31 December 2005

all i ate for christmas



Christmas in Chicago was a paradise. Of family. Of food. Of festivity. It's hard to go wrong when you're surrounded by people you love and the foods they make best.



Case in point: homemade mac and cheese that made everyone at the table sigh. Truly. Each and every person after taking their first bite let out a little happy moan. Mine was involuntary. It was so creamy inside, so crunchy on top, and filled to the gills with cheesy goodness. The homemade turkey meatloaf and peas played charming second fiddle but they'd lost the battle as soon as it started. Nothing could best the mac and cheese. Thanks Mom.



The pumpkin french toast was not made at home but rather at the best breakfast place in the Southwest suburbs. This was a supposedly healthy choice because of some reference in the menu to fiber. What it really was can only be described by its main and most decadent ingredient: butter. Second only to syrup. Thank you Grandpa for taking us to breakfast at the Hill. And for the giddy joy only a breakfast based on sugar and fat can provide.



We're related to a natural chef and at his hands these shrimp appeared as if by magic. Coated in spices that turned my fingers yellow and perfectly juicy inside they were the first coarse to a Birthday curry. The crowd went wild for these as well, going so far as to count the number of shrimp in the pan and allocate them one-by-one. We each got four. Four. I remember because I thought we only got three and then again, magic. Ummmm thanks to the Birthday girl for requesting this special meal and to the chef for providing us all with a dining room table's worth of perfect food.



At afternoon tea there are two types of sugar. And they dissolve slowly at the bottom of your delicate flowered teacup. You lift the cup with a pinky in the air and feel special because your favorite ladies are sitting to your right and left. And there are finger sandwiches and scones and lemon curd and devonshire cream and tiny little pastries. And if you're lucky your Mother chooses a tea that shocks her and turns her into a tea lover immediately. So you put a tin of the magical tea on your tab and have it on Christmas morning together. And you thank your family for being exactly what you need in this world.



Notice the dessert engulfed in blue flames. Forget candles, desserts on fire truly provide the most ambiance for a Christmas dinner. Not only do the flames make the room glow with warmth but you can actually eat the item that is on fire. It's like a fiery food miracle. Admittedly, some family members enjoyed the charred remains more than others but I have to say that the Christmas pudding is a good thing. Tasty. Flaming. Festive. It's got everything you need. Thanks to Peter for bringing it, lighting it and sharing it. (And if you pour cream on top, oh it's nice.)

This is a small sample and does not include a fair number of family faves. Best not to tempt with recipes that are family secrets. Seeing such deliciousness will only make you sad. Just like it makes me sad to be back here.

18 December 2005

finire: to finish



Finishing language training is a bit sad for me.

No more espresso with loads of sugar when we start to drag in class. No more La Prova del Cuoco my favorite Italian cooking show. No more sitting in a small classroom across from Stefano for five hours a day. No more readings that are so difficult and convoluted that you want to slam your head against the table and curse the language. No more Italian cookies and cakes and whatever else our teacher can find to plump us up with in the name of cultural enrichment. And no more pupazzi di neve.

Ciao tutti e grazie per tutto!

16 December 2005

me me and my three three



Io ho passato la prova d'italiano!

Apparently when you hang poster-sized vocabulary charts all over your house, and tape index cards with Italian verbs to your kitchen cabinets, you've got what it takes to learn a new language. And let me add that my Italian teachers are incredible people who teach from the depths of their hearts. Grazie and hallalujah.

Now where can a girl find some cupcakes to celebrate...

11 December 2005

so this is the kennedy center



Two thumbs up for The Nutcracker, a whirling mass of Christmas cheer that manages to sneak giant dancing rats into the holiday lexicon.

The Kennedy Center did its part. Red carpet for miles. Golden chandeliers with the punch and glam of a great aunt's brooch. Little girls in cranberry velvet. It felt very December.



