Thanks all! So many yummy ideas here - I am going to find some stollen!

Devilled eggs - love them too! Bit tricky to make as I always struggle to nicely peel eggs.

So interesting the different traditional and nostalgic foods. And probably more important than ever this year.

I am so hungry right now, and reading through this is making me even hungrier. And, sad. I'm not baking or cooking anything this year.

Our traditional Christmas Eve meal is from my Italian heritage on my Mom's side. Spaghetti with calamari sauce, broccoli with lemon and olive oil, salad (Danny did an amazing scallop and blood orange salad last year to riff on a traditional green salad), and dessert - many traditional Christmas cookies, and a cranberry cheesecake.

When my younger son was in first grade, he came home from school with his buddy from across the street while the calamari sauce was simmering. "Ew, what stinks?" he said. I started laughing and told them i was making sauce with, you know, octopus. I fished a piece out with the tentacles to show them, and the kid from across the street literally jumped back in horror!

A few minutes later Danny, in 4th grade at the time, walked in and said, "Mmm, what smells so good?" He's now a gourmet cook!

I am unspeakably sad about not having any reason to cook this year.

I am so hungry right now, and reading through this is making me even hungrier. And, sad. I'm not baking or cooking anything this year.

Our traditional Christmas Eve meal is from my Italian heritage on my Mom's side. Spaghetti with calamari sauce, broccoli with lemon and olive oil, salad (Danny did an amazing scallop and blood orange salad last year to riff on a traditional green salad), and dessert - many traditional Christmas cookies, and a cranberry cheesecake.

When my younger son was in first grade, he came home from school with his buddy from across the street while the calamari sauce was simmering. "Ew, what stinks?" he said. I started laughing and told them i was making sauce with, you know, octopus. I fished a piece out with the tentacles to show them, and the kid from across the street literally jumped back in horror!

A few minutes later Danny, in 4th grade at the time, walked in and said, "Mmm, what smells so good?" He's now a gourmet cook!

I am unspeakably sad about not having any reason to cook this year.

Barbara Diane, tell me about pear sauce. Hubs loves pears so I’d be curious to know more — I googled some recipes but do you serve it with anything else in particular?

@ Janet - if DH loves pears, make homemade apple sauce with pears. So easy, and so good! Just peel a couple of apples 2 big or 4 small, and add a pear or two. A squeeze of lemon to keep the sauce from getting too dark. No sugar needed. Simmer until it looks mushy. You might need to add a little water. Blend with a stick blender. Serve warm with pork chops or loin. I serve it with blintzes, too. Mmmmm!

Cornbread dressing
Mama's fudge
Red velvet cake with Italian cream cheese icing from Julianne's Bakery in Shreveport Louisiana

For Thanksgiving, we did some of the usual options: mashed potatoes (recipe with sour cream, cream cheese and butter), and dressing. In recent years my brother's fried the turkey and this year he also smoked one in his new smoker (it wasn't my favorite). I made pumpkin cheesecake for the first time and it was awesome, and I also made apple pie and creamed spinach.

For Christmas we always do an egg-sausage bake for the morning, kinda an egg strata sort of thing. The lunch/dinner options for Christmas are often similar to Thanksgiving, maybe a ham instead of a turkey. My mom always makes a homemade cranberry punch which also lets you make cranberry relish as part of the process. Not sure if I'm going to try anything new this year; haven't had the time to think about it. There are always a lot of Christmas cookies - sugar, chocolate chip, buckeyes, and those quickie ones with rolos and pretzels.

I used to love eggnog but I'm somewhat lactose intolerant now, so I can only do the soy or almond versions, which don't have the same silky texture.

My top three picks would have to be cranberry punch, our special mashed potatoes, and... maybe on e of the desserts, but I'm having trouble picking just one!

Roast beef with horseradish, the French galette des rois and Champagne. True winter holiday food that I would never have at any other time.

Sal, next time try spatchcocking the turkey, requires an enormous roasting pan but it's much faster.

One Thanksgiving our oven in the rental house didn’t work. My FIL carved up the turkey and we barbequed it. It was one of the best ever. Pieces came off as they were done, so nothing was dry.

Carla, that sounds delicious, thank you!

I just ate breakfast but this thread still made me hungry!

Sarma - sour cabbage stuffed with ground meat

https://www.worldfoodstory.co......bage-rolls

French salad - diced potatos, carrots, peas, pickles and optional eggs in mayo

https://food52.com/recipes/331.....ska-salata

Turkey with mlinci
https://www.worldfoodstory.co......reloaded=1

Really interesting to see how the foods vary. I think next winter I should have a mid winter festive feast and make some of these favourites!!