Noel 2013, celebrating Christmas in Lyon

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas break!! We just got back from three days with my parents-in-law and extended family, in Vienne (just south of Lyon) about 200 kilo heavier, thanks to the the lashings of foie gras, cured ham, truffle tapenade, buche de noel, and of course really great wine and everything in between

Vienne got its best Christmas clothes on and looked beautiful all decked out in shades of ruby, slate and ivy

My parents-in-law have a few Christmas traditions including taking out special silver trimmed dinnerware (which they recieved as a wedding present)

...and the 'Christmas' glassware which have little orange and red ribbons tied around the stem.

Silver antique mongrammed baby cups serve as votives and my Mother in laws favourite tiny pair of salt shakers , and as if the 10 courses aren't enough there are also a scattering of Révillon Chocolatier papillotes to sate any sweet tooth.

Just to give you a glimpse into the indulgent Christmas Eve menu, we started with Champagne and little toasts (covered with paté, foie gras, foie gras and truffle, foie gras and fig confiture, truffle tapenade....this was just the aperitif),  then some garlic escargots thrown in for good measure.  We then waddled over to the table where we feasted on homemade boudin blanc (made using a secret family recipe which I'm not allowed to divulge here but let's just say they are scrumptious!), then the piece de resistance a filet of beef served with a slice of sauteed foie gras (Zero calories of course), then followed by the cheese course (aged old Comte is all I can remember as I was slipping into food coma at this point) and then an iced rhum buche de noel. All washed down with several bottles of luscious Saint Emilion Grand Cru which has been aging for the last 15 years in my father in laws cellar.