As for the show, there were parts we loved and parts we liked. Beyond the classic tale of Girl meets Nutcracker, it's difficult to ignore the strength on stage. The bodies alone are riveting. Nothing like the softness most of us have cultivated for years.



I think the impossibility of ever looking like the people on stage is what caused the girl sitting to my right to polish off a king-sized bag of peanut M&Ms during the show. Either that or she was afraid the dancing rats might come for them.

09 December 2005

delayed arrival



"Delayed arrival" is a brand new concept for me. But I am a rule follower at heart and I will follow the rules as laid before me: I will not arrive at work early; I will not arrive at work on time. I will arrive by as much as, but not more than, two hours late.

Mind you, this is not the snow that the Midwest is facing. DC has, let's say, the icing on a cinnamon roll whereas Chicago found itself beneath the filling in a Twinkie. (And I bet they all had to get to work on time.)

It's further proof that DC is both flustered and appalled by snow. Because there is snow on the ground I may, officially, come in late. And the kids... the kids don't have to go to school at all! Schools are closed and there's not even enough snow to make a snowman. All these kids are going to do is get hopped up on hot chocolate and knock things off the Christmas Tree. And maybe find where the presents are hidden. Good times.

06 December 2005

it might be december



Let me be the first to tell you... there's snow in DC. Some of you may already know as it apparently deserves front page coverage. All area after school activities are cancelled. And there's been a run on milk and chili.

Not to be mean but come on people. Nothing is sticking. There is zero accumulation on the streets. An umbrella will do to defend against these gentle flakes. When we Chicago'ans heard a snow forecast we were expecting the real deal. Drifts you have to power through. Windy whirls that coat the bottom half of your legs with powder well before you ever get to work. That grey slush at the side of the roads. But this?

Rest assured, the powers that be brought out the snow plows. At least those make it feel like December.

04 December 2005

Home Alone is good, or is that the fumes talking?



What's a Saturday night without noxious fumes? We had our share this evening and our tiny apartment still features a suffocating aroma reminiscent of shrinky dinks. Despite the fun I had as a kid with those wobbly plastic cut-outs I still begrudge our apartment being filled with anything that makes my eyes burn.

Apparently all is well down below at the source of the smoke -- from above it seemed to be coming from the loading dock area. The firefighters weren't running around and the smoke detectors/alarm intercom didn't go off, so we opted to stay up here and keep an eye on conditions. Yes Mom, we put on our shoes and were quite ready to flee should we have needed to. Also, Stefano was very bright and immediately used a towel to block the gap between the front door and the floor.

Luckily, Home Alone -- a classic filmed in the Northern suburbs of Illinois that includes a scene in front of the chapel in which we were married -- is on the UPN. So we've decided to sit in the fumes and enjoy some stellar filmmaking although I for one heartily blame the fumes for this positive reaction to Home Alone.

02 December 2005

Big Guy sighting



Today, along with a great many other festive folk, we went to the National Tree Lighting Ceremony which is hosted by The President of the United States and the First Lady. If you'll remember from previous postings there was a fair amount of effort exerted to get the tickets - but if you want to see the Big Guy, you've got to work for it.



The media was there in full force and one of the most tender moments during the painfully named Christmas Pageant of Peace was when Maya Angelou was reading an inspirational and heart-warming poem and one of the camera/director/producer guys who was hanging out on the media stand continued to prattle on into his cell phone at full volume. When even the kids are looking in his direction you know there's a problem.

Now I didn't manage to get a picture of the Big Guy but he was very popular. When he came out everyone stood up and cheered. The kids went wild. There was a lot of finger pointing and clapping. It was joyous and grand. Everybody knows what the Big Guy looks like so instead of a photo of his impressive ensemble, I managed to grab a shot of his digital cue cards. Because everyone who's anyone needs cue cards and the Big Guy is no exception.



And oh yah, you might recognize this gentleman as well.



And with that, the Holiday Season officially begins. Better add "cue cards" to the wish list.