Christmas 2010

This weekend, I celebrated Christmas with my mom in Portsmouth, NH. As is the case with most major holidays, my mom did all the cooking, as she has for years. Sure, I pitched in here and there (someone had to operate the salad spinner and open the Chianti), but the hard labor was my mom’s territory. She began planning well in advance of my arrival, and as always, she pulled off a delicious and delectable Christmas dinner.

This year, I wasn’t as overcome by the Christmas Spirit as I have been in the past. My roommates and I are hardly ever home, so we didn’t bother to decorate. My head has been spinning due to the stress that accompanied leaving my last job to advance into a new position. I’ve had a roller-coaster of a month with many ups and downs, and Boston didn’t even get any snow until December 20. I wasn’t exactly bouncing around in my Santa hat singing jolly carols. Thankfully, I was able to look past the harsh realities of adulthood because I got to spend the holiday with my mom in her decorated living room while the familiar smells of her cooking drifted in from the kitchen. We watched Christmas Vacation and drove around in the snow to admire (ok, make fun of) people’s decorations. Those things helped my mind decompress, and I was able to muster up some Christmas spirit. Thankfully, while I do enjoy the trappings of the season, my interpretation of the true meaning of Christmas is centered around what’s on the dining room table and who occupies the chairs.

Obviously we had several meals while I was home, but I’ll focus on our Christmas Eve and Christmas Day dinners. Following Italian tradition, we've always served seafood on Christmas Eve. Unfortunately, my mom developed an allergy to fish and shellfish (she usually makes meat-free pasta fagioli), but she is always more than happy to supply me with some sort of freshly plucked ocean creature to throw into a pan with some garlic and olive oil. This year, I chose calamari and oysters. We stopped in at Seaport Fish, where I purchased a half-pound of fresh calamari with the heads still attached and the cuttlebones remaining in the tubes. This calamari was incredible, and it worked fabulously quick-cooked in a spicy tomato and wine broth, served over angel hair pasta (recipe below). I plumped some golden raisins in the wine broth, threw in a few capers, and I added a generous amount of thinly sliced garlic as well, which is typical of Sicilian cooking. Finally, a sprinkling of minced flat-leaf parsley adds a fresh foil to the sweet and spicy flavors.

5-inches of oyster!

Along with my calamari, I purchased a half-dozen oysters, and in doing so I turned myself on to a new oyster variety that I haven‘t seen before but will search for in the future. Typically, I buy Island Creek oysters which are easy to open, buttery-sweet, and perfect on the half-shell. Seaport Fish did not have any Island creeks, but they did have two other varieties in stock. Unfortunately, I don’t remember the name of the type I didn’t purchase, but when I asked which they recommended, I was steered towards the ginormous Wawenauk oysters from Maine. I chose these simply because I was told that they are easy to open - I certainly didn’t want any oyster drama on Christmas Eve! Each shell was almost the size of my hand and probably weighed about a pound. OK, maybe not a pound, but nobody would ever refer to these babies as “delicate.”

Readers, I must pause and ask a simple favor of you before I begin the next few sentences - please keep in mind that everything I’m about to say is in reference to oysters, and nothing else. Please keep your bacon, butter, and booze-soaked minds out of the gutter.  Wawenauks are larger than any oyster I’ve seen before, and after opening one, I observed that the meat was about twice the size of my usual Island Creeks. Although they are large, their size is not as difficult to accommodate as you may imagine. They are plump and meaty, but not cumbersome to swallow whole, and they taste sweet and briny like ocean water, without any hints of mineral or metallic flavor. I did not serve these with any sauces or dips, just a spritz of fresh-squeezed lemon juice is all I added to these meaty morsels, unless you count the complementary pinot grigio I sipped between shucks. (Double entendre-laden section complete). Although I purchased a half dozen, by the fourth oyster I was full. If you serve these to a crowd, I recommend two per person; they are incredibly rich.

On Christmas Day, my mom took control of the kitchen. While watching old movies, we nibbled on antipasti skewers containing grape tomatoes, bocconcini mozzarella, roasted red pepper strips, cannellini beans, and green olives. This recipe is so simple that it does not require a recipe - simply skewer all the ingredients onto toothpicks (or, for fancier presentation, cocktail picks or those cute little bamboo skewers with the curly tops), saving the halved grape tomatoes for last. Skewer them so that the cut side of the tomato is flat on the platter, making the skewers stand upright. These are perfect for a standing-room-only party, as they do not require utensils. She also followed in her family’s footsteps and brought out a plate of fresh dates stuffed with cream cheese. Dates are naturally very sweet - no refined sugar is necessary, making them a far healthier choice than the usual cookies and candy.

Finally, on to the dinner! My mom brought out the absolute best flavor I’ve ever had from a small beef tenderloin roast - perfectly pink in the center, with an unsurpassable natural flavor. Seasoned only with salt, pepper, and a little olive oil, it required nothing else. It was juicy, tender enough to cut with a butter knife, and bursting with flavor. She served this with horseradish whipped cream - only a little bit is necessary to complement the flavor of the roast, more than a small dab can be overwhelming.

Alongside the beef, we had braised fennel with butter and parmesan, and she made the most interesting veg/carb side I’ve had yet - individual escarole and polenta soufflés, topped with roasted red pepper butter. The soufflés were light and fluffy, yet enormously satisfying! The balance between polenta and escarole was perfect, as one flavor did not dominate. Once again, my mom took a holiday dinner and knocked it out of the park.

Somehow, I saved room for dessert - chocolate & whiskey mousse with chopped hazelnuts. Three of my favorite things, whipped and chilled in one small ramekin packed with delicious dessert flavor! Not too sweet, this was the perfect end to another fabulous Christmas dinner.

Every year, my mom manages to put together a dinner that raises the bar just a little bit higher. Someday, if I am ever in charge of Christmas, my only hope will be that I am able to execute a meal that‘s even half as good as my mom‘s. I’ve got some big shoes to fill.




Calamari in Spicy Tomato-Wine Broth

8 oz. dried angel hair pasta
generous splash olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 T. golden raisins
2 T. capers
2/3 cup dry white wine
1 T. tomato paste
1 roma tomato, diced
1/2 t. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 lb. calamari, cleaned, tubes sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
minced parsley, plus sprigs for garnish

Cook the pasta.  In the meantime, heat the olive oil over a medium flame in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan.  When the oil is hot, add the garlic and raisins.  Saute for 1-2 minutes, or until the garlic becomes fragrant but does not turn golden. 

Next, add the capers, white wine, tomato paste, roma tomato, and crushed red pepper flakes.  Stir vigorously so that the tomato paste breaks up and blends with the wine.  Cook until the liquid begins to bubble gently, about 5 minutes. 

Now, add the calamari.  Cook for only about one minute.  The calamari should start to firm up.  Drain the pasta, and add the hot pasta to the pan with the calamari and tomato broth.  Stir so that each strand is coated with the sauce.  By this time, the calamari should be cooked through.  Season with salt and pepper to taste, and divide among two serving dishes.  Sprinkle with minced parsley and garnish with a sprig or two of fresh parsley.