Growing up, there was a Thanksgiving song we would sing, “The Turkey Ran Away.” Well, I think Tom the Turkey and Peter the Rabbit ran away; and, now they’re sitting in a tree laughing at the woes of one Paula Rivera.

I called my poultry guy (true confession, I don’t yet have enough of a relationship with them to refer to them as my ‘guys’), Goffle Road Poultry Farm, to order a rabbit for Christmas. I could hear the guy smirking as he kindly explained, ‘we’re sold out of rabbit.’ Sigh. What to do for Christmas, get a turkey; order a hen; chicken for my friends? All dismal thoughts (only dismal as we eat these things regularly). So I went for the duck. Yes, daffy duck was the menu for Christmas.

In finding a recipe, I went to all my standard books, Fannie Farmer, two Gourmet cookbooks, and even my Spanish and French books. But, alas, it was Burt, good ol’ Burt Wolf, who came to my rescue.

My husband was lobbying for a crispy duck and that, ultimately, what I would have liked to have made. The goddess of time was not swayed to favor me this Christmas season. The one recipe I found for ‘crispy duck’ was in the Gourmet Cookbook. It was a two day recipe that involved a fan and the duck’s cavity. Burt’s recipe on the other hand only involved four hours of simmering. Yes, simmering. I thought I was cooking the effing thing in the oven and discovered my faux pas early Christmas morning providing enough angst to throw my entire day off.

All worked out well the day’s menu started with stuff clams, shrimp cocktail, cheese, olives and bread, and some Greek apps; duck, turnip and mushrooms, and acorn squash with spinach (again, thanks Burt and #Yummy), followed for the main meal. Dessert consisted of an assortment of chocolates and a selection of cordials to top off the evening.

I’m beginning to plan our winter and spring travels and have determined that I need a winter ‘things to do’ list which I plan to put together over the coming week(s). I’ll keep you updated as the days progress — which are getting longer. Until then, I wish you safe travels, smooth sailings and, of course, bon appetite.