If you’re like me, you’re cooking for the holidays this week. Rummaging through recipes looking for something new to try, I can’t help but think about holiday foods and how every family has their own set of tasty treats that make this time of year feel so festive.

Of course there are the traditional favorites – from candy canes and sugar cookies to potato latkes and sufganiyot (jelly-filled Hanukah donuts) – but aside from the old standards, there are loads of holiday favorites many of us have never tried. A friend in college introduced me to struffoli, a sweet deep-fried treat from Naples soaked in honey and literally dripping with holiday delight. Another friend returned from a student exchange program in France with a recipe for Bouche de Noel, a traditional holiday roll similar to a Yule Log. A chef I interviewed several years ago taught me how to make churros and the thickest, richest hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. This year my family continued a relatively new tradition of sharing fondue on Solstice, a communal meal savored over several hours to warm us on the shortest day of the year. And then there’s “my” famous peanut butter fudge.

What are you cooking this week and next? What were the must-haves on your Thanksgiving menu? We’d love to hear about the foods that make the holiday season special to you … and if you’d care to share a recipe, all the better!

Happy Holidays!

December 23rd, 2009 | Category: Holidays