Now through December 31, Third Coast Review is raising money to support the diverse roster of writers you know and appreciate for their thoughtful, insightful arts and culture coverage in Chicago and beyond. Everything raised during this time will go directly to paying these writers a well-deserved year-end stipend; you can make a contribution here. Thank you!
The holidays may be filled with twinkly lights, gifts, and themed parties but the tradition truly lives in the food that is served. We celebrate Christmas in my household and we grew up with piles of sugar cookie cut-outs in front of us accompanied by bowls of different colored icings and containers of sprinkles. All evening we would decorate (and eat) our hands eventually tie-dyed a blurry rainbow by the food coloring, our bellies to the brim with sweetness. These were the same cookies we would give away to friends and to Santa himself. Of course we always saved the most sprinkled for ourselves. I asked the editors at Third Coast Review what their holiday food traditions were and you may end up adding a new one to your roster.
Nancy Bishop, Publisher and Stages Editor
When my boys were young (in primary school), I told them that the pilgrims had spaghetti and meatballs for the first Thanksgiving dinner. I didn't want to cook a turkey and everyone loved spaghetti. It wasn't many years, however, before they caught on and demanded turkey or goose.
Lisa Trifone, Managing Editor and Film/TV Editor
I grew up making what we called "Spritz cookies" every Christmas - simple butter cookies in different holiday shapes like Christmas trees, candy canes and more. I'm not necessarily fond of the cookies themselves, and it's become harder and harder over the years to find a good (non-plastic!) cookie press that squeezes out the cookies with consistency, but I still make them every year and look forward to my fingertips turning red and green from sprinkling the colored sugar on top to decorate each individual one.
Julian Ramirez, Music Editor and Deputy Managing Editor
While both of these are year-round things, they have a special aura around the holidays. Homemade tamales will always be around during the winter months. Specifically pork in salsa verde and then two dessert varieties: strawberry and pineapple. My family makes a thicker, more masa-forward tamale while my cousins go for thinner more traditional tamales.
Then for a drink, rompope is a staple. It's an eggnog-like drink and while I've made it often in recent holidays, the go-to is the Coronado Rompope available right off the shelf. Something about that yellow bottle with its white label and onlooking cow will always feel like the end of the year.
Antal Bokor, Games and Tech Editor
Hungarian Goulash was a holiday staple. While my Dad didn't reserve it for holidays it often served as the other Christmas-related meal, before the "official" Christmas dinner. Coincidentally we.posted my dad's recipe in the 3CR food section years ago and a commenter told us it was actually pörkölt. And I think they're correct.