Sunday, April 15, 2001

Easter

Today was one of the best days I have had at the South Pole in a long time. I am still working nights, but stayed up all day today spending most of the time in the kitchen.

Easter is not always a big holiday at the South Pole, but this year our crew decided to put together a feast that rivaled those of Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Sunday is the one day each week when the cooks get a day off. Easter was no exception. So our meals were planned and cooked entirely by volunteers. I offered to cook the ham, but decided this morning to also make a brunch, as our dinner wouldn’t be until 5:00. Cold pizza left over from the previous night is the usual Sunday morning breakfast, but it just didn’t seem appropriate for Easter.

After brunch, I began preparing the ham, meticulously injecting it with hundreds of whole cloves. The kitchen was soon full of Poleys, each working on a favorite family recipe, many of which had been emailed from home.

Pauline made the turkey. Jeff made sweet potatoes. Rob made mashed potatoes. Jerry made cabbage and noodles. Jami made beet relish. It was a wonderful hodgepodge of cuisine from a multitude of backgrounds and family traditions.

As we each toiled over our part of the meal with the radio on loud, we reminisced of holidays back home and thought of more items that should be on the menu. How can a holiday meal be complete without green bean casserole? What about a Jell-o mold? How about a cheese ball?

Scrounging around the dome, we found and thawed all the necessary ingredients as everything came together. Others helped out getting the dining room in order. The cloth napkins and tablecloths were out and the candles were lit. Easter decorations surrounded the room.

By 4:30, it was amazing how well it had all worked out. We had just the right amount of space for everything. There was just enough planning, but just enough room for the unplanned. Everything was ready. We could relax and have some hors d'oeuvres.

No need for separate seatings for the winter crew. We could all fit this time. We mingled over hors d'oeuvres and at 5:00 we sat down and had a few toasts.

Then it was time to eat. The crew filed past the spread and filled their plates. Pauline manned the turkey, and I manned the ham, carving off slices on request. I think everyone enjoyed this little bit of luxury.

Everything was absolutely delicious. For dessert, we had apple pie and vanilla ice cream. It was a wonderful feast in more ways than one: cooking it, the camaraderie, and of course eating it. There is nothing like a gourmet meal. Especially at the South Pole.