My Annual Christmas Dinner

Mom knows best No Images? Click here   Dear Serious Eaters, In my family, the holidays are about gathering together from across the country and letting loose with one another. We eat pricey specialty foods, drink expensive wine, gift each other rare bottles of Scotch, and sing and play music into the wee hours of the night (the Scotch helps with that last bit). Everyone except my mom, that is. My mom spends most of the holiday gamely trying to get us to pipe down a bit. I make up for it by cooking her favorite things: Prime rib (which I cook using the reverse sear method), puffy Yorkshire puddings (the secret is letting the batter rest overnight), and a roasted pear and bitter greens salad with blue cheese and pomegranate seeds (sometimes I sneak the fancy Roquefort into it, but my mom usually insists that the bargain bucket Danish blue is good enough, thanks).   Our Annual Holiday Dinner Reverse-Sear Prime Rib Prime rib is one of my family’s favorite cuts of beef. It's also expensive, which means you want a recipe that’ll give you the best, most reliable results. My method takes advantage of the reverse sear method to yield prime rib with a deep brown, crisp, crackly, salty crust surrounding a tender, juicy, medium-rare interior. Yorkshire Puddings These Yorkshire puddings are designed to rise tall and light, with a crisp shell and a lightly chewy center. Here's the best part: Not only can the batter be made in advance, but it really should be—the Yorkshire puddings actually come out even better that way. Roasted Pear Salad Why do salads get a such a bad rap on the holidays? Probably because they're not carbs. I like to make up for that by loading up this salad with cheese, roast-y fruit, and crisp endive leaves. It’s all doused with a rich hazelnut dressing. Sounds just as delicious as anything else on the table, if you ask me.   My Must-Have Gift Pick Granite Mortar and Pestle With both parts made of rock-solid granite, the Thai mortar and pestle is (literally) a heavy hitter, and arguably the most versatile type of large mortar and pestle you can own.     Serious Eats 88 35th St Ste 602 Brooklyn, NY 11232 Click Preferences to control which emails you receive from Serious Eats. Clicking Unsubscribe will remove you from all Serious Eats emails…which would be sad. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

How to Make the Best Holiday Cookie Assortment

Best care packages ever No Images? Click here   The question of how to assemble a holiday cookie platter, care package, or gift basket may not seem that complicated: Just make a bunch of your favorite cookies and give them away! But the reality can be a little more complex, especially when all the cookies wind up having a similarly short shelf life, leaving the recipient with a box of treats that go stale before the end of the week, rather than an assortment of goodies that can be savored throughout the holiday season. For that reason, it's helpful to mix and match cookie styles to create a longer window of enjoyment—think tender lemon meltaways, soft and chewy no-bake cookies, delicately crisp gingerbread men, crunchy biscotti, and sandwich cookies with a creamy filling. Browse the full how-to →   The Best Gift Box   Cookie Gift Boxes With Clear Window "No peeking" rules don't apply to holiday cookies—in fact, sneaking a look at what's inside makes the treats all the more enticing. Stella just swings by her local grocery store and buys some boxes from the baker, but likes the festive flair of these collapsable ones.       Serious Eats 88 35th St Ste 602 Brooklyn, NY 11232 Click Preferences to control which emails you receive from Serious Eats. Clicking Unsubscribe will remove you from all Serious Eats emails…which would be sad. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe

It's Your Last Chance to Get 20% Off the ThermoPop

Get One Now No Images? Click here   Time Is Ticking: Get 20% Off the ThermoPop​ The ThermoPop is normally $34, but until midnight it's 20% off ($27.20). Grab one now to stuff in stockings or gift to friends at this discounted price before the sale ends. We've long been fans of the ThermoPop from ThermoWorks. It's an excellent and affordable instant-read thermometer and it's a great starter thermometer if you're not quite ready to shell out for the Thermapen. While it's rated to give readings in three to four seconds, the ThermoPop actually comes in closer to under three. Plus, the dial is large, easy-to-read and backlit, which comes in handy when you're going hands-first into a dark oven. What's more, it comes in a wide range of colors, so if your kitchen is color-coordinated, you can find one to fit right in.   Get Yours Now     This email may contain links to Amazon or other partners; your purchases via these links can benefit Serious Eats. Read more about our affiliate linking policy.   Serious Eats 88 35th St Ste 602 Brooklyn, NY 11232 Click Preferences to control which emails you receive from Serious Eats. Clicking Unsubscribe will remove you from all Serious Eats emails…which would be sad. Preferences  |  Unsubscribe