Holiday Dinner. a Winner

The Christmas Dinner Menu has been finalized, mostly from the December Bon Appetit with a Food Network Salad and an old New York Times remixed dessert:


Guy Fieri always chants:  "Winner, winner, chicken dinner!"
This menu sounds like a winner to me!  I never want turkey twice in such a short period of time.  Ham is for New Year's Day.
My friend Karin and I have cooked together for ages, beginning with an entire Gourmet Thanksgiving menu that involved two pounds of butter.  And fresh chestnuts (never again!) And pumpkin  soup (a surprising winner).  And creme brulee back when nobody knew what it was.  God, was that trip under the broiler nervewracking.  By then the kids had fallen asleep and the host was tipsy.  Back in the day. Way back in the day.