Letter from the Editor: A Culinary Christmas Carol

In Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, the grumpy, greedy protagonist Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by 3 spirits of Christmas past, present, and future that soften his heart and transform his outlook on the world around him (and the holiday season itself). It’s one of the world’s most famous Christmas tales—and it inspired us for this year’s December Issue.

This time of year is shrouded in memory and nostalgia, and its traditions are passed down across generations—and yet, each year we fall down rabbit holes trying to find new inspiration for our holiday menus, decor, and activities. What better way to mitigate these two pulls than to indulge them? For the next month, just like Ebenezer, we’ll take a deeper look at Christmas culinary traditions across the ages to explore traditions and recipes deserving of a comeback, examine current holiday trends, and imagine what future Christmas dinners may look like.

A sneak peak of what’s to come

Each week of December will focus on one time period: past, present, or future. Within each theme, we’ll highlight favorite recipes, traditions, and memories of our team and community. From Christmas cookies and gift ideas, to novel new ways to modernize your holiday menu, we’ll explore Christmas from nearly every angle. Last but not least, for the fourth and final week of December, we’ll dial things back from all things Christmas-indulgence to reflect on the year’s best recipes and content and offer ideas for coming down off of the feasting marathon.

Week 1: Christmas Past

What are your favorite Christmas memories? Does your family make the same meal year over year, or do they switch things up? What was the best present you ever received? This week, we’re embracing nostalgia and highlighting the very best of our collective Christmas memories. Chime in with your own thoughts, and don’t hesitate to upload your favorite Christmas recipe to Kitchen Stories for the whole community to enjoy!

- The Gifts We keep On Giving
- The Best From Our Community: Christmas Cookies

Week 2: Christmas Present

In our second week of a Culinary Christmas Carol, we’re sharing ideas for how to celebrate the holiday in ways that feel very ‘of the moment’. From how to throw a cheery Christmas dinner for 2 amidst the lockdown, to last-minute homemade Christmas gifts, and holiday food from around the world to try, we have lots of entertaining ideas in store for a very 2020 Christmas celebration.
- How to Plan a Smaller Holiday Menu for 2 (or 1)
- We All Do Christmas Differently—And That’s Something to Celebrate
- Last Minute Christmas Gifts Straight From Your Kitchen

Week 3: Christmas Future

For our last week of the Culinary Christmas Carol, we’re pulling out our crystal balls to predict what Christmas Future might look like. Will meat still serve as the centerpiece of our celebrations, or will we find equally compelling and festive vegetarian alternatives? How do food trends play into our beloved Christmas recipe traditions? Find out what our team thinks, and weigh in with your own opinions and predictions this week!
- The Very Best Vegetarian and Vegan Christmas Dishes
- 4 Ideas to Up Your Wintery, Holiday Cooking
- Christmas Cookies That Are Accidentally Gluten-Free and 100% Delicious

Week 4: Christmas Comedown

The week between Christmas and the New Year is the no man’s land of the holiday season. It still feels festive, and yet it’s quieter and in many ways more relaxing than the weeks before. For this oft-underrated week, we’ve decided to focus on coming down from the feasts and festivities with recommendations on digestifs, fun ideas and challenges for the new year, and of course, a sentimental look back on the best content we published here on Kitchen Stories in 2020. Happy New Year!