My wife celebrates Christmas on the 24th, and I really don’t do anything. So, on the 25th, we went on a long hike, and then realized that it was nearing 5 p.m. and we had no food. The thought of eating at a Denny’s felt like complete failure, so we started driving north on the El Camino, and (thought we had) found an open Safeway. So, my mind went to a good glass of wine, at home, while making some great meal (the fillet mignon at Safeway is not bad); a manager met us at the door, to tell us (and the steady stream of fellow procrastinators), that they were closed. Now, the thought of sitting in a restaurant, tired, and dirty from hiking, seemed really, really bad. As we were almost giving up, and almost on the freeway (Hillsdale, San Mateo), I caught a glimpse of an open market; it was a middle eastern market run my Muslims -open on Christmas.  Though we did not need goat, we no know where to find it.  It was a god send.

The fun of exploring a new food find was enhanced by the various languages occupying separate decibel frames – from the soft, almost whispered sound of many Indians, to the young middle easterners whose gestures are those of an angry Italian, and a sound that makes so little sense, the combination makes one at once intrigued, and yet as though one should apologize for interrupting to ask where the garlic is kept (by the way, it is on the sidewalk). Of course, for all I know, they were talking about Modern Family. It was wonderfully odd to step from the abandoned streets into this hubbub of activity in a tiny space, packed with spices, and different Peoples, waiting at a few tiny tables, for, what we call, exotic food.

We left with a large piece of middle price beef – some sort of chuck, with an odd name; some garlic, onion, potato, carrot, and celery. We seared the beef, removed it, softened some onion and garlic in olive oil, replaced the meat and simmered it for two hours in the vegetables, red wine, and beef stock. Removed the beef, pressed the vegetable stew, and simmered it to a thick gravy with beurre manie. It was fantastic. We served it with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables.

A Christmas dinner with thanks for living in a multi-cultural society.