There’s much to love about the holiday season. And although we don’t need a holiday to bond with family and friends over great food, this time of year offers the perfect opportunity to carve out quality time, revisit old memories and make new ones with those who mean the most to us.
As a special Sweet July holiday season treat, we asked five professional chefs to dish on their most vivid childhood holiday memories, their favorite holiday dishes, what they will be preparing as this year’s must-have meal, and their secret ingredient to making the holidays extra special.
Chef Andre Fowles
3x winner, Food Network’s Chopped
Private chef, Culinary Director of Miss Lily’s
On childhood holiday gatherings…
[I remember] being in the kitchen helping my grandmother with all the Christmas cooking. My grandmother, Mama Cherry, would always get the whole family into the kitchen to help create memorable meals.
On favorite holiday food…
It’s hard to choose just one dish. A Christmas ham, a cold glass of sorrel (hibiscus punch) and boozy fruit cake are my top three favorites. People in Jamaica only eat these things during the holiday season, so I looked forward to having them as a treat every year.
On preparing this year’s must-have dish…
Definitely jerk turkey. We don’t celebrate Thanksgiving in Jamaica, so when I moved to the States and started having turkey every year during the holidays, I knew I had to put my own twist on it. I like to brine my turkey with allspice, ginger and garlic, then marinate it for a couple days in homemade jerk paste. It’s the juiciest, most flavorful turkey you’ll ever have!
On what makes the holidays memorable…
I love getting together with friends and family. Throughout the year, we get separated from each other with individual goals and personal lives, but the holidays are the one time where everyone shares the same goal of being together and enjoying the time with each other. It also doesn’t hurt that the food is so tasty during the holidays.
Chef Armani Johnson
Esquire’s 2020 Rising Star of the Year
Executive chef, ABC Pony
On childhood holiday gatherings…
What I remember most is my sister Kalitah and I searching our apartment top to bottom looking for our gifts, while my mother was not home. My mother caught wind and started hiding them outside of the apartment. We actually would open our gifts, play with them and put them back before my mom returned.
On favorite holiday food…
I love all of the sides! I usually skip over the main protein and go straight to the macaroni and cheese, bread rolls, mashed potatoes and gravy. As a kid and adult, I have never liked ham and turkey.
On preparing this year’s must-have dish…
This year, I want to stuff and grill a whole fish, a warm and savory bread pudding, light gravy made from fish stock, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes—all of the things that stick to your ribs. Holidays aren’t for being super healthy for me. I want to pig out!
On what makes the holidays memorable…
Family makes the holidays special for me, being able to exchange laughter and spending quality time with the ones I barely get to see much throughout the year. My niece Skylar makes the holidays more memorable. She is my only niece, [so] seeing her open gifts and share her excitement makes my heart warm.
Chef Tiffany Derry
Celebrity Chef and TV Personality
Owner of Roots Chicken Shak
On childhood holiday gatherings…
The holidays have always been about being with my family—it’s one of only a few times of the year we all get together [and] celebrate over traditional recipes that have been passed down through generations. It’s a large gathering that rotates between my mom’s and my aunt’s house—typically about 50. We take over the whole house from the garage to the kitchen for a meal and to open gifts. It’s always such a fun time.
On favorite holiday food…
One of my favorites is my grandmother’s roasted duck. It’s a whole duck roasted over cornbread dressing, so the flavors meld together. This dish was the first time I experienced eating and cooking with duck fat, which is something I use frequently in my restaurants today!
On preparing this year’s must-have dish…
On Christmas Eve, we eat my mother’s gumbo. This dish resonates so much with me; I serve it at my restaurant but use duck stock instead of chicken stock. After trying it at the restaurant, my mom said it’s time for me to take over the Christmas Eve tradition!
On what makes the holidays memorable…
To me, the holidays are about being around people you love, whether that’s family or close friends, celebrating over good food cooked with love.
Chef Nyesha Arrington
Culinary Creative & Television Personality
Restaurateur & Private Chef
Creator, Aisoonsauce
On childhood holiday gatherings…
My fondest childhood memory of the holidays is going to my Aunt Linda’s house for Thanksgiving. I would always look forward to seeing my cousins and sitting around watching movies, playing games and cooking. My Aunt Linda made the best baked mac and cheese! You [could] tell she really loved having all the families pile into one house. She was a phenomenal cook and host.
On favorite holiday food…
The day after Thanksgiving is always my favorite. As a kid, I used to love to make a delicious roast turkey sandwich on toasted bread with mayo on one side and cranberry sauce on the other. I would put a little hot gravy on the turkey and eat it with iceberg lettuce. There are so many ways to repurpose the leftovers after a holiday meal—whether it’s a soup or a sandwich or even a pasta.
On preparing this year’s must-have dish…
I cooked Thanksgiving dinner for my whole family this year. After not seeing them for most of 2020, I was really looking forward to having them over for a few days. This year, I made my coconut cornbread spoon bread as a highlight dish. What I love about this dish is that it doesn’t have as much dairy or refined sugar in it as regular cornbread. So you could say it’s “healthy-ish.”
On what makes the holidays memorable…
I adore the scent of the holidays…sweet and savory flavors mixing together on one plate. One of my favorite bites at Thanksgiving is a little roast turkey, homemade cranberry sauce, yams, stuffing and a little turkey-thyme gravy. Honoring quality family time around the dinner table is a very special time for my family and I. Growing up, my mom and dad always made sure we sat around the dinner table and engaged in healthy conversation, which is such a valuable life memory. It brings great joy to my heart to now get to create memories of my own for my mom, dad, sister and nephew.
Chef “JR” Robinson
Hell’s Kitchen Season 13 Contestant
Private Executive Chef, Owner of KitchenCray
On childhood holiday gatherings…
My most vivid childhood memory centered around the holidays with family is two nights before Thanksgiving—when everyone in the family would come over to my grandmother’s house. I would just remember everyone in the kitchen prepping and telling childhood stories.
On favorite holiday food…
My favorite holiday dish was oxtail with rice and peas. This was a dish we probably got twice a year, Thanksgiving and Christmas, so the smell alone let me know the holidays were here.
On preparing this year’s must-have dish…
This year, I’ll be making jerk turkey wings and it’s a must over having [a] whole turkey. I’m a wings kind of guy!
On what makes the holidays most memorable…
The thing that makes the holidays special for me is seeing my wife and kids really enjoying themselves and being happy.
