On the opposite end of the spectrum from the (joyfully frenzied) Christmas brunch at G's parents was dinner with my mom. My sister and her boyfriend stopped in for a few hours en route to St. Thomas over Christmas. We had a nice, very quiet visit with them at the house. We had a non-traditional menu of all-Vietnamese food (at my and my sister's request). I loved it. Everything was so bright, fresh and flavorful.
Crispy, golden spring rolls with fresh lettuce and herbs.
Steak and watercress salad with a bold and zesty fish sauce dressing.
The light and spicey dishes paired well with the Champagne we brought.
Check out the Christmas cake server. Hilarious! My mom is so cute.
Then we sat down for some tea and to open the small gifts we got one another. Again, we do not like the practice of giving a ton of ancillary gifts; we prefer simple gestures. The emphasis is simple--uncomplicated, inexpensive, and hassle-free.
They gave me this thing. It's pretty...and going in the regift bag.
I don't mean to sound ungrateful; I do appreciate the effort. But I actually don't like gifts or "stuff" to clutter up my house. Is that weird? I really enjoyed the time my family spent together. My mom was so happy to have her two girls and new son-in-law home, along with, what she hopes, is a long-term relationship for her younger daughter. And as sappy as it sounds, I'd trade a million gifts for quiet time and good food with the family (mainly because I love food and dislike stuff).
2 comments:
Those spring rolls look so delish! I can never find cha gio made with rice paper around here. I have to say though that I do love Asian bake goods -- the cakes at Korean, Japanese, and Hong Kong bakeries, while aesthetically zany, are usually delish.
Hey, HC! You have an amazing eye. How could you tell those spring rolls were rice paper and not won ton wrappers? I think you may be right on the zany but good Asian baked goods. As you know, I don't like cake, but this one was pretty tasty: not too sweet and very fluffy!
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