This is all about "performance" -- range performance, car performance, cooking performance. This is also about status, fantasy and guilt. It also might be about property value. Some very famous cooks didn't have "high performance" equipment. And it's amazing how home cooks in other countries don't have all this fancy equipment and yet manage to turn out delicious meals. I've had wonderful food cooked in a fireplace and on a hot plate. If you can cook, a high performance range makes it easier and can give you more control and eliminate a struggle against a range (which is certainly annoying). If you can't cook well, and don't learn to season, no appliance will help.

We ended up with only 33--one DS's family didn't get up from NC & one of the SSs was in Fld, 2nt son & DIL had to work as did one SIL & 2 GDs ,1 DIl had the flu as did a 4 yo GD so only 3 GGDs were here but the rest of us enjoyed ourselves & wonder of wonders only 1 cell phone conversation & that was from the SIL that was working to wish us all Merry Christmas & sorry he was missing the get together. We had enough snow for a nice white Christmas but it was a bit bittersweet as most of the grandkids are grown enough not to be out sledding in the yard. Had the usual buffet style as no way all 33 of us would fit around 1 table. Doc & I prepared a high heat dry rubbed ( minced garlic, rosemary,coarse ground pepper, sea salt, smoked paprika, olive oil )10 # boneless prime rib and roasted fresh Polish sausage, shrimp cocktail & antipasta platter with 2 types of salami, thin sliced hot ham, home marinated fresh motz , kalamari & lrg garlic stuffed green olives, Chase's dills, Linda Lou's sweet chunks & tiny homecanned pickled beets & onions. I also put out a cheese tray with blocks of swiss, extra sharp cheddar,a honeyed goat cheese log and 3 kinds of grapes-& a salad of baby spinach, pear slices , pomagranate seeds & spiced candied walnuts with carafes of a simple white balsalmic vinegatte & a bottled creamy blue cheese. Ann brought her always delicious cheese souffle-- DIL Deb brought deviled eggs, DD Deb brought a veggie & a pepperoni pizza--DD Judy did swedish meatballs & a veggie pasta salad. There was also veggie fried rice and a big bowl of wok stir fried chinese vegs-- Roasted garlic in melted Brie , chips & homemade onion dip, hot spiced peanuts, chocolate caramel tossed kettle corn & a cheesy chex mix. Kimelwick rolls & sliced provalone for beef sandwiches , garlic knots . Dessert was Cranberry Layer Cake from Taste of Home site (source Sandy Burkett) I did as cupcakes, a zillion Christmas cookie & rum raisin ice cream. The gals in the crowd each also brought 2 dz Christmas cookies for the cookie exchange we've been doing as a new tradition we started 3 yrs ago.-- so every family went home with cookies ( mixed) of 11 different kinds-- cause I contribute 3 differt kinds.-- and Jessie's fudge , my tiger bark, and cranberry nouget & Baileys truffles that someboby brought. A few local wines, Irish Coffee, soda for the kids, grape & apple juice for the real little ones-- and lots of love & laughter for all. Here is a link that might be useful: Cranbery Layer Cake

Thank you all! I thought I would be exhausted but it was so much fun it invigorated me. But I must confess it took me until today to finish hand washing the last of the wine glasses and I still have the tablecloths and napkins to wash. LOL /biondanonima I separated the skin from the breast, created cracklings and used them as garnish. I used the duck fat to sear the breasts.

I feel guilty that I"ve actually been having a mostly relaxing day while dh is slaving in the kitchen ALL day. He went to the grocery store early and while he was gone, I made marinara sauce for the ravioli mentioned above. I failed to mention that *his* tradition every year is to make chocolate chip pumpkin bread (old Ghirardelli recipe) for all our friends/neighbors/coworkers. He sometimes makes 40 loaves. Well, I thought he was done but nope, got home from the store and made two more batches. Then he started in on the filling for the ravioli. He made the meat ravioli first, finally took a break for dinner, and is now working on the cheese ravioli. Our 13 y/o has been a great helper. The other day, he decided that he wanted to bring pumpkin cheesecake to my parents' house for Christmas. My mom is already making dessert but he decided he wanted this as well so she didn't have to make an additional dessert. I warned him the cheesecake needs to be made ahead. He said he was going to make it tonight. Well, he's already said he will do it tomorrow. Yet I just realized now, at 9:30pm, that he still hasn't made the tiramisu for Christmas Eve dessert. His response - "I got it, I didn't forget. I'm making both tomorrow." Every year he does this. He takes on too much and then complains after the fact about how exhausted he is. I happily would have bought the tiramisu in Little Italy where it is fabulous. Nope, he needs to make it from scratch. I wouldn't care but he makes a disaster out of the kitchen for days on end b/c he doesn't clean up until the very end. I cannot STAND clutter so it makes me nuts that my kitchen is a mess with no end in sight. I couldn't even make dinner tonight b/c there was no room! We had to get take out. I suppose I shouldn't complain - it is nice that he loves to cook. I do as well, but I am much better at planning and timing (and cleaning up and starting fresh each day). I mentioned next year doing a sort of buffet spread of heavy appetizers instead of Christmas dinner (someone else here mentioned doing that this year, and since my mom has decided this is her last year of hosting, I thought that idea sounded good for next year). Of course, he made a face. But we host a sit-down dinner on Christmas Eve! And seriously, I'd like to actually enjoy Christmas not spend two days in a row feeding a formal sit down dinner to my family when HE is the only one who cares. My kids would happily graze all day.