What makes a man recover from gallbladder surgery almost instantly? a. The promise of a waiting platter of king crab legs and shrimp b. The promise of pasta with crab sauce c. The promise of scallop pasta with cream sauce d. The promise of an adoring family e. Leftover novenas prayed by his mother. f. All of the above…
My brother just sent me a story from the Wall Street Journal about the Allen family from Pittsburgh, dealing with their first Christmas without their parents. It touched me because it could have been about our family. Their tree from the ’60s looked like a more attractive version of ours, and they had family traditions too. They made jello salads and barbecue ham sandwiches with homemade buns for…
My brother just sent me a story from the Wall Street Journal about the Allen family from Pittsburgh, dealing with their first Christmas without their parents. It touched me because it could have been about our family. Their tree from the ’60s looked like a more attractive version of ours, and they had family traditions too. They made jello salads and barbecue ham sandwiches with homemade buns for…
My First Christmas Eve Away – How I Survived
December 15, 2014I just read an article in the LA Times about an Austrian chef who re-creates Christmas dinners like those in his homeland because he has such great memories. I loved that, instead of sinking into a depression over what he’s missing, he’s re-creating it with braised duck and roasted chestnuts. I remember forcing myself to do that the first year I spent Christmas Eve away from my large,…