Holidays

One of the most enjoyable parts about holidays are the special foods that one only gets to eat during that one day or season each year. How many Americans start thinking whimsically of their Thanksgiving meal once pumpkins and pies start filling the market?

Food and culture are inextricably linked. In Bali, one never converses over food. Eating is communing with the divine and done in silence, by oneself. In Italy, meals are long affairs where family or friends gather together to talk for hours and enjoy each other’s company.

Though eating habits vary widely from place to place, holiday celebrations bear some strong resemblance. Religious or secular, these are times for people to gather together and nosh on particular dishes or treats. Whether lawar, stuffing, panettone, choco, latkes, or murrukku, these holiday foods have a special place in all of our hearts.

Thanksgiving

  • Thanksgiving Test Kitchen (over fifty recipes were considered for this year’s Thanksgiving feast)
  • Two 30 Minute Thanksgiving Dinner Menus (whether you need something hearty or elegant, here’s how to pull off Thanksgiving with only 30 minutes in the kitchen)
  • The Ultimate Thanksgiving Plan (just because I cooked all day doesn’t mean you have to, but you can live vicariously here)
  • My Thanksgiving Menu 2010 (after weeks of testing recipes, the final menu came together)
  • Thanksgiving Test Menu #1 (oven recipes galore: bread pudding, roasted apples and onions, chestnut stuffing, and more)
  • Thanksgiving Test Menu #2 (elegant tursaucon, delicate salmon and hazelnut chowder and flavor packed latkes to start)

Valentine’s Day

  • Chocolate Recipe Round-up (whether you are looking for something complex or quick, one of this will fit the bill to impress your date)
  • Super Simple Chocolate Truffles Recipe (surprisingly simple, these homemade gifts are the perfect way to show your love on Valentine’s Day)