Save the Turkeys! Eat a Ham!

Well I hope you all had a good Christmas Holiday. Mine was (and still is) delicious. I'm still working on leftovers! We did a roast lamb this year with a nice Provencal marinade that consisted of simply fresh minced garlic, rosemary, thyme, basil, oregano, sage, parsely, lavender buds (you read right!), and olive oil. I find it odd that we Americans go through all that trouble to cook a turkey for Thanksgiving just to do it all over again a month later! I mean really, I just finished the leftover turkey and now I have to do it all over again? Nuh-uh. I don't think so. What's this blog about? Expanding our culinary horizons! So think about this next Christmas. Don't do another turkey! Do a roast or a ham. One year my mom and I even did a Harry Potter Christmas. For those hunters out there, try some venison or elk or goose or duck or Peanutbutter and Jelly Sandwiches! Ok, nevermind. But seriously, I love turkey but enough is enough!

There are certain things we have to have for Christmas in my family, some of which go back several generations. My grandfather Clarence Crandall served an LDS mission in Germany in the mid'1930's during the rise of Hitler. This led to a long carreer as a G-man, a Hoover, a Suit, a Fed. Yeah, he was in the FBI. His years in Germany also introduced our world to what became known as "Stinky Fish and Stinky Cheese". They are delicacies that my grandfather loved but my grandmother couldn't stand. So, they compromised and he was allowed "said delicacies" once a year during Christmas. The stinky fish is simply marinated herring. My mother is the only one who likes it. She says it reminds her of Christmas in New York. The stinky cheese is something called a Liptauer Cheesepot. Its a kind of cheese spread that is very sharp and robust, mainly because it has anchovies in it. Eventually my mom added a third German delicacy - Braunschweiger, or more commonly known as liverwurst. Store bought liverwurst is ok, but my mom's is "sehr gut!" Next to crunching pecans its my second favorite Christmas memory. Foodwise, that is. Nothing says Christmas like a bowl full of pecans and a platter of liverwurst, "stinky cheese" and crackers. If anyone wants the recipe, let me know.

Recently my sister Catherine came up for an idea for a new tradition that really doesn't have anything to do with Christmas at all. My dad did his missionary work in Brazil. So, naturally, there's a certain love affair with Brazilian food, especially Feijoada which is a black bean stew with about seven different kinds of meat and sausages and it's served over rice with a pico de gallo of black olives and palm hearts. MM MM MM. Sorry I drifted off for a second. Where was I? I know! I was in Brazil! Anyway, so now, every Christmas Eve we all get together for a Brazilian Feast. Don't forget the guarana!

I'm already planning something for next year. We got this idea from Bravo Channel's Top Chef. Their challenge was The Twelve Days of Christmas. You know, a partridge in a pear tree and all that. Twelve courses. Wow. What am I gonna do for Nine Ladies Dancing?! I'll let you know how it turns out, if I survive the feast hehe.
Until then - See you next year!