Christmas Eve Big Ass Surf And Turf

Today, I cooked.

And now I shall share food pictures with you.

First, my gravy.  I browned 15 Italian sausages, 3 pounds of chopmeat, 4 pounds of pork chops, and then made and fried 93 meatballs.  I was at it alllllllllll day.  I'll be using the gravy for tomorrow's Christmas dinner and wanted to get it done in advance.  I used the gigantic pot we used to use at our family's restaurant.  

Once I was done with that, I had to start working on dinner for tonight, our special Christmas Eve dinner.  I considered doing the Feast of the Seven Fishes, an Italian tradition I grew up with in New York.  I asked around, getting recipes from family, even posting about it on Facebook to get feedback from my Italian friends and those living in Italy.

Really, I wasn't ever going to go full-on fish because I don't like most of the traditional dishes and I didn't think this would be the time to experiment.  Initially I was going to do a shrimp cocktail, then scallops with filet mignon, but that dwindled down to no appetizer and shrimp scampi with filet instead.

Here's my Shrimp Scampi - the butcher where I bought the shrimp wrote "big ass shrimp" on the butcher paper.  And they were big ass shrimp.

Then I made a beef tenderloin.  I cooked it as the entire loin but it was way too rare in the center, so I cut them into individual filets, and seared each side, bathing them in the buttery juices.  I served a creamy horseradish sauce on the side.

Marlaina requested brussels sprouts, so I roasted them with garlic and olive oil.  I got a nice char on some of them, which was great.  I love a crispy, roasted vegetable.  

To round out the plate, mashed potatoes.  Everything was good and my guests were very complimentary.  Overall, dinner was a success.

I had Wine-Roasted Pears and Grapes planned for dessert, but we had eaten so much and had so much dessert left over from the night before, that I shelved that idea and may prepare it for Boxing Day.

After Marlaina and I finish our shopping and get our manicures and pedicures done.  It'll be a nice treat to wrap up the day.

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2012:  This Sled Is Being Pulled By Rudolph The Bucking Red Nosed Reindeer 
2011: Call Me For A Good Time – I’m ALWAYS Happy
2010: Blue Plates And Books For Christmas Eve
2009: Holiday Theft Is On The Rise…Right In Your Own Neighborhood!!
2008: The Team Finally Takes A Rest
2007: The Night Before Christmas And All Through The House
2006: The Only Visible Flames Came From The Candles On The Altar
2005: Tonight’s The Night, People