The Tinsletown, Texas Christmas Chronicles Chapter Six

Chapter Six. The Story of the Feast.

“Peanut butter…” John started.

“…and jelly…” said Marsha interrupting.

“…sandwiches…” continued Mindy.

“…with chips…” interjected Peter.

“…and stale gingerbread…” said Uncle Dudley.

“And whatever this is supposed to be.” finished grandfather Bill, holding the stalk of hay.

“I LOVE IT!” shouted Jenny.

“You’re kidding, Vern?  Right?!?” said John. “This is your favorite Christmas dinner.”

“That’s right,” Vern answered.  “And it has been for years.  Isn’t that right, Dad?”

“All the way back to the days of the cranberry farm.”  Mr. Valkotukka replied.

Vern got a twinkle in his eye as he started to relay the tale.  “We had a lot of lean years when I was growing up.  The cranberry farm never took off like we hoped, and most of the other ventures were worse.  It wasn’t until The Stable that things really turned around.  Because of that, our early Christmas dinners were usually whatever we could throw together from leftovers in the kitchen.  One year, when I was six…”

“Seven, dear.” Mrs. Valkotukka corrected.

“You’re right,” Vern continued.  “When I was seven, Mom let me pick what leftovers we would put together for the meal.  So I chose peanut butter sandwiches, which were my favorite.  For the jelly, we had a lot of cranberry jelly tucked away, so that was the obvious choice.  Potatoes were fairly easy to come by, so I could help fry some homemade potato chips pretty easily.  And Dad went in to town and surprised us with the addition of day old gingerbread.  It was the first time I got to pick the menu, and what can I say, it stuck with me.”

“But what about the stalk of hay?” asked Marsha.

“That was my favorite addition to the plate.  I started thinking about that first Christmas, there in Bethlehem, in a stable filled with animals, and wondered what could have been on their plates that night.  Who knows what Mary and Joseph would have been packing with them for their travels.  They certainly were not getting any food from the innkeeper or any other form of an elaborate Christmas feast.  Whatever they had it would have been meager.  And while I couldn’t imagine what they were eating, the only thing I knew would be there would have been hay for the animals.  So I ran out to the field, and pulled off a few stalks to place it there as a reminder of that first simple Christmas dinner.  A meager meal that accompanied the greatest Christmas ever.”  Vern replied.  “I’ve used the stalk of hay as a reminder in everything I have done since.  If you look around it’s everywhere in The Stable.  On every table, in every centerpiece.”

The Moore family looked around and noticed the hay for the first time.  When the first entered, they noticed all the extravagance.  The white linen, the fine crystal and china.  But now they noticed this most simple of all decorations.  And it was everywhere.  Likely going unnoticed by every patron in the restaurant. 

“Vern never let us forget that Christmas,” Mr. Valkotukka began.  “Through every twist and turn the years have brought us through, we always look back to that simple Christmas dinner as a bright spot in our memories.  We laughed more, we shared more, we smiled more than any Christmas up to that point.”

Mrs. Valkotukka continued finishing his thought, “And so we decided to make that meal our family tradition, in memory of that first Christmas meal that Vern created.”

“But you’ve cooked so many other amazing Christmas dinners for everyone else since then.” Uncle Dudley interjected.  “I don’t mean to be incredulous, but you mean you haven’t wanted to branch out and enjoy all of his other creations.”

“They are tempting,” Mr. Valkotukka began.

“But, we get to sample those in the kitchen.” Mrs. Valkotukka finished.  “That lets us have a bit of the best of both worlds.  Plus, we have Vern make us amazing dinners on other nights of the year.”

“You should see what he makes for New Years Eve.” Mr. Valkotukka said with a chuckle.

Marsha then turned to Vern. “But haven’t you ever wanted to tweak the recipe?  I mean you create a different feast each year for the stable, but stick to the exact same meal for your family?”

“Not really,” Vern replied.  “The memory of that meal is tied to the same, simple ingredients.  I’ve even gotten so accustomed to day-old gingerbread that I’ve even started to prefer it that way.  Hazel has even started to keep me some in reserve at the Gingerbread House.”

“I love it,” Jenny said, having already scarfed down half of the items on her plate. “It’s the perfect meal, my favorite.”

