Every family has their own unique holiday traditions – good, bad, and ugly (and some, short-lived). One thing that unites most of us, however, is the central role that food plays in our holiday gatherings and – subsequently – in our family traditions and nostalgic memories. So, we asked nine well-known Canadian chefs to weigh in on their own holiday feasts, in hopes of learning more about them outside of their beloved restaurants – and gaining a little holiday hosting inspiration in the process.
Chef Mark McEwan; The McEwan Group:
“The holidays are really about family and celebrating with good food. I like to build a festive atmosphere by starting with cocktails like a classic Manhattan with orange peel and little bites like smoked trout with horseradish mustard aioli and warm toast rounds. Once everyone is seated, I start with a mushroom soup followed by a full family-style meal of crispy roast pork shoulder with pan jus, mashed potatoes with all the cream and butter that it can hold, French beans with leek and dill, and apple sauce (made from honey crisp apples from goldsmiths). To finish, I will serve apple crostata with sour cream ice cream. Everyone getting together around the table is the best part!”
Chef Nicole Gomes; Top Chef Canada All-Stars, Cluck N Cleaver:
“We are Chinese-Portuguese, so we don’t have a conventional Christmas turkey; the meal usually involves a mix of western and Chinese food. Sometimes, it’s duck or leg of lamb in a Western-style – but it’s usually prime rib. The traditional way we do prime rib in my house – believe it or not – is with prepared mustard (think: French’s) and rock salt. We rub the whole prime rib in that. My dad started that tradition. Prime rib is such a big cut; it should be brought to room temperature before you bake it. We always first bake it for 15 minutes on high to create a crust, then turn it down to 350 degrees and bake it until it’s medium-rare. We’ll also do a poultry Asian-style. And always a rice dish, because we love rice. I always bake something, usually a chocolate cake. The tradition – in typical Chinese fashion – is that there’s always too much food; everyone always leaves with some.”
Chef Adrian Forte; “Top Chef Canada,” Chef du Jour:
“The holidays for me are always about eating foods that create nostalgia. I usually prepare dishes that have wonderful memories attached to them. Hibiscus rum punch, corn soup, and salted cod fritters are still starters on my dinner menu that have been passed down to me by my late grandmother. For mains, I usually do a spice-crusted rib-eye cooked in a cast iron-skillet with coconut oil and finished with whipped scotch bonnet and bone marrow butter; salmon en-cuit with carrot and orange emulsion; and a roasted Cornish hen ballotine that is seasoned with a herbaceous, smoky thyme, and berebere marinade. I usually do a ground provision gratin (cassava, yam, Jamaican sweet potato), a simple green salad with a super acidic dressing made from house-made pineapple vinegar, with sweet and sticky Filipino ensaymada dinner rolls to sop up all these mouth watering flavours. To finish, I usually do a chocolate tart and Jamaican rum cake with fresh mint and maraschino cherries”
Chef Claudio Aprile; MasterChef Canada:
“Christmas dinner for me is a magical time to be in the kitchen. Cooking for my family and friends is something that I truly enjoy. It’s a great time of the year to pause and be grateful for good health, great food, and loved ones. I’ve always enjoyed the buffet culture, so when I’m cooking for a large group at home I like to keep it communal. Stack up the plates and allow your guests to help themselves to a feast. Vegetables take center stage at my house, however I put a lot of effort into the turkey. Basting the bird is key. For the vegetables, I like to prepare at least eight to ten different varieties and four condiments. This includes caramelized Brussel sprouts, glazed carrots, whipped potatoes, roast mushrooms, butternut squash gratin, egg fried rice, gravy, chorizo, and date stuffing. Condiments can include cranberry sauce, pickled blueberries, honey mustard, and apricot chutney. For dessert, my go-to is a steamed Christmas pudding with vanilla ice cream.”
Chef Nuit Regular; Kiin:
“Every Christmas, I would gather together with my family – including all the aunts and uncles and cousins – and we would do a giant pot luck. I often make a ‘lobster boil.’ We close down our restaurants for a couple days during Christmas, so I’ll usually have some extra ingredients left over from Kiin that I don’t want to waste. And a lobster boil is so easy to do while feeding a large crowd. I just throw all my ingredients into a large pot – lobster, sausage, corn, shrimp, shellfish, and potatoes – and then turn it out onto a table to serve family-style. You get the sweetness of the seafood and the corn, the smokiness of the sausage, and the creaminess of the potatoes. It is so good, and everyone can pick and choose what they want to eat. It’s the perfect no-fuss holiday cooking! Along with my lobster boil, there is so much more food. My husband’s family is Filipino, so there will be a large spread of Filipino food as well, including palabok and my aunt’s Filipino-style mixed vegetable curry. There’s usually potato salad, mashed potatoes, and roasted cauliflower with cheese. We’ll do the same thing this year with my household family (my husband, my kids, and my parents-in-law) but on a smaller scale, and connect virtually with our extended family via Zoom.”
Chef Chris Locke; Marben Restaurant:
“Roast chicken was always the main feature on our table at Christmas growing up in Sheffield, England. The skin was crispy and there was often a fight over the dark meat. On the side, there was sage and onion stuffing – made from a packet, but nevertheless, crispy and delicious. This year at home in Toronto with my wife, dog and cats, I’ll serve Chicken Ballantine. It’s also one of the festive dinner kits we are offering at Marben this year. The Chicken Ballantine encompasses those same sentiments, but each slice incorporates the breast, leg meat, and stuffing to avoid those squabbles at the dinner table. Instead of packet stuffing, I’ve used Marben’s organic sourdough and preserved Ontario peaches, accompanied by herbs and shallots.”
Chef Nadège Nourian; Nadège Patisserie:
“The holidays are such a wonderful time of the year and a time that I hold close to my heart, especially when it comes to dessert! In France, it’s a tradition to serve a log cake at Christmas. Growing up, my grandmother used to make a 3’ classic version every year that was full of dark chocolate ganache and rum rolled into the shape of a yule log. I’ve carried on that tradition into adulthood and now serve my grandmother’s dessert to our family each Christmas. Even at Nadège Patisserie, log cakes are such a significant part of our holiday collection that customers look forward to each winter. We are always creating new flavours and designs that are light but satisfying after a festive and filling dinner.”
Chef Bruno Feldeisen; “The Great Canadian Baking Show,” Baking with Bruno:
“Being a pastry chef, Christmas dinner is all about the dessert for me! I love serving my Candy Cane Cheesecake. Taking a classic North American dessert and giving it a festive spin is one of my favourite ways to switch things up. In this case with cheesecake, I’ve added crushed candy canes. I just love how the peppermint pops in the mouth, and how the melted candy canes swirl into the cheesecake as it bakes. The base of the cheesecake also gets a holiday makeover with the addition of ginger and cinnamon. I love this dessert so much that I included the recipe for it in my cookbook Baking with Bruno.”
Chef Nick Liu; DaiLo:
“Every Christmas, my family and myself attend midnight mass at our church. The running joke in the family is that we don’t normally attend church, but we go to come together – and to enjoy the incredible traditional Chinese meal that follows! After mass, the entire family will go over to my uncle’s place for a special congee meal made with a family recipe. He’ll cook for the whole family. It’s a delicious and comforting meal everyone enjoys, made with shrimp, pork balls, tofu curds, Chinese mushroom, and smoked pork. It’s become a nostalgic tradition that has been going for several years now and it’s not one to miss.”
