We had a major limbic feast last night, in the Berkshires…might be an idea for some of you.

We had a Sunday night supper for about 30, with caroling. There was no advance planning and the whole thing took shape in less than a week. We were inviting pals we bumped into on the street as late as Sunday afternoon.

The meal – like all the meals I cook – was a little hectic and not wildly complex. But the house and tree looked awfully cozy, the fires were bright and the singing was a joy for us all. There was no piano, sadly, but I did have 20 sets of sheet music and there were a couple of us who had decent pitch and knew the music, which is all it took. There is something special and unique about singing, and we mean to do more of it…not just at Christmas. We entertain a lot but this was the best party of 2009. Happy Holidays to us all. Chris and Hilary.