“It is pretty great,” said Peter.

“Plus,” Mindy said, “it doesn’t take nearly as long to get together as the traditional meal.   I know I’ve spent so much time on the centerpiece the past couple of years, that I’ve been really grateful when the day is over.”

Marsha then shocked the family, “Me too.  I mean I love our family meal, but it’s become so much work to make everything perfect.  I enjoy the meal, I do, but I’ve found myself really just waiting for it to be over.”

John agreed, “And while this meal may be simple, it still brings us together, it fills us, and lets us celebrate the season.  It serves its purpose well.”

“My favorite Christmas meal ever.”  Vern stated.

“Mine too” Jenny added. “It’s what I prayed for.”

“What?” the entire Moore family asked almost in unison.

“After the turkey shot out of the oven, knowing it was my fault for putting the popcorn in the turkey, I prayed to God that he would fix us a meal that would allow us to laugh again and smile again this Christmas.”

“Aw, honey,” Marsha consoled, “this was not all your fault.  There were a thousand little steps that went wrong in many different directions, all because we were too caught up in the routine to pay attention.”

John continued, “And despite the mess, I think this might have been just the wake-up call our family needed to learn that lesson.”

“The Lord works in mysterious ways.” Vern replied. “I think your prayer was answered.”

The Moore and Valkotukka families spent the rest of the evening sharing stories of Christmas past and laughing more than either had in ages.  All parties would later agree that it was one of the best Christmases they ever celebrated.  All around a meager meal, considered their favorite Christmas dinner ever.

The Tinsletown, Texas Christmas Chronicles Chapter Five

Chapter Five.  Dining Out

Dinner options in Tinsletown for Christmas Eve were very limited.  The Dash Away All Convenience Store had a hot table, but that was no one’s first choice.  Donner’s Diner would be closing early for their company party.  Even the Dairy Queen was closing early this particular evening.  John and Marsha knew that practically, The Stable would be their only option.

The rest of the extended family had largely gone their own directions.  James and Jill took their mother Margot back home to start preparing for Christmas dinner the next day.  Jefferson, Elizabeth, Alex and Nora decided to head on to Jefferson’s family home to be ready for Christmas Day with them.  That left John, Marsha, Peter, Mindy, Jenny, grandfather Bill, and Uncle Dudley to try their luck at the stable.  John and Marsha knew Vern from school and hoped he would be able to squeeze them in tonight.

“This is the place.”  John announced as the family pulled up to The Stable.

“You’re kidding,” Peter interjected.  “This is nothing but an old barn.”

“Right.” said John.

“WOW!” Jenny exclaimed.

“You mean we’re going to eat Christmas Eve dinner in a barn?” Mindy asked.

“It’s not a barn.  It’s The Stable, ‘A unique dining experience.’” replied Marsha.

Peter laughed. “Unique is right.  I’ll bet the ‘unique’ part is eating with cows, horses, pigs…”

“Dad?!?” Mindy interrupted.

“That will be enough young man.” John scolded.  “This happens to be a very nice restaurant.  Besides it’s the only place open this late on Christmas Eve.  Now we are going to enter this restaurant like one happy family and pray that they have enough room to seat us.”

As the family entered the restaurant, Peter, Mindy, and Jenny got a sense of how wrong they were in their assessment of The Stable.  They were able to take in all of the extravagant decorations that filled the space.  The white linen tablecloths.  The music from the house band wafted through the air and they were able to see the choir ready to take their places.  There was something truly magical about The Stable at Christmas.  Even the menu reflected it, which Vern had posted near the front door.

This year, Vern had chosen to offer a five course dinner featuring a braised rack of lamb.  The appetizer was a fruit pastry square, followed by a roast turkey consommé, and fruit sorbet.  The braised rack of lamb for the main course would be served with hasselback potatoes and blue cheese, enriched with a signature sauce that Vern had developed.  Finally, patrons would be served a black forest trifle for dessert.  All in all, Vern was very pleased with the selection and the earliest patrons had been raving about the choice.

“I take it all back,” Peter proclaimed.  “This could be very good.  Maybe even better…”  He stopped before he finished the thought.

John approached the host stand.  Mr. Valkotukka was on host duty tonight and was as busy as a beaver.  When he was finally able to stop for a moment he asked, “How can I help you John?”

