So, the holiday, part 1 is over....Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, are now a memory and we look towards the cocktail time
celebrations of New Years' Eve and Day.  Just a few thoughts on Christmas Eve dinner, seafood and fish in abundance at the
meal.  Our family celebration, based in Italian-American traditions, started with Crab Cakes made by my niece, her first try at
them...They came out very good.  Nice job Cass!!  My sister made a great traditional Frutta di Mare Salad with Octopus, black
olives, lemon juice, plump shrimp, calamari rings, red onion, celery, garlic...she adds red pepper strips...did Mom do that?  I
said no, my sister says yes...doesn't matter.  What matters is that we continue a tradition that came long before the both of us.
One can only assume that this salad, whether you like it or not, has to be on our Christmas Eve dinner table, and that our Grand-
mother and her mother and hers may have made this as well. 
     My nephew Luke purchased a few tasty rubs from Williams Sonoma and was eager to use them in something for the dinner.
His uncle (that would be me) suggested using the Spice and Chili blend in the Panko breading for the fried flounder.  Such a
bland fish, it needs a little kick to give it some real flavor..we cranked it up with some Adobo seasoning, fresh lime juice , and
frying it in a combo of oil and butter.  Before serving we gave it a shower of fresh sprigs of oregano.  The dish sang loudly
with flavor...  

  


  

I used one of the other rubs to create something different with the sea scallops.  I dredged them in the Chilli and Lime
spice rub.





Then in a nice hot flat pan, I seared them in a little olive oil.  After done searing the scallops, I deglazed the pan
with a little white wine, added a knob of butter and created a non-textbook kind of beurre blanc, not really blanc at all...to which
I added some Vanilla Oil...this product was a gift to me from a good friend who lives on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Thanks Linda
and Shamus!!  It came from the Hawaiian Vanilla Farm on the big Island...a great locally produced organic Hawaiian in-
gredient. Once the sauce thickened, I poured it over the scallops, gave a liberal squeeze of fresh lime, and a new dish (for
me anyway) was created...Hawaiian Vanilla, Chili and Lime Scallops....very happy with the end product.




  


  
Well, time for a movie with the kids now, more blogging tomorrow.  Merry Christmas !!!