It’s that time of year. For making a list, checking it twice (and all that). As for the naughty and nice, well, that’s an altogether different blog post (some other time, perhaps). For the moment, I’ll share a list of some favourite things for the holiday table, gatherings, weekend visits and quiet nights solo:
- A little something from Purdy’s chocolates (how could I not, after almost 20 years of living in Vancouver), although my local favourite in Montréal is Les chocolats de Chloé (so good).
- Holiday films that make me laugh – Mixed Nuts (for Madeline Kahn and Liev Schreiber) and The Night Before (for Seth Rogen).
- Brandy and eggnog (I tried this recipe last year and loved it, although I tinkered with it a bit, using less sugar and more milk).
- Last-minute things for the freezer (for one daughter, it’s mini quiche; for the other daughter, a local crab and lobster dip is a hit).
- Getting out the cheese fondue set and finding one or two people willing to take the plunge with me.
- Local holiday markets to find gifts made by locals (the photo above, an example from holidays past, by textile artist Shuyu Lu).
- Perusing the cookbooks and trying out recipes – the Plenty cookbook is a favourite and a new one, from the restaurant, Elena, is a gift to myself this year.
Whatever you celebrate, however you celebrate … happy list-making, out there!
a few words ... from Montréal 