“Any chance you have a table for seven?”  John replied.

“No reservation, I’m assuming.”

“Correct.”

“I’m sorry John, but as you can see, we have no room.  Even the private dining room’s are all booked up.” 

“I understand, Mr. Valkotukka, but we thought we would give it a shot.  We really have no place to go, after what happened this afternoon.”  With that, John began to explain the whole ordeal to Mr. Valotukka, with the family chiming in at various other points. 

“I see,” said Mr. Valotukka.  He thought for a moment and turned to John and Marsha.  “Let me talk to Vern.  I have an idea that just might work.”  Mr. Valkotukka turned from the host stand and head back toward the kitchen.

“Say a prayer this works,” said Marsha.

At that moment, Vern was running back and forth all across the kitchen.  Checking on the consommé, perfecting the trifle, preparing another rack of lamb.  There were a thousand things running through his head at any moment, as he made sure everything ran smoothly.  He loved every minute of it, but the last thing he needed was a new problem that needed a solution.

“Vern, can I speak with you a minute?” his father asked.  As Mr. Valkotukka pulled Vern aside, he explained the predicament of the Moore family.  “Now I know we do not have any place for them in the main dining hall, but I thought maybe they could dine with us.”

Vern though about it for a minute.  It would require a little bit more effort on his part, but he should be able to make it work, he thought.  After all, he couldn’t turn them away.  Not on Christmas and not in The Stable. 

“That could work.”  Vern replied.  “Let them know what they are getting in for, though.  We don’t want to surprise them too much. And let Mama know to set the extra places at the Chef’s table.”

“Will do.  Love you, son.  And thank you.”

“No, thank you Dad.  Likewise.  Now, get out of my kitchen and let me get to work.”  Vern joked, and got to work.

Mr. Valkotukka returned to the host stand and explained the situation to the Moore family.  “As I said before, we have no room for you in the main dining hall.  But, we would like to invite you to join us at the Chef’s table for our Christmas dinner.  Now it won’t be the main menu.  We have just enough of that for the reservations.  But Vern will be making his favorite Christmas dinner for us like he does every year.  If that sounds good to you, we would be honored to have you.”

Vern’s favorite Christmas dinner. The Moore family raced with visions of what the premier chef of Tinsletown would think of as his favorite Christmas dinner.  Marsha and Bill were hoping for a traditional turkey dinner.  John was pulling for tamales and various Mexican dishes.  Uncle Dudley hoped for a roast duck.  The children hoped it just came with plenty of desserts.

“We accept.”  John exclaimed, not even looking for further agreement. 

And with that, the family followed Mr. Valkotukka through the main dining hall into the Chef’s Table, a private dining room adjacent to the kitchen, with a perfect view of all the main festivities.

Mrs. Valkotukka was already in the dining room, and proved the perfect hostess.  She got the children started with juice, wine for John and Marsha, and the perfect Tom and Jerry for Uncle Dudley and Bill.  She filled the Moore family in on the history of The Stable and regaled them with stories of their favorite holiday entertainment acts.  John and Marsha shared with her the events of the afternoon, and were able to laugh about it for the first time.  Throughout, Mr. Valkotukka popped in and out checking on them and updating them on Vern’s progress.

When Vern had finally completed the family meal, he turned the rest of the evening’s preparations over to his sous chef, Felix Bassenak.  He enlisted a few servers to help him move the dinner to the Chef’s Table.

“I’m glad you could all join us tonight.  I think you are in for a treat.  Please take your place at the table, and we will start serving.”  Vern stated as he entered the room.

With that, the servers began placing covered platters in front of each member of the Moore and Valkotukka families.

“This Christmas dinner has been a tradition in our family for as long as I can remember,” Vern began.  “Through all of the situations our family found ourselves in, this meal has been a constant, and we are so glad to share it with you.”

 Vern asked his father to say grace, and once completed, invited his guests to begin.  “Without any further adieu, my favorite Christmas dinner I have ever made.”

In a flourish, the servers removed the covers from the dishes, revealing the evening’s feast:

A peanut butter and cranberry jelly sandwich on white bread, homemade potato chips, day old ginger-bread, and a single stalk of hay.

The Tinsletown, Texas Christmas Chronicles Chapter Four

Chapter 4. The Moore Family Christmas Dinner Disaster

It’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things first went wrong with this year’s Moore family Christmas dinner.  Perhaps with the installation of the new double oven in November.  The slow tightening of the hinges on the door from the kitchen to the backyard.    The annual airing of Dr. Seuss’ The Grinch Who Stole Christmas special, which inspired Mindy’s elaborate centerpiece this year.  The additional help that Jenny provided in preparing the Christmas dinner.  Or perhaps even further back, to the year the Bumpuses moved in to the farm next door and started their kennel, with their ever-growing population of rescue dogs and other animals.

            Though all the facts and details contributing to the disaster will take a few months to sort out, my understanding of the specific events of Christmas Eve are as follows:

            Marsha awoke that morning at 5:30 am, as she did every Christmas Eve, to begin preparing the for the evening meal.  She checked on the turkey, thawing in the refrigerator.  It had been thawing for three days, hopefully sufficient for the massive twenty-two pound bird.  Satisfied that the turkey would be ready by noon to place in the over, she turned her attention to the many other dishes on her list.  Breakfast and lunch would be do-it-yourself today; all her attention would be on the annual dishes for the evening’s festivities.  It was a familiar pattern she followed every year, with one major variation this morning.

            At six o’clock, Jenny heard her mother in the kitchen and bounded down the stairs to join her.  “What are you doing up, sweetie?” Marsha asked.  “Go on back to bed, you don’t need to be up for a while now.”

            “I’m here to help you.” Jenny replied.  “I want to do my part in the Christmas dinner.  I can help too.”

            While Marsha knew this would likely increase her workload, there was no way she was going to turn down this prime bonding opportunity with her baby.  “Grab an apron,” Marsha said.  “And do exactly what I say; we have to be precise.”

  

            Marsha knew the dressing needed to be finished first, to ensure that it would be ready in time to stuff the turkey and get it in the oven for ample baking time.  She had already pulled out her large mixing bowl and most of the necessary ingredients.  She also knew that mixing the stuffing would be an excellent entry level task for Jenny to work on.  Besides, Jenny had helped her several times before, with family dinners throughout the year.  Plus, Marsha knew this year’s menu was going to be ambitious, and she could use the extra hands.  Besides, the stuffing at this point was basically prepared, it just had to be finally all crumbled together and put in the bird.  What’s the worst that could happen, she thought. 

With this in mind, Marsha put Jenny to work. 

            “Your mission, your most important mission, is to get this stuffing ready and mixed so we can fill the turkey and get it in the oven.  Here’s a bowl big enough for all the ingredients, and most of what you will need to mix.  Take these to start and mix them together as you can.  Let me know when you think it’s done and I’ll tell you what else to add.  I’m going to start working on the cranberry salsa.”

            So Jenny began mixing the pre-prepared cornbread pieces and sausage crumbles.  “I’m ready for more,” Jenny gleefully announced, after what seemed like an eternity of stirring and crumbling to her.  “Okay” replied her mother.  “Now get the celery, onion, and kernel corn to mix in.” 

            No Marsha knew that she clearly said “kernel corn,” referring, of course, to the small amount of roasted corn kernels prepared the day before, just like the pre-cooked celery and onion.  And had she not been as focused on the cranberry salsa as she was at that time, she might have noticed that Jenny had grabbed the popcorn kernels from the cabinet instead of the refrigerator.  As it was, Jenny’s substitution went unnoticed until much later in the day.  Jenny mixed in the corn kernels, celery, and onion, and announced to her satisfaction that she was through.

            “All done?” her mother asked.

            “Uh-huh” replied Jenny.  “What’s next?”

            “Well, would you like to keep working with the stuffing?” Marsha asked.  “You could go ahead and stuff the mix in the turkey if you’d like to try that.  That would be a big help.”

            And so, Marsha pulled the turkey from the refrigerator and set Jenny to stuffing the turkey.  And as Jenny worked, Marsha turned to the sausage balls, wassail, and brie.  Once the turkey was completely stuffed, Jenny and Marsha worked together to set it in the pan, ready for the oven.  The bird then went back in the refrigerator to wait for a couple more hours at least.

            By now, it was eight o’clock and the rest of the family had begun to stir. Jenny continued to help her mother in the kitchen with various other little tasks.  John, Mindy, and Peter each came through in turn, grabbing a quick breakfast and turning to their tasks for the day.  John headed out for much needed, last-minute Christmas shopping.  Peter would be spending the day over at the Bumpus twins, Billy and Blake, scouring the woods for hidden adventures and generally avoiding their parents for the greater part of the day. 

            Mindy, however, would be focusing on her masterpiece – this year’s centerpiece.

Taking inspiration from How the Grinch Stole Christmas, this year’s work was to be a twisting, spiraling creation covering the table in Seussian design.  Mindy knew every inch, every placement of the dishes on the table, and planned to fill every available spot.  It would be her crowning achievement.  A masterwork in paper-mache, garland, and tinsel.  And significantly bigger than anything she had ever attempted, incorporating platters for several of the dishes and four candle-holders on the corners. 

            By ten o’clock, Marsha moved the turkey into one of the double ovens.  The other oven would be in continual use for the various other dishes, but the turkey now had a dedicated oven all to itself.  Here again, had Marsha been a little more familiar with the new oven or a little more tech savvy, she may have been able to set the to delay the start time for two hours and then cook for six hours.  And had she not been so busy the rest of the day, she might have noticed that the oven for the turkey instead delayed the start time for six hours and then began cooking for two.  Again, a fact that would be noticed much later in the day.

            By three o’clock, John and Peter had both returned home, John haggard from the Christmas shopping experience and Peter dirty and disheveled from his adventure in the woods.  He even had a few of the Bumpus dogs follow him home, much to his father’s chagrin.  And though, it took all of the morning and most of the afternoon, Mindy was putting the final touches on her centerpiece. The Whos would be proud.  Marsha and Jenny had just placed the last of the hors d’oeuvres on their settings.  Everyone was ready to start cleaning up and dressing for the feast.  The extended family would be arriving in just a few minutes.

            This year, the assembled crew would be a little smaller than in previous years.  Joining the immediate family would be John’s mother Margot Moore, his brother James Moore and his wife Jill, Marsha’s father Bill Beecham, her sister Elizabeth Lane and her husband Jefferson, as well as their children Alex and Nora, and finally, Marsha’s uncle Dudley Beecham.  Uncle Dudley was the first to arrive, bringing spirits with him and heading straight to the wassail to help give it a little lift. “Everything is hunky-dunky,” he said after preparing it to his liking.  By 3:40 pm, the rest of the family had arrived and was engaged in lively conversation in the living room, ready for the commencement of the festivities.  It was at this time that the turkey oven actually turned on to start preheating, unnoticed by all the celebrants. 

            By four o’clock, Marsha, Jenny, and Mindy started moving the hors d’oeuvres to the dining table, carefully arranging within the massive centerpiece.  By 4:05 pm, everything had been assembled and all that was left was for Mindy to light the candles on her masterpiece.

            At that moment, the deafening boom of a cannon blast roared from the kitchen, shaking the whole house.  The turkey shot out of the oven, rocketing through the air and heading straight for the corner of the kitchen.  It ricocheted off the corner, landing on the floor, and splattering all over the kitchen.  In the commotion, Uncle Dudley spilled his wassail over the dining table at the same time that Mindy lit a tendril of the centerpiece instead of the candle.  The alcohol soaked centerpiece and table went up in a flash, with smoke soon filling the whole room. 

John was first to burst in the kitchen, looking for the fire extinguisher in the cabinet under the sink.  In his haste to rush in, he stepped on a bit of the debris from the turkey, causing him to slide directly into the island, knocking off the next courses directly on top of him. As the fire alarm starting sounding, Alex and Peter then rushed in to open the kitchen door and let the smoke out.  From there, Peter was able to make his way to the kitchen cabinet and bring the fire extinguisher in to his grandfather Bill. 

As Bill started extinguishing the fire, the Bumpus’ dogs that had followed Peter home then rushed in through the now open kitchen door, lapping up bits of turkey on their way through the kitchen and into the rest of the house.  James and Jefferson started chasing after the pack of dogs, running after them upstairs, downstairs, and through nearly every room in the house before they were able to corral the out the front door.

With the table fire now extinguished and the smoke thinning out, John closed the kitchen door.  The family began to survey the disaster before them.  The turkey had been blanketed over nearly ever surface in the kitchen.  The Moores would be finding bits of turkey and stuffing in the kitchen for weeks.  The hors d’oeuvres had been flash burned to a crisp and John was wearing most of the next courses.

As they stood and stared at each other in utter disbelief at the series of improbable and unfortunate events, they noticed John formulating a plan in his head and after a brief pause, they heard him utter the phrase that would now be forever etched into their memories.         

            “All right! Everybody upstairs!  Get cleaned up!  We are going out to eat!”

The Tinsletown, Texas Christmas Chronicles Chapter Three

Chapter 3. The Moore Family

If there was any family in town that could challenge the Valkatokka family on their love and presentation of holiday food, it was the Moore family.  And while the Moore family did not have an outlet like The Stable to showcase their holiday meal, their Christmas dinner had none the less become the stuff of legend in the town.  Those who had been able to celebrate with the Moore family on occasion had regaled friends and family with tales of an immaculately dressed table, impeccable presentation of courses, and absolutely exquisite food.

It is important to note, that the Moore family dinner was one steeped in tradition.  Each family member served a specific function in the preparation and presentation of the Christmas dinner and each person fulfilled that function spectacularly.  It truly was a group effort and it showed each and every year.  If you asked each family member the secret to their success, however, you would get five different answers.

In the opinion of father John Moore, the most important part of any holiday meal rested in the attention to the carving.  To him, an otherwise excellently prepared meal could be ruined by an improper carving of the main course.  He, of course, proudly displayed his three “Master Carver” awards from the Tinsletown County Fair in a prominent spot on the shelf in his den.  His attention to detail in the carving had brought him rave notes from the judges and reflected that same spirit of precision he expected in his position as City Manager and in all aspects of his life.

To mother Marsha Moore, the secret of a truly special holiday meal lay in the traditions encapsulated in the meal. Each of Marsha’s recipes had been handed down from at least three generations on her side of the family.  In her opinion, recipes could be slightly tweaked, but they were never to be altered.  “Why break what’s working.”  Marsha had mastered the family Christmas recipes very early on and looked forward every year to bringing them back out for the big family meal.  To her, this was her greatest holiday contribution, and the compliments she received from family and friends alike would be a source of joy and satisfaction well into the new year.

Mindy Moore, the eldest of the three Moore children, believed that the secret to the success of any meal lay in the presentation of the table.  A brilliant art student, Mindy had long been looking for ways to transform the ordinary meal into something truly spectacular and by the time she had entered high school, Marsha had turned over all table decoration to her.  In a continuing attempt to present something fresh and new and to top the previous years exhibition, Mindy’s decorations have become more and more elaborate and avant garde.

Middle child Peter Moore judged a successful Christmas dinner by the amount of laughter at the table.  A natural born jokester, Peter took the opportunity at every meal to perfect his standup routine.  After all, he knew his family would be his harshest critics.  Now in middle school, Peter had also branched out into practical jokes and physical humor, to mixed results.  His sisters, most often the butt of his practical jokes, had most assuredly not appreciated this change in humor.

Finally, to the youngest, Jenny Moore, Christmas dinner was all about dessert.  Seven years old, and ever the optimist, Jenny kept waiting for the day they would be able to have dessert first – “So they knew wouldn’t have to worry about saving room.”    Jenny loved helping her mother bake the various cookies, pies, and cakes that would be served at Christmas dinner and looked forward to the day she could create her own desserts for the table.

Everyone knew their part in the Christmas dinner process and every year had been a success.  Every year flowed like clockwork as Marsha would spend all of December 23 preparing the meal for the coming days and Mindy would begin creating the centerpiece for the table.  Once all preparations had been made, Christmas Eve dinner every year would start promptly at 5:00 pm, with wassail for the adults, apple juice for the kids, and a sampling of hors d’oeuvres including mixed nuts, baked brie with toast, cranberry salsa, and sausage balls.  A perfect time for conversation and claiming one’s seat for the coming meal.  At 6:00 pm, the feast would begin, starting with a farm fresh salad course, followed by butternut squash soup.  Once those dishes were cleared, the turkey and the accompanying sides of dressing, and roasted green beans.  Once the turkey had been carved at the table and the blessing was said, this course was served family style with the meat and sides passed between the guests.  When everyone had eaten to their fill, the plates were cleared, and the guests were freed to head back into the living room where the desserts would be spread out on the credenza, waiting to be chosen.  Fruitcake and iced sugar cookies, chocolate and pecan pies, and fresh gingerbread were consistent staples.  Every year was virtually the same, and every year was exceptional.

Which is what makes the horrible mess surrounding this year’s Moore family Christmas dinner even more surprising and unexplainable.

The Tinsletown, Texas Christmas Chronicles Chapter Two

Chapter 2. The Stable – A Unique Dining Experience (SM)

Vern could recall the day his father came up with the slogan The Stable – A Unique Dining Experience as clear as if it were yesterday.  It was a wet and cold Friday night in December, when the family headed into town to the Tinsel Theater to catch a re-release of Holiday Inn.  The movie must have made quite the impression on Mr. Valkotukka, because in the middle of the film, when Bing Crosby’s character reveals his plans for the Holiday Inn, Mr. Valkotukka leaped to his feet and cried, “That’s it!,” to the surprise of all in the audience.  He sat down as quickly as he had arisen, and remained on the edge of his seat through the remainder of the film.

Afterwards, the family could hardly wait to hear what could have possibly caused such an outburst from their usually reserved father.  Mr. Valkotukka had scarcely made it into their station wagon when he exclaimed, “A restaurant that’s only open on the holidays!  We’ll make a big to do of it.  We’ll have lots of music and space for dancing.  We’ll highlight the chicken dinners and maybe even expand into other dishes.  We’ll open for several days around the holidays to allow plenty of guests to get to experience the meals, but we’ll also have some breaks in between.  The farm will be there to support the restaurant with the fresh grown food.” 

In that instant, the family knew this was the right path forward, and thus The Stable was born.  The structure built during the reindeer experiment proved the perfect place to house the restaurant, with minor modifications.  Originally, the setup was quite simple.  Tables for around 150 guests.  A small stage for a band or choir.  A small wooden dance floor surrounding the stage and a modest kitchen just off to the side of the building.

The initial menu consisted of the now famous chicken dinner served family style, with little variation.  Entertainment often consisted of a local church choir or family band.  The waitstaff were all kids from Tinseltown High School who had all previously worked on the farm.

It was a small operation, but it proved quite successful.  Guests who had loved Mrs. Valkotukka’s chicken dinners on the farm would bring family and friends out for a holiday celebration to enjoy the meal together.  Quickly word spread across the region and The Stable often found itself completely booked, with reservations well in advance during the busiest holiday seasons.  Finally, the Valkotukka family had found their niche in the town.

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As Vern looked surveyed the now empty restaurant this Christmas Eve, he was amazed at how much the place had changed over his lifetime.  The restaurant could now serve closer to 250 guests in a single setting in the main hall, with a few private dining rooms tucked away for party rentals.  There was even a room now for a private chef’s table experience.  Though the décor remained largely the same, the entire structure had been revamped and rebuilt to update the space from a nearly outdoor, truly rustic experience, to an enclosed, climate-controlled dining hall.  The stage and dance floor had been expanded and equipped with up to date sound and lighting equipment.  The kitchen had been greatly expanded and converted into a kitchen worthy of the restaurant’s now signature status.

Yes, Vern was truly impressed with how far this little restaurant had come over the years.  And in the quiet of this Christmas Eve, before the rush of the crowds arrived, even before his staff arrived, he paused to take a moment to thank God for all He had brought his family through and the blessings they had received.

Vern was thankful for the opportunity he had to cook and to explore a wide variety of foods.  The Stable had long moved beyond the traditional chicken dinners and the menu was his alone to create.  Each holiday had a different and unique menu, and he followed his inspiration wherever it led him.  With the chef’s table seating in particular, he was able to truly experiment and to put the lessons he learned from his time in New York and London after high school to use.  The guests who reserved that space knew they were in for a treat.

Vern knew how far his family had come and how different their Christmases were now.  But this Christmas, it would be a memory from his childhood and a recipe he created there that would have a lasting impact, both on Vern himself and his guests.