Daffy and Donald in the Roasting Pan

Although turkey and ham have been our parents’ Christmas staples, last year Rebecca and I decided to serve our family roast duck. This was rather ambitious since neither of us had ever cooked duck fillets let alone two whole ones. Fortunately for those eating that evening, we were successful. My little sister took care of cleaning the birds, while I rubbed olive oil, dried rosemary, freshly chopped onion, freshly minced garlic, and freshly ground black pepper all over and inside their bodies. (I forgot whether we included dried basil.) It was like giving a slippery baby a bath…only with a lot less screaming. And it was pretty tasty.