• Ham bone with some meat left on it, Water (to cover bone and vegetables), Dried peas (2 pounds), Carrot, medium dice (1/2 cup), Celery, medium dice (1/2 cup), Onion, medium dice (1 cup), Potato, peeled, medium to large dice (2 cups), Black pepper, ground (1-2 tbsp), Ham bouillon (depending on saltiness of ham)

1. Add ham bone, vegetables, peas, and pepper to stock pot.
2. Cover with water and bring to low simmer.
3. Allow to simmer 3 to 4 hours.
4. Let cool and place in fridge over night.
5. Skim off coagulated fat from top, pick meat from bone and discard bone (put meat aside).
6. Reheat soup and mash until thick and pureed.
7. Add meat back to pot and season with salt or bouillon.
8. We would always have containers or Ziplocs of this soup in the freezer for much of the year and reheat whenever we wanted.

My mother, Barbara Randall, recalls that the role of food was HUGE during the holidays. Stuart [my father], for one thing, would always make his roasted duck on special occasions, such as Christmas Eve, as well as Steak au Poivre for birthdays.

Growing up, the holidays were the warmest days I remember. Christmas carols (classical, not pop) were always blasting. On Christmas day everybody had a task. I would usually do the turkey and stuffing, my sister Karen would do the pies and so on. All day all of my five siblings and parents were in the kitchen preparing our Christmas feast; of course there was bickering, but we were all in there doing it together. At the end of the day we would all sit around the table and have our meal, all together. The most traditional holiday meals that stand out in my mind are the turkey and stuffing for Thanksgiving and everybody preparing dishes and being in the kitchen together for most of the day. Christmas day we used to have turkey also, but then switched to standing rib roast which my father absolutely loves. We also have scalloped potatoes, green beans, and champagne. And then St. Patrick's Day we would always prepare the traditional corned beef meal with cabbage, boiled potatoes, and soda bread. ('green' beer too, or Guinness). This we would do either alone as a family or with neighbors and friends, depending on the year and mood, I guess.

We would fairly frequently throw dinner parties, also. I believe eating is a very intimate thing. Cooking and sharing talents with people; letting them into your home and breaking bread is a very special thing between close friends. In a way, it is a form of sharing a piece of you with people, not just to 'earn points' or whatever. I grew up having holiday open houses with friends and neighbors. I have always loved entertaining, as has Stuart. And you kids also love to entertain. It became a family tradition, having parties for Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Christmas parties with friends and neighbors; and then the formal Christmas parties with Stuart's wine-friends [my father imports and distributes wine and every Christmas season would have a formal dinner party for some close friends he has met in the business]. These parties I would start days ahead of time, ironing linens, cleaning glasses, polishing the silver, and arranging the flowers; the menu was always the same, though, consisting of his beloved roasted duck with lingonberry sauce, mashed winter squash, wild rice, and green beans.