"christmas" news and stories

Nothing says Christmas like the holiday feast. And when the feast is animated (literally), there's usually something Dickensian going on, as these snippets of dialogue from Christmas specials prove:

Mickey's Christmas Carol
Scrooge: "What's she cooking, a canary? Surely they have more food than that. Look, on the fire."

Beavis and Butt-Head Do Christmas
Buzzcut (Ghost of Christmas Future): "Beavis, don't you get it? They never had enough food to eat, thanks to you."

Christmas in South Park
Kyle: [singing]: "Instead of eating ham I have to eat Kosher latkes/Instead of 'Silent Night,' I'm singing 'Hoo Hact Toh Gaveesh'/

How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Narrator: "He brought everything back, all the food for the feast. And he, he himself, the Grinch, carved the roast beast."

Gingerbread, gingerbread, gingerbread rocks. We know people get creative with this stuff but never realized you could do more than just craft a little man to chew on later after the Kettle Chips ran out. No, a Gingerbread Wonderland contest this month at the Frelinghuysen Arboretum in Morristown, New Jersey, revealed some real Robert Moses-Baron Haussmann-Type A bakers out there who are capable of Eiffel Towers, Taj Mahals and suburban homes ("House on Ridgedale Avenue," which, if memory serves, is one block over from Freddie's place on Elm Street). We've even spotted a gluten-free, dairy-free house, which causes us to ask: "Doesn't gingerbread taste bad enough without having to make it totally inedible?"

But by far the winner of the Most-Disheveled-Joint Award, the one that pulls at our cramped-for-space heartstrings is the hoarders' house (above), with messy little stacks of gingerbread books and gingerbread trash, and well, who knows what's under that gingerbread carpet? What fresh Wonderland is this?

Photo gallery of Gingerbread Wonderland houses.

Last Monday we kicked off our 12 days of chef-inspired gift giving. Stay tuned every morning through December 24th for ideas from the pros on the best gifts for cooks. And see the links at the bottom of the post to catch up on days you've missed.

On the ninth day of Christmas, a Mexican master gave to me...

The Chef: Richard Sandoval

Restaurants: La Sandía and Zengo (Santa Monica, CA); RAYA at The Ritz-Carlton (Dana Point, CA)

The Gift: A molcajete. It's a unique and personal gift that is central to Mexican cooking - a simple and traditional tool that imparts great texture and adds flavor as the molcajete is seasoned over time.

Where to Find It: Can be purchased at Williams-Sonoma, Crate and Barrel, and other kitchen supply stores. Also available online.

When it comes to sugar cookies and Christmas, the only thing left to be said is, "Make them. Now." Break out the cookie cutters in all the holiday shapes, and gather the kids, the old people, and even the middle-aged curmudgeons -- decorating cookies can make even a grinch smile a little.
Here's a sugar cookie recipe from KitchenDaily contributor Gina Marie Miraglia Eriquez that may be the only one you'll ever need.

More Christmas Cookie Recipes

If turkey seems more Thanksgiving to you, and a beef tenderloin is just not your thing, a baked ham may be just what the holiday ordered. Ham sounds simple to prepare, but a few tips can make the difference between a tender juicy meat and a dry-as-dust one. Plus, there are plenty of glazes that can take your ham from plain to outrageously delicious.

Step One: Want to know your Boston butt from your picnic ham? Your country ham from your city ham? Read "How to Buy a Ham" by KitchenDaily contributor Kemp Minifie, to make sure you're getting the right meat for you. (She also supplies mail-order sources for traditional smoked hams.)

Step Two: Have a look at editor Sarah De Heer's "How to Cook a Ham," which tells you how to buy, store, and prepare the meat, as well as offering you delicious recipes for glazes.

One of our favorites is Curtis Stone's recipe for honey-glazed ham, which he demonstrates in this video.

Recipe: Baked Country Ham