"There never was such a goose. Bob said he didn't believe there ever was such a goose cooked." –Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol

In many families at holiday time, the same dishes are prepared year after year, and for some, written recipes may not even be necessary. Whether they held the secret to the best Hanukkah latkes (I was recently offered them made with sweet potatoes—delicious!—or, if you're on a diet, you could just read Lisa Brown and Daniel Handler's The Latke Who Couldn't Stop Screaming) , the perfect peanut soup for Kwanzaa, mouthwatering meatballs for Eid al-Adha, or different foods—from Mexican tamales to Bohemian carp to, yes, stuffed goose—from their Christmas traditions, we wanted to see Red Roomers' favorite holiday recipes last week. We weren't disappointed, and you won't be either! (By the way, the only food formally associated with Festivus that I know of was an ice cream flavor Ben & Jerry's released a few years ago!)

A few posts stood out:

• Member Amy Nathan tells a wonderful story of old friends and delectable beef. If you don't think a gentile can really know Jewish cooking, she'll make you reconsider after reading "Brisket and the Art of Long-Term Friendship."
• Food traditions collide and the very well-being of a holiday favorite is in peril in member Pamela D.Toler's funny and delectable post "Cranberry Sauce Trauma."
• Jell-o! There were several gelled salad recipes from the golden era of convenient American cooking. We especially enjoyed author Douglas R. Keister's Midwestern nostalgia in his post "JIGGLE BELLS."

These bloggers will receive a copy of special cookbooks by Red Room author and acclaimed celebrity chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller. The French Laundry Cookbook’s one hundred and fifty superlative recipes are exact recipes from the kitchen of the French Laundry, Keller’s first world-famous Napa Valley restaurant. He followed that with Bouchon, which reflects the older, more casual type of bistro cooking he features at the restaurant same name right next door. In 2009, he released Ad Hoc at Home, in which he shifts his focus from fine dining to family-style meals for the home cook in an accessible and beautiful book.

You can read all the holiday recipe blog posts here.  I hope you'll find a few favorites and leave a comment on each one letting the writer know you enjoyed it, and even that you might try preparing the recipe!  All of Red Room's past blog topics are here... please feel free to leave suggestions in the comments for future topics. We welcome your ideas! 

Happy Holidays from Red Room!

–Huntington W. Sharp, Senior Editor