
You might think that Christmas dinner is just another aspect of the stress of Christmas. Granted, most bestselling cookbooks out there don’t make it easy. Do they honestly think that anyone could tell the difference, blind taste test, between virgin olive oil and extra virgin olive oil? Still, the more you cook the more you learn to substitute and do without all the frou-frou ingredients. It’s satisfying trying to cook something new, and even more satisfying to have people over to enjoy it. If the dish doesn’t work out, then it becomes an amusing story to bring up when your guests have to cook *you* something. It’s win-win!