My daughter has been known to say: “This kitchen smells like Christmas Eve at home”. Yes, I use a lot of garlic in my cooking. One of my holiday traditions is to peel a few heads of garlic as part of getting a mise en place set up. (See the featured photo)
A Traditional Kenny – Christmas Menu
Well, 2020 is anything but traditional. Susan and I are healthy, but staying at home by our lonesome, just to be safe. At one point, we considered adopting our Jewish son-in law family’s Christmas tradition of eating Chinese Take-out on Christmas. As Ethan would say: “Who else would be open on Christmas?”.
Instead, we are going to a modified traditional plan where we have a linguini with clam sauce on Christmas eve. The clam sauce will be my homage to the Italian neighborhood, in New York that I grew up in where the “Feast Of The Seven Fishes” is served on Christmas Eve. I must confess that I still have a little scar-tissue to deal with. One year we had the whole Kenny Clan to Memphis for Christmas, and I published a menu that called for “The Feast Of The Seven Fishes” on Christmas Eve. After dinner which included clams, shrimp, scallops and cod, my brother-in law Brian asked about why I called it seven fishes when there were only four? Now Brian is a nuclear scientist and one of the smartest guys I know. So I told him that I was careful to count and made sure he had at least. 3 shrimp and 4 clams. Sales and Marketing guys just look at the world differently than scientists do.
Another Christmas ,the whole Kenny Clan descended on the ski resort at Waterville Valley in New Hampshire where Susan’s brother Bobby has a condo. After dinner on Christmas Eve, we had wonderful experience. It was a magical evening with a horse-drawn sleigh ride through heavy snowstorm with the whole family singing Christmas carols. It was also an experience that describes the difference between my two sisters. My sister Joan, the college professor, exclaimed “Isn’t this beautiful, it’s a winter wonderland”. My sister Bernadette, the corporate executive, leans in to her college aged niece and whispers: “Winter wonderland my ass, it’s a ‘F- – king’ blizzard. You can’t buy memories like that.
Ok, so Christmas in 2020 will be a little different…
Not to worry, the Kenny kitchen will smell like garlic
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.