Recipes  

you_are_are Home » Special Feature » What Our Chefs Eat During the Holidays

What Our Chefs Eat During the Holidays

Ever wonder what our test kitchen chefs eat during the holidays? Find out what each of them puts on their table and get inspired for your own holiday feasts with their recipe recommendations.

Merry appetizers

“We spend Christmas with family in the Quebec City region. On Christmas Eve, Sébastien (chef at RICARDO and Isabelle’s significant other) and I love to cook. We switch up the menu each year. Our only tradition that remains constant is oysters as a Christmas appetizer and a Yule log cake, whose flavour changes annually. Given that we’re far from home, we’re unable to prepare anything ahead of time. We give it some thought beforehand but we aren’t the type to freeze things. We do the prep work the day before so we can finish cooking and handle the final touches during service, much like at a restaurant. When it comes to the New Year, it’s always spent with friends. Otherwise, the time between the two holidays is spent enjoying traditional meals with friends as well as brunches, where we serve gravlax, but we also make time to just enjoy a relaxing dinner.”

- Isabelle, chef and host

Isabelle.jpg

Isabelle’s suggestions

Island dinner

“My family isn’t very traditional at Christmas. I’ve rarely ever eaten turkey or tourtière. We prefer happy hour and cocktail dinners and gathering around the kitchen island on Christmas Eve. I usually make, among other things, tuna tartare. On Christmas Day, we cook a large piece of meat, like a rack of veal or pork. Given that we’re not in our own home, we tend to bring dessert. Dark chocolate mousse with fleur de sel is among my favourites. We usually serve them in stainless steel cups, which allows us to make them ahead of time and ensure they don’t break.” 

- Sébastien, senior chef, culinary development and food stylist

Sebatien.jpg

Sébastien’s suggestions

Kids’ Christmas

“I have yet to host family in my home. However, whenever I’m a guest, I always take part in meal prep and I share a few ideas. Last year, for example, we made fresh pasta with a ragù-type sauce. We do our best to make everyone around the table happy, especially the kids. This year, I’ve really fallen for our braised turkey recipe with mushroom sauce from the holiday issue of our magazine. And given that I have a pastry background, I’m always asked to supply the dessert. I particularly enjoy baking Viennese cookies and speculoos cookies.”

- Alexane, development chef

Alexandra.jpg

Alexane’s suggestions

Traditions new and old

“Christmas lasts 12 days at my place; it’s practically a festival. Given that we’re on the road, I prepare plenty of things ahead of time that I then place in coolers. Once we arrive at our destination, all that’s left is to bake them in the oven. At the start of December, I bake cookies, including my grandmother’s with a cherry on top that simply taste like how Christmas feels. Not to mention tourtières, which are a must at this time of year. During the break, there’s always a snacking day that begins early, with cocktail sausages and a dip. I always enjoy having a dumpling day with friends. Added to this are brunches and a Bloody Caesar bar with two or three base alcohols and garnishes like olives and pickles. It’s truly a celebration.”

- Laurence, development chef

Laurence.jpg

Laurence’s suggestions

Real traditions

“We tend to spend Christmas Eve at home. I am usually in charge of the poultry, whether it’s turkey, duck or chicken. We often stick with tradition, as my mother is in charge of bringing the tourtière, hors d’oeuvres and pickled beets. I always enjoy preparing a meal for my family. My girlfriend is in charge of setting the table, the tree is up and the kids are decorating. As for Christmas Day, we spend it with my girlfriend’s family. We hardly ever bring anything given that they serve confit duck. I also get together with my cousins between Christmas and New Year, where I often bring in something sweet, like a trifle. It always looks fantastic on a dessert table.”

- Nicolas, development chef

Nicolas’ suggestions

Italian made easy

“My boyfriend and I started a Christmas Eve tradition where we cook rustic Italian cuisine. We usually go with something affordable and delicious; it’s often a water- or broth-based soup to which we add a Parmesan rind, like a passatelli soup. We also love highlighting an ingredient like garlic, radicchio or tomato. I also often make homemade cavatelli. We have the whole day to cook in peace and if we have the time, we’ll make Italian doughnuts. On Christmas Day, we serve a huge dinner for our friends where we try to cook something different every year. One year, we prepared pork shoulder cooked in banana leaves. I love cooking and entertaining!”

- Michelle, development chef

Michelle’s suggestions

For more holiday ideas, be sure to consult our wide selection of recipes: