The One Song You ALL Know

Just a few steps from my front door, many years ago, at the Simpson Tavern (where I am sure people were enjoying food and drink) the song Jingle Bells was written. I can't imagine sleighs riding up and down Salem Street today, especially at rush hour. Yet, it does chronicle a time when people found happiness in freezing weather, many without jobs, heat, electricity, or running water and none of the wonderment of a digital age. When I walk past this bronze placque I often imagine one of those people in today's world. How would they react to us, walking along, talking into thin air, the colorful images magically flashing across tablets we carry, some of us with pink hair, piloting huge metallic machines that seemingly float over the snow? I think they'd be both aghast and fascinated by the pace and level of life today, a world where news can fan out, electronically, across the globe in literally a matter of minutes, the ease of our push-button lifestyles and luxury. And, yet, I think they'd feel comforted to see the candles we still light, the trees we still gather around, the pies and cookies we still bake, the egg nog (sometimes spiced with rum) that we still sip, hear the groups still singing the very same song that they invented and celebrating the birth of a child that signifies the rebirth of everything. When I speak at events I often talk about how, as the world becomes more high-tech, it often seeks more of the high-touch, experiences that reach out for quieter, simpler, more meaningful connections and happy memories. I also can't help but think about how all of it revolves around food. Each celebration somehow involves food and the story of those who have made it. I welcome the world of both changes and traditions and hope you do, too. I'm off to the country house in Maine to enjoy family and friends AND to explore new recipes in the labs of Stonewall Kitchen headquarters! Merry Christmas! ENJOY Everyone. See you next year.


Salem Street today.