One Christmas Down, One to Go.

Today was real Christmas. My brother isn't coming until Friday, but since it is December the 25th, a big meal must be cooked!

The day started decadently with chocolate bread. Yes, you heard me right. My mom sent Andy some bread samples from Zingerman's Deli in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Their bread kicks ass. We got a box of 4 breads; Parmesan Pepper (hands down fave), Chili Cheddar, Raisin and Chocolate Sourdough. Now that I have eaten bread with big hunks of chocolate in it, I can't say I ever need to eat it again. Bread and chocolate do not go together, in my mind. I had a slice of it with Andy Boothby's mom's homemade marmalade, which is fantastic. My mom had a slice of chocolate bread with a poached egg on top, which was, well, just plain wierd!

This afternoon Andy and I whirled around the kitchen for more than two hours, chopping and sauteeing and roasting and drinking manhattans and listening to snooty little English choirs singing Handel. I love me some Handel on Christmas or any day. Especially when accompanied by the spare, pure sound of a baroque orchestra. Perfection.

It was sort of a typical English celebratory meal, with a little bit of meat and a thousand side dishes. The requisite two kinds of taties--roasted and mashed, roasted brussels sprouts, stuffin muffins, carrots in a mustard-maple glaze, onion-madeira gravy, and pork tenderloin covered with dijon mustard and fennel seed, cooked atop a pile of sliced onions and granny smith apples. I must say, everything tasted fantastic.

We're all full as ticks now. Everybody's had a nap--wait a minute--except me. And we are going to venture out to see Sweeney Todd tonight. Nothing puts me in the holiday mood like a throat slashing barber! I can't freakin wait!