Holidays in the Life of an Expat

I can honestly say that I never would have imagined that "Amazing Grace" and a meal of rotten fish would make up two of my most prized holiday memories... such colliding of cultures is, for me, truly the mark of expat life. 

This year, I was once again blessed with the great fortune of spending my holidays amidst oysters and foie gras, and, of course, friends. Holidays away from home are never easy, but I have found that since being away, traditions have begun to meld together, reviving the old and giving birth to the new, in a way that almost epitomizes the meaning of the festivities themselves: togetherness. After all, isn't that the purpose of travel,  to break down cultural divides and open up channels of mutual discovery and inspiration? 

 

A french pastime:
Shucking oysters for the
first course of Christmas-eve dinner

This holiday season was no exception. The feasting and gourmandise began with the three expat Thanksgivings in November and did not show any signs of petering out until long after the New year's resolutions were soundly recorded and bulging bellies lay grumbling beneath winter sweaters and high-waisted dresses.  Christmas in France is no small feat, which comes as no surprise considering the country's history and passion for cuisine, and anyone expecting to be in France at any time between December 24th and January 1st best be well-prepared to indulge. Leave the stylishly tight pants at home, and forget about that skin-tight New year's dress; you will have little luck fitting into them when Noël à la française is done with you.  

This year's culinary adventures were comprised of the usual suspects, oysters and foie gras, but with the addition of a new bird (new for me, not for the french) and its accompaniments. (Details to be added, once verified with chef Pavia-Orengo). As for the most exciting, and long-anticipated part of the meal--though I must add that, speaking universally, at the end of Christmas dinner, hardly anyone has room for dessert--the Bûche de Noël in all its (melting) glory assumed its rightful place beside the table decorations and Italian sparkling wine. This was my first-ever attempt at the french Christmas classic, and Patricia's first-ever stab at the recipe. We took on the challenge of a bûche of layered genoise, and whipped cream with oranges confit and (my unwavering weakness) la crème de marron. A melting mess of a Christmas cake, the bûche was delicious, and found most guests scrapping their plates. 

A sort-of-success, one might say; at least added to the list of "try agains" that is steadily getting out of hand. At this rate, I will share the same fate as Julia Child; always cooking and eating... and drinking. All things considered, this might not be such a terrible path to trod.  Life is short, and the world, while it may be small, is too full of good food for one to commit to serious dieting. Every dish has a place in the line-up of "must try once in life" and even those dishes which sound less-than-appetizing can produce surprising effects. For example, the classic Norwegian winter dish, Rakfisk or "rotten fish" is an unexpected delight. Different from the famous Luttefisk, this fermented trout, after having been cusioned for months underground between layers of salt and sugar, finds its way to the table, accompanied by dallops of sour cream, shreds of freshly sliced red onions, plump boiled potatoes, hard-boiled egg, and delightfully acidic beets. I was apprehensive, to say the least, not as thrown by the components of the meal itself, but by the Norwegians' take on it.

Leading up to the moment of truth, I heard from every member of the dinner party such warnings as "it is very 'special,' even 'a bit peculiar'" and "people either love it or hate it" and "it took us some time to really appreciate it." The trick turned out to be introducing to the taste buds all the components at once, a flavor-packed fork-full of Norwegian goodness. Much to their surprise, I was converted by the second bite, and while I don't plan to add this to my list of holiday classics, I will forever cherish the memories of a night of rotten fish and Norwegian reveling.   

With all this food-talk, I think it is safe to say that the very first thing on everyone's mind at the holidays is the daunting weight gain. To combat such apprehension, the jolly gentlemen and women of Sospel, and an exceptionally merry handful of Norwegians, might recommend singing away the calories, and while it might not be an effective plan for weight loss, it is sure to make at least the heart feel lighter. 

"Amazing Grace" was featured on this year's program of St. Joseph Chapel carols, and some nostalgic Simon and Garfunkel hits made the list at the Norwegian post-dinner festivities of guitar playing and storytelling. The moral of the story, might therefore be, consult the classics, and you will find that they seldom disappoint, whether it be in food or song.