Presents to wrap, trees to trim, cookies to bake — Christmas is just days away and there’s so much to do. Yes, the holidays will look very different this year, as you’ve heard or read about a million times already. But you still want to do it up. So here, gathered together, are our reports on last-minute food gifts to pick up or make, recipes for entrees, side dishes and, of course, desserts, restaurants offering takeout and so much more.
Malort for everyone!
Need last-minute Christmas presents? A little something to stuff into a stocking? Or to leave on your neighbor’s porch for a year-end brightener? Local restaurants have the answer with consumables that say Chicago loudly and deliciously — from jars of J.P. Graziano giardiniera to Co-op’s garlic chili crisp sauce to mini bottles of Malort. Get the details here.
Or buy merch instead
Everyone has been trying to support their favorite restaurants, bars and other nightlife spots lately, but ordering dinner to go only goes so far. Buying merchandise is a fantastic alternative, and local restaurants have plenty of choices for your last-minute shopping, from hoodies to totes to masks to coffee mugs. Check out our roundup of 32 options.
Or DIY with these edible gifts
We may not be able to gather with friends and loved ones, but gifts from the kitchen — and the heart — are a tangible and delicious way to show you care, writes The Daily Meal’s Carolyn Menyes. From fudge to pistachio and cranberry chocolate bark to pickled garlic jalapenos, there’s something for everyone on your list among these 50 edible gift projects.
Fluffernutters for the win
At the start of the pandemic, so many people were coping by taking up sourdough bread baking that flour became a hot commodity. By fall, though, home bakers had switched to cookies. How else to explain the modern record number of entries (140) and votes (more than 6,200) in our annual Holiday Cookie Contest? Get the recipes here for our top three finalists. And if you still want more choices, you can see all the entries — yes, recipes for 140 types of cookies — at chicagotribune.com/cookies.
It’s a takeout kinda Christmas
More Top Picks Best Low Sodium Meal Delivery Services
From a whole Christmas goose to cookie-decorating kits to bottled artisan cocktails, Chicago-area restaurants are ready to meet your holiday needs. Get on the ball, because preorder dates are upon us. Check out our roundup of 68 restaurants and markets here.
What to drink around the fire
Despite the unseasonably warm weather so far, Christmas Eve and the day itself will be cold — hot-drink-in-your-hands cold. Hence, you’ll want some glogg! The traditional drink of wine simmered with warm spices is a breeze to make ahead then warm up when you’re ready to greet relatives around that fire pit in the backyard. This recipe from sommelier Alpana Singh suggests a finish with brandy, while this one adds a bit of brown sugar sweetness.
A festive feast
Few entrees beat beef for festivity, writes “Dinner at Home” columnist JeanMarie Brownson. She offers not one, but two dinner choices. Beef short ribs slowly oven-braised in red wine flavored with balsamic vinegar and earthy Worcestershire renders the ribs tender. Thick slices of carrot and parsnip add sweetness and absorb a bit of the richness. Beef back ribs prove another excellent holiday entree, glazed and roasted then served on a pile of sweet and sour red cabbage. Get both recipes here.
Go traditional
Are you more of a prime rib kinda household then short ribs? OK, we’ve got that. It’s an expensive cut, so you’ll want to do right by it. We break down the fool-proof steps to get a perfect roast on the table.
A little indulgence
Beef tenderloin’s mild flavor and rich tenderness merit its holiday superstar status, writes JeanMarie Brownson. Our video offers tips on how to break down a whole tenderloin. And JeanMarie offers up a recipe for persillade, a parsley sauce, plus sides of curly endive salad with sun-dried tomatoes and almonds, potatoes dauphinoise with prunes and leeks, and quinoa with butternut squash. Get the recipes here.
Roast pork three ways
There’s something about a pork roast that’s stuffed and rolled, then sliced after cooking to reveal the hidden deliciousness within. When you serve that up with a pan gravy, the pinwheel effect inspires awe. Choose from two fillings, one with Italian sausage, herbs and pistachios, the other with spicy sausage and pine nuts. Or skip the stuffing and rolling, with this roast pork with Honeycrisp apples and a red wine-onion jam.
Finish with a surprise flourish
We’ve got dessert options for you that go in two unexpected directions. First up: pavlovas, those heavenly light clouds of crisped meringue. But in this recipe, chestnut puree bound with cream and a drizzle of warmed Nutella turn the formerly light classic into an indulgence. Next: a wintery classic, the hot toddy, inspires a spice cake transformation with a little whiskey in the batter and more in a creamy sauce enhanced with a bit of lemon. Pick your favorite here.
Panettone — the Christmas breakfast must-have
It’s not Christmas around our house without panettone, the famed Italian dried fruit- and raisin-studded bread. While its popularity has spread widely enough that you don’t have to find an Italian market to score a loaf, you can get a fresher panettone by baking it yourself at home. Italian cookbook author Domenica Marchetti’s version was a hit in our test kitchen. See that here. Should you have any left after Christmas day, slice it up and make bread pudding, Nutella panini or French toast. If you’re more inclined to celebrate with pandoro, a cousin to panettone but with denser texture, you can slice it up and turn it into a fanciful Christmas tree. Here’s how.