Christmas is Coming!

The Christmas holiday is perhaps my most favorite holiday.  Not because of the presents, although they are greatly appreciated.  But the food.  Some of my oldest memories involve my family getting together on Christmas Eve and Christmas day, with the culmination of each day being a large meal prepared either by my Grandparents or my Mom.  On Christmas Eve, my Grandparents would make their traditional Italian meal.  There was an antipasti course, followed by wedding soup, salad, and spaghetti with meatballs and sausage.   And, on Christmas day, my Mom would make a turkey or a prime rib, with mashed potatoes and a vegetable.  I still look back fondly to those days, and to all of that great food.

For the holidays this year, I'll be doing the cooking on both Christmas Eve and Christmas day (of course, with the assistance of family members).  This is a very special holiday and I want to make two incredible meals for everyone to enjoy.  I plan on drawing from the traditions of, not just my family, but also my wife's family.  The end result will hopefully be my best cooking to date.  And, if it is not, then I can at least take solace with the knowledge that I gave it my best shot. 

The planning is in its initial stages and will continue in full earnest through the holidays.  I hope to document these plans on this blog as they develop so that my family and friends can follow along.  Perhaps, they will also gain some insight as to how my mind works when it comes to cooking. 

So, over the next two weeks, I'll be putting up every recipe that I make, along with some thoughts and ideas as I plan for both Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Feedback is always welcomed.  I  would especially like to hear about your holiday traditions, especially when it comes to food and meals. Maybe this can become a forum to exchange ideas for the holidays. 

And, therefore, with great anticipation and a little trepidation, this constitutes the first post of many about my cooking for Christmas!