The airing of grievances...

Tradition. 

The holidays are wrapped in it.

"how did this tradition start? i don't know. but it's a tradition"

Every year for 39 years (that I know of) my entire family has gathered on December 24th, Christmas Eve, to share the opłatek, feast on 12 courses of seafood and open gifts. All of them. On Christmas Day, when everyone else is eating turkey, my mom and I go to Chinatown for dim sum. 

That was our tradition. 

'tis the season to be jorry

This year, the family has decided to go rogue. 

Apostles who? 

Seafood what?

This year, the family has decided to start a new tradition.

Christmas chicken.

While I was reticent at first (who, exactly, wouldn't be reticent about passing on 12 courses of seafood?) I am excited to start a new tradition. 

This year, Christmas Eve will be spent enjoying a réveillon with the beau and his family in Trois-Rivières and Christmas will be spent feasting on chicken (and other seasonal merriment) with my family in Montreal.

A Festivus for the rest of us.

the festivus pole. It's made from aluminum and has a very high strength-to-weight ratio

The origin of Festivus was the result of one man (Seinfeld's Frank Costanza, to be specific) and his refusal to conform to the growing commercialism of the holiday season. And I quote:

Frank Costanza: Many Christmases ago, I went to buy a doll for my son. I reached for the last one they had, but so did another man. As I rained blows upon him, I realized there had to be another way.

Cosmo Kramer: What happened to the doll:

Frank Costanza: It was destroyed. But out of that a new holiday was born... a Festivus for the rest of us!

In a nutshell, Festivus involves a pole instead of a tree, starts with the airing of grievances and finishes with feats of strength. Also, there are the Festivus miracles... of which there are many.

The Festivus pole is the ultimate anti-Christmas symbol as it remains unadorned (Frank finds tinsel distracting) and can be kept in a crawl space the rest of the year.  

The airing of grievances is pretty much what it sounds like; complaining. Once the family is gathered around dinner the head of the household tells everyone how they've disappointed him over the past year.

 is it just me or is that Jack Black?

As a child, what was most exciting about the holidays was obvious; the presents. As I get older (and more like Frank Costanza) spending time with family and friends becomes much more important; as does eating copious amounts of chicken. 

But still. Let's not forget the Human Fund.

   

Friday five

I had the great pleasure of visiting a mecca of Asian food yesterday: T & T. For those of you who haven't yet had the pleasure of shopping at T & T, the country's largest Asian supermarket, let me explain: aisles and aisles of rice, noodles and hot sauces, the freshest produce around and of course, assorted guts!

Today's Friday five is all about my favourite Asian foods (and assorted guts, by the way, is most definitely not one of them). 

In fifth place is bibimbap, the Korean dish made with rice, vegetables, meat and an egg. I first tried bibimbap when I lived in Toronto and worked for a delightful Korean couple. They would always make sure to feed me after a particularly hard day of work and I shared many a delicious Asian meal with them. 

Thai food or anything cooked with coconut milk comes in fourth. I first tried Thai food in Thailand (lucky me) and absolutely love the combination of basil, hot sauce and coconut milk.

In third place is dim sum, the Cantonese specialty consisting of small, individually prepared dishes, including lots of steamed dumplings. Literally meaning "to touch your heart" dim sum is a great way to start a Sunday (as well as a great post night out cure). 

Pho soup is literally like chicken (or beef) soup for the soul. Delightfully flavoured with cardamon, cinnamon, cloves, fennel and star anise and full of rice noodles, bean sprouts and basil, its is the best thing to eat when you're feeling under the weather (or the weather just isn't cooperating). 

First place comes as no surprise to anyone (who knows me) and is, of course, SUSHI. Actually it's sashimi and salmon sashimi specifically. While eating raw slices of salmon doesn't float everyone's boat it is literally my absolute favourite thing in the world.  

Next to hot dogs.