Christmas Wrap(Up)

Twas four days before Christmas and all the Beard House could hear
Was the laughter and giggles
Of Table 1's good cheer

About a Top Chef's food we chatted and tasted
Exposing each course's virtues and vices
Little wine was left wasted

When the time finally came to go back out in the cold
A renunion was in the plans
Ere the New Year gets old

I have been to countless James Beard Foundation events, but I have never seen a table bond like this over the course of an evening.  Top Chef winner, Stephanie Izzard's food was certainly quite good, but it had stiff competition from the conversation and companionship at the table.  I think I will just call it a draw.

A big storm the weekend before Christmas blanketed the area in a beautiful coating of snow.  Come Christmas day it was the best of both worlds.  The streets were clear, but the snow was still around adding that Norman Rockwell factor to the day.

I originally had a hard time convincing my mother to come over.  But as Christmas day neared, she was getting excited about the prospect of getting out for a day.  She had a blast playing with her old cat and watching the yule log on TV while I plied her with food.  I left her in her room blissfully full and stocked her fridge with leftovers.

The standing rib roast came about great, done to a nice medium rare.  My rustic desert was maybe a tad too rustic, but these things do happen.  The Duckhorn cab we had with dinner was just perfect.  If not for the price tag, I would drink it every day.  It tasted especially fine after dropping mom off, kicking off my shoes and glowing in the dying light of a Christmas day.