Go-To Holiday Dishes

We asked some of our favorite designers and tastemakers to share their tried and true holiday dish for entertaining

We asked some of our favorite designers and tastemakers from coast to coast to share how they celebrate the holidays.

What is your got-to holiday dish?

go-to holiday dish
"I turn on the 'Lessons and Carols' service from the King’s College choir in Cambridge and open my worn copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child for the most complicated chocolate mousse recipe you can find! It’s not about saving time—it’s about savoring the moments spent assembling a magnificent recipe step by step."—John Marshall Watson
"I serve traditional Southern fare that reminds me of my child- hood holidays in Virginia. For my annual Christmas luncheon in New York, we’ll have a Smithfield ham with Cumberland sauce, crab cakes, and a coconut cake or some kind of sweet 'surprise.' There are more clean plates than you can imagine for a group of girls!"—Charlotte Moss
Photo by Brittany Ambridge
"We spend the holidays at the chalet in Switzerland, so I like for the menu to be authentic. Fondue is always fun for a casual family meal, while stuffed roasted chicken with chestnuts and risotto is a go-to for more formal dinners. And don’t forget the spiced wine! My table is layered with suzani tablecloths, Indian palampores, 18th-century Spanish pottery, and Swiss etched crystal with mountain scenes. I pile the table with greens from the garden, ruby amaryllis, red roses, and edelweiss. It’s sort of a winter wonderland."—Michelle Nussbaumer
Photo by Melanie Acevedo
"On Christmas Day, we open gifts then feast on a big brunch of egg-and-sausage casserole, my husband’s favorite pecan strudel, and Grandmother Sistee’s foolproof recipe for beef tenderloin. I set the table before we leave for church the night before, pulling out my red-and-green holly-print tablecloth, 1950s red glass plates, and holiday juice glasses."—Chesie Breen


Written and Produced by Margaret Zainey Roux

 More Questions for Holiday Tastemakers