A Belated "Merry Christmas"...

Oh, and a belated merry Christmas from my overstuffed, sleepy belly to yours. I am still recovering from two days of an Italian Christmas Eve/Christmas Day. 

Eve: (after working for good ol' Shmom Shmord). I climb up my great Aunt Adele's Bensonhurst stoop, flanked by the same white stone lions since I can remember; barely after my scarf is unwound from my neck, my hand is appropriately fitted with a gin and tonic. A"spotless beverage" as my cousin Billy says.

On to the food: antipasti (in Sicilian, BK/Itlian: "andiBAHST" consisted of the usual:

MutzaDELL with tomatoes, basil and olive oil; roasted peppers and mushrooms; stuffed peppers; gabaGOOL; soupraSAHD; bruh-zshoot bread; olive bread; braided sesame bread; baked clams; and the ever present, ever sacred - insalata di frutti di mare. Too much wine (red, of course).*

SECOND: linguini di frutti di mare - loaded with mussels, shrimp, stuffed galaMAHD**, lobster tails and conch,  and too much red wine.

We're all uncomfortably full by now (note: we reached this state before the antiBAHST was cleared), but it doesn't stop coming: the eggplant parmigiana, the fried shrimp (you know, for snacking in between), the roast pork, the marinated cauliflower and broccoli, the baked asparagus - Lord Jesus - and too much red wine. 

The table clears and the 9 tiniest of the cousins (6 of them belonging to one uncle) gather 'round on the living room floor to open some presents. The wrapping paper turns to confetti in seconds as the youngens parade their new dolls, games, gloves, sweaters, candy, stuffed animals, books, movies, remote cars, and the like. It's nauseatingly cute in the best, most endearingly heart-melting way.

Then the table is set with a mountainous fruit basket, nuts, these little chocolate covered fruit jelly ring things, and two types of fudge. 

This is the appetizer before the real dessert and coffee is put out.

Then in comes the coffee, pecan pie, the pistachio cake, Italian cookie assortment, brownies and ice cream (just in case).

It was a quaint crowd of 25 this year. We had a good handful missing. Yes, really.

Christmas day was with my uncle Paulie and Cheryl, cousins Zach, Josh, Naomi, Liz, Eddie, and Malachi, and my Aunt Cheryl's parents and brother. Antipasti - mutzaDELL in cahROTZ***, fresh mutz, parmigiano hunks and roasted peppers, and bread.

Then lasagna with meatballs and sausage.

Then dessert spread: apple pie, banana cream pie, cookies, cookies, cookies, cupakes (both vanilla and chocolate), bishGOHTT****, and brownies. 

I never want to eat again.

*Translation: mozzarella with tomatoes, basil and olive oil; roasted peppers and mushrooms; stuffed peppers; capricola; sopressata; proscuitto bread; olive bread; braided sesame bread; bakes clams; and the ever present, ever sacred, Italian fish salad. Too much wine (red, of course).

**Translation: calamari 

***Translation: mozzarella in carrozza (grilled cheese but with mutz)

****Translation: biscotti