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Peace, Quiet, Snacks
Even though La Cuisine closed in January of 2018, I still have the same tired retailer’s yearnings at Christmas. Obviously all store owners and their teams long for the robust sales of the holiday season (there were more holidays packed in the last two months of the year than in others). But with the advent of Black Friday, and then the tacked on Small Business Saturday, Cyber Monday and Giving Tuesday, there is a sense of rowing a ship in rough seas, even though the Cuisinettes had fun decorating the store and planning holiday food samples of treats we had discovered at food shows. In the seductive pull of consumerism – a sport in which I am certainly a participant, both behind the sales counter and in front – one of the joys of December 25th and the delightful week that follows it, is doing – nothing.
You will note from previous posts on my holy week that I read only extremely light novels (hopefully I will find a new one under the tree) and cookbooks – because the latter almost always have happy endings. I want light, tinkly classical music in the
background and snacks left over from festivities, aided of course by a glass of bubbly or wine. Two of my favorite in-house holiday snacks are both made with a store-bought puff pastry (get the one that is made with butter, not hydrogenated shortening – you are worth it). If you have not tried making the Roquefort pinwheels or the Mortadella slab pie, now is the time; healthy salads made from dense root vegetables can be relegated to the JanFebs.
Marketing The Magic
The “magic” of Christmas, like the fabled birth that engendered this holiday extravaganza, relies on encouraging the imagination of children. Yet our screens are filled beyond capacity with holiday films that as far as I can tell have as much charm as a prepackaged gift from 7-11. I follow an IG account of a self-taught holiday film critic, which saves me a lot of agonizing viewing time. Lacking quality film fare, I have developed a fascination with quality marketing campaigns. I enjoy looking at the ones that are successful and have happily shared some picks with KD readers. I think they say more about the importance of our children and their imaginations than most films.
As grandparents voluntarily transplanted to another country where we are struggling to learn a new language – all part of a devious plan to shamelessly spoil our grandsons – this ad from almost a decade ago is still a winner, one of my all-time favorites from Allegro, a Polish online shopping platform.
In the UK, there exists a wonderful department store – and no it is not Harrods, but rather John Lewis (staff is unfailingly helpful, and their buyers have a good eye). It also created a tradition of great Christmas marketing campaigns albeit with some near misses. Anticipating their arrival has almost become a holiday ritual for many Brits – and some non-Brits too. This year I think was one of their misses, but these two, I really think take us into that wonderful world that we lose as we reach adulthood. The first was created in 2014 and was titled Monty The Penguin:
The second one is titled “The Snapper” and may be dear to my heart because my favorite Elementary School Science Project involved Venus Fly Trap plants.
Since my holiday pastime has almost become an obsession, I have discovered websites that support my habit, such as the Clio Awards and another one called Good Ads Matter. One final recommendation in keeping with perhaps the true meaning of Christmas: this one from War Child shows just how powerful a child’s imagination can be.
After owning one of the best cooking stores in the US for 47 years, Nancy Pollard writes a blog about food in all its aspects – recipes, film, books, travel, superior sources and food related issues.
Happy Holidays to you and yours!
Personally, I no longer subscribe to Christmas, as the entire holiday is now grotesque, full of gluttony, and excess. There needs to be a new holiday named : Minimalism.