 5:30 and cannot return to sleep because of a nagging thought that they forgot something?

By 6 a.m. I finally recall that I did not wrap a pair of mittens from the Polish highlands. Nice sheep’s wool, warm and still smelling of fur and firs – I am certain that I did not wrap them. By 6:30 I give up on the idea of sleep and start searching for them. In the suitcase pocket: eureka!

For some, night visions of sugarplums, for others -- Polish mittens 

Being older means you still toss and turn on Christmas morning and think about the day ahead, it's just that your issues change somewhat.

For instance, here’s issue number two: I wonder if anyone will notice that I forgot to buy apple cider to steep the dried apples in for the morning apple puff pastries… And btw, I'm still fretting about the misplaced camera case.

An update on this promising-to-be-interesting day will follow.

And outside, just at dawn, the fir trees receive their dusting of snow.