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2002: Christmas with 6-year-old daughters. Does it get any better?

It’s that time of year again! Christmas trees. Bells ringing at shopping malls. Children sitting on Santa’s lap. Non-stop Christmas carols, from the classic to the bombastic. And of course, a relatively new annual tradition: the call to arms in the “WAR AGAINST CHRISTMAS!” We’re told that if someone wishes you a “Happy Holiday,” it’s because they’re trying to kill Christmas. I always thought that whether someone wishes me Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, happy holidays or season’s greetings, they’re wishing me well, and I appreciate it. But then again, I don’t have a full-time staff working tirelessly to find things for me to be mad about.

Maybe my laissez-Nöel attitude has to do with the way our family has come to celebrate Christmas; it’s bilingual, bicultural, and so idiosyncratic that we would never expect anyone else to celebrate the same way we do. Rosi is Jewish, and although my parents tried to raise me Christian, it didn’t really take. Still, Rosi’s Jewish-Argentine-Puerto Rican family did have a tree, celebrate Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) and share gifts, and Christmas has always been one of my favorite holidays. One of the things I like most about it is how it has always absorbed elements from different religious and secular traditions and synthesized them into a much more universal celebration of peace, hope, giving, and light in the darkness.

Here’s what we do to celebrate Christmas. Tree? Yes. Lights on, and in, the house? Absolutely, though usually not until all the neighbors have theirs up for a few weeks. (I make up for this by leaving mine up until Valentine’s day.) Gifts? Sure, but not to an extreme, and not to the point of stressing about it. Parties? Yes, we try to have one, complete with lots of food (including pozole, a New Mexican stew made with hominy, pork and chile) and everyone singing Spanish and Latin American carols. Religious observance? Not really, but we do have a ritual that means a lot to us. On Christmas Eve, we sit in a circle around a lit candle. Each family member takes a turn holding the candle and saying what has been important to him/her in the year ending, recognizing any friends or relatives to whom s/he would like to send loving or healing thoughts, and sharing hopes for the coming year. When we’ve all had a turn, each person opens one gift, leaving the rest for Christmas day. Why? Who knows? My family always did it when I was a kid, and coincidentally, Rosi’s family did, too. After all this is done, when we should all be snug in our beds, I always seem to be wrapping presents. Christmas day we finish unwrapping presents, drink coffee, eat, see friends, maybe see a movie – it’s kind of like an extra-special Saturday with no chores!

However you celebrate Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/your holiday of choice, may it bring you warmth, joy and relaxation in the company of loved ones. Merry Everything!

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Before I fell in love with a Puerto Rican girl, I had little idea of what the food from that island was like. Soon after Rosi and I started going out, she told me how much she loved eating yuca. The idea seemed strange to me. I assumed she was using the Spanish word for yucca, the state flower of New Mexico, where I grew up. It’s a plant with sharp, sword-like leaves and a tall stalk topped with white flowers, and the last thing that would have ever occurred to me was to try to eat it. Well, as it turns out, yuca and yucca are two completely unrelated plants: what’s called yuca in the Spanish-speaking Caribbean is known elsewhere as cassava or manioc. It’s a starchy root vegetable that can be boiled or fried, and it is in fact delicious. One Thanksgiving it occurred to me that it might be a good idea to mash boiled yuca along with the potatoes, and the result was so good that it immediately became a Thanksgiving tradition in our house. Like so many things in our lives, it’s a mix of “All-American”and Latino traditions. So here’s my contribution to the growing body of Hispanic Thanksgiving recipes. If you decide to try it, let us know how you liked it. Enjoy!

Mashed Potatoes with Yuca and Roasted Garlic
Serves 12 (with leftovers)

– 2 lbs. Russet potatoes
– 2 lbs. yuca root
– 1 head garlic
– milk or soy milk
– salt and pepper to taste
– 1/2 stick butter (optional)

Peel potatoes, or don’t, as you prefer. I’ve done it either way. To prepare yuca, cut it crosswise into sections about 2 inches long. Soak it in very hot, but not boiling, water for about 10 minutes. This will soften the tough outer skin. When it’s cool enough to handle, take a chunk of yuca and make a shallow incision across the skin. Carefully wedge your knife blade between the skin and the flesh and pry the skin off all around. Peel all the yuca in this manner and cut each of the yuca chunks in half lengthwise. There’s a tough fiber in the center that needs to be removed. I usually do this with a paring knife, making two incisions in a V-shape around the fiber and prying it out.

While yuca is soaking, roast garlic by whatever method you prefer. I like to separate the cloves, cut off the butt end, and wrap them in aluminum foil with a drizzle of olive oil, then roast at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes, or until it smells delicious. Garlic should be soft and lightly browned when you remove it from the skins.

Boil the yuca for about 8 minutes before adding the potatoes, as it takes a bit longer to soften. When yuca and potatoes are done cooking. Mash them together with the garlic, butter (if desired) and enough liquid to get the desired consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Merry Navidad! or How We Stopped Worrying And Found Our Own Way To Celebrate The Holidays

Happy (Hispanic) Thanksgiving! A cross-cultural recipe for you.

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