Sort of a combi-post as we spent Christmas together then my wife and son went up north to be with her ailing parents up until New Year's Eve day. So a non-traditional Christmas dinner of baguettes, little tartines with salmon cured and smoked at home, pork rillettes with plum butter; butternut squash soup; muscovy duck confit with Brussel sprouts, Joel Robuchon's pommes purée and mustard sauce (this and the soup directly from Keller's Bouchon book); and a Bûche de Noel (just a photo of the meringue mushrooms here - yes, from La Technique, which I cooked through cover to cover as a kid of 12-13).
They drove home in terrible road conditions and a snowstorm once they arrived back to Madison, so we were all relieved. I'd made them boeuf bourguignon that started on Sunday and had been sitting in its jus until yesterday. None of us made it to midnight so tonight we continue with a smaller house Champagne that our wine store recommended, as we prefer good yeastiness/breadiness and they said this fits the bill and more. Never had it so we're eager to try it.
Hope you all enjoyed a good holiday season and are looking forward to a year of peace, happiness and good cooking.
