For our little group of 10, we will start with a traditional chicken broth with escarole and tiny meatballs (Italian wedding soup to some, but not Italians from the NY area), lasagne, then a roasted beef tenderloin with horseradish sauce, potatoes Beverly (a rather rich mashed potato casserole featuring butter, cream cheese, sour cream, chives and half and half), sauteed broccoli rabe, spinach gratin (thanks Ina Garten), green beans, glazed carrots ( need a different color on the plate) and finally a mixed green salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice. Desserts for us are on the lighter side given the meal we will have eaten so there will be a trio of homemade sorbets (pineapple, pomegranate/tangerine combo and red grape) along with some regular biscotti and Biscotti Regina (sesame seed cookies). We will break between courses to take walks and admire the neighborhood decorations otherwise we would all be dead before we got to the roast...
Although my sister and I don't spend Christmas with our remaining extended family (cousins and the one remaining aunt and uncle we have (lots of not so good reasons but you can't help family dynamics) we do spend it with friends who we have known over 45 years. Our parents were inseparable and now that all the parents are gone, this is our family and we look forward to being with them. Still it makes me a bit sad that our blood relatives can't seem to clear their very important and busy calendars. I guess I shouldn't feel bad at all. We are the only two that don't live in New Jersey - everyone else lives within a 20 minute drive of each other and they still don't get together... Anyway, my point is that sharing the traditional foods that my mother served like clockwork every year is comforting so I can see tradition continuing there.
