Photography by Nina Gallant and Styled by Sunny Ricks
Whether the table is set for two or 20, the food served family-style or multi-course, the holiday feast is one of the best parts of this short-lived season. Yet, without proper preparation, anticipatory stomach growls can quickly turn into knots for the home cook or baker. Here’s the good news: Pitfalls are easy to avoid with a few bits of knowledge. So, here are our best tips, tricks, and cheese-filled dishes—your recipe for festive success awaits.
Ingredients Matter
Most recipes simply call for a stick of butter or a few large eggs, but once you get to the grocery store, you’re often faced with further decisions. Sweet cream or cultured butter? Organic or free-range eggs? Heavy cream or whipping cream? Find the answers here.
The Ultimate Guide to Leftovers
If the party is winding down and you’ve still got heaps of food, it’s time to pack it in, er, up. Whether you divvy up your bounty among your guests or keep it all to yourself is up to you, but here’s how to do leftovers right.
Ultimate Cheesy Dishes
From Roasted Harissa Chicken with goat cheese to Preserved Lemon Ice Cream with crème fraîche for dessert, there’s always room for more cheese in your holiday dishes.
Roasted Harissa Chicken with Herbed Pistachio Goat Cheese
Chicory Salad with Brown Butter Vinaigrette and Smoked Blue Cheese
Rye Crispbreads with Labneh and Hot-Smoked Salmon
Gougères with Ossau-Iraty and Piment d’Espelette
Preserved Lemon Ice Cream with Olive Oil and Sea Salt
Bettina Makalintal
Bettina Makalintal is culture's former editorial assistant. With a background in the food industry and as a bike mechanic, she can often be found biking in search of new donut shops.
Polina Chesnakova
Polina Chesnkova is a Seattle-based food writer, cooking class instructor, and the author of Hot Cheese: Over 50 Gooey, Oozy, Melty Recipes.
