Christmas Day, 2023
Villa Carmilla, San Siro, Largo Como, Italia
Here is the gang all decked out in their Christmas PJs. It is another beautiful day on Largo Como.
In the traditional method we got up and sat round in the big circle. George, Oliver and Leander passed out the gifts to everyone, then taking turns we opened the gifts. The usual mess and the usual fun. There are fewer and fewer gifts each year. The presents really aren’t the reason we are here together. Yes, Luisa was the winner with he most, but what would you expect.
Breakfast followed the gift opening. We weren’t expecting it but the chef showed up and made breakfast. Nonna Mary stayed up last night and made her breakfast casserole. There was way too much food and the day hasn’t even started.
Rochelle, Rachel, Mary and I went to the morning mass at 10. The church, like so many churches in little towns and villages, is a remarkable piece of art. The outside looks like a small stone church but you enter and it is really quite beautiful.
After Mass we returned to the villa to begin working on dinner. The kitchen was already a buzz. One group was working on preparing the kitchen to make ravioli, another traditional christmas activity. Pietro and Maria’s father arrived with his wife, Lisa (?), her father, and Pietro’s half-brother Matteo. They brought with them branzino, also called Mediterranean Sea bass, and large shrimp. These would later be cooked on the BBQ.
The prime rib was rubbed down with salt, pepper and herbs prepared by the chef, but it seemed like the usual mixture to me. Then it was sealed on the grill as instructed, and placed in the oven. While it was cooking there was more activity. Making the ravioli is always so much fun. The uncertainty about the roast kept me thinking, until I realized that the oven was probably also a convection oven, as a lot of commerical ovens are. Further inspection revealed that it was indeed a convection oven. That hadn’t been allowed for in the calculation of the cooking time. A visual and tactical inspection of the roast after about an hour and a quarter revealed that it was probably done or at least nearly so. The roast needs to rest before serving anyway. Besides dinner was still an hour away.
Mid-afternoon all 23 of us sat down at the table for a dinner. There was so much food. Ravioli, shrimp, fish, roast beef, potatoes and Yorkshire pudding were just the main dishes. After dinner there were desserts. Again so much. Italian Christmas cookies, of several varieties, made by Pietro, Maria and Damilia. There were five or six different Pantone. Some with fruit, one plain, one chocolate, one with wine. Just totally overwhelming.
Then there was the other Christmas birthday. Yes that is right it is Carmen’s birthday. So, there was a wonder birthday torta. Light flaky crust filled with the most devine cream filling.
I retreated to the kitchen to start on the clean up. Unfortunately the commercial dishwasher was over burdened with dirty dishes and simply couldn’t clean any more. The water needed to be changed, but no one seemed brave enough to attempt it. So, I rinsed all the dishes and stacked them on the prep table. There was little else one could do.
Oh, I need to add that this was probably the best prime rib we have ever cooked. Rochelle made the Yorkshire pudding, and it also was the best Yorkshire pudding that anyone could remember. Do we need a convection oven in Kansas City for next year?
Several hours later the Sambuca came out and there were several renditions of cafe correcto! People slowly wondered off to start sleeping off all that food.
It was a beautiful day. Merry Christmas to you all and a good night. Ciao Enrico
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