One timeless and simple, and the otherretroand showy.
The flashy shrimp is on my fathers side of the family.
The result is a bit of a showpiece.
Credit:stanciuc/Getty Images
Interactive and unique, its always a hit.
And even when it was out of style, he kept making it.
My dad isnt clear on the how or why of the Christmas shrimp tree.
Credit:LauriPatterson/Getty Images
Knowing my dad, he probably appreciated the novelty of the shrimp-encrusted pineapple and volunteered for the responsibility.
The hardest part, he insists, is finding the right size shrimp.
Find a shrimp cocktail recipe you like, he explains.
Peel and devein the shrimp but leave the tails on.
Then serve it with cocktail sauce.
You could put it on a plate but thats boring.
This way ismuch morefestive, he adds.
Prior to his death in 2013, my grandfather was responsible for the shrimp cocktail.
Years of recipe refinement lead him to what he declared to be the perfect preparation.
I think it involves ice?
LauriPatterson/Getty Images
The shrimp cocktail on my mothers side is a decidedly more serious affair.
Here, it is served on a platter designed specifically for that purpose.
Austere, straightforward, and the complete opposite of my fathers accidentally tropical display.
There was a time when I thought my dads shrimp tree tradition was goofy.
But now, I see it for what it is.
It might not be classy but it is joyful and fun.
You cant do that with a platter, now can you?
