[Shaun @ Tru6]

Christmas dinner was a big hit with my mom and instead of her getting out containers for me to take back leftovers, she was eagerly asking what she could keep, the correct answer being all of it of course.

Bone-in prime rib with a fresh thyme, rosemary, garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil rub after searing. Perfect rare throughout. Made a bordelaise from the crockpot consomé leftover from birria taco beef shanks and a decent cabernet, a 2019 Auctioneer. Excellent wine. I got it knowing it would make a better sauce and I'll have 3/4 of a bottle to finish myself, wise choice. Bone marrow is god's gift to cooks around the world, made for a rich beef stock with little fuss.

Gruyere potatoes, an elegant spin on au gratin, peel and slice 1mm crossways like you are making potato chips, just don't cut all the way through. Fan with your palm. Heavy cream, garlic, parsley, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Baking, cover potatoes with cream mixture, gently peel back each layer with a paring knife so cream can coat, bake for an hour. Shredded quality Gruyere under the broiler to brown. These things are addictive like nothing else on the planet. What makes them special it's not all about the cheese like a classic gratin, but the potato and cream with hint of garlic and nutmeg really shines, only tinted with a little cheese, or none at all.

Balsamic vinegar air fried Brussels sprouts. These are pure candy.

Orange tarragon carrots

Creamed spinach

2019 Browne Cabernet, a nice Columbia Valley wine that punches above its weight to Napa characteristics. Just a damn good and satisfying $30 bottle of wine that goes great with steaks.

Mom got some cannoli for desert.

It was just she and I as her husband was in the hospital after a bad fall last Saturday. We went to see him after dinner and he's getting better but still out of it from all of the drugs they've got him on for an infection that set in. It was an overall great day!

I didn't get to make the popovers which would have been a good addition but just too many moving parts and didn't want my Mom to have to do anything other and chat with me in the kitchen.

Lovely day. Hope all of yours was too!