Cristan Molinelli-Ruberto

A board among a holiday spread with locally sourced cheeses, salami, blackberries, and rosemary. The produce is sourced from the Marin French Cheese Company and Oliver’s Market in Cotati, CA on Dec. 25, 2023.

With the holidays in full swing, many of us are scrambling to think of what dish to bring to the next social gathering. Or perhaps we just crave something “with Christmas Spirit” sprinkled on top. Either way, here are some inspiring recipes for your next holiday foray into the kitchen.

Locally Sourced Cheese Board

A cheese tour is a fun activity for friends and family during the holiday season. During the first Thanksgiving I spent in lockdown during the pandemic, my family and I went to local creameries to create a massive cheese and charcuterie board as part of our feast. This has been a tradition since then, although we scaled it back after too many years of filling up on the appetizers before the big meal. 

Brie is arguably the best cheese to include on a festive board. It can be paired with sweet or savory fixings and comes in so many different flavor profiles. In my first cheese tour I got three different brie cheeses – a traditional brie, a triple cream brie, and a petite jalapeño brie. We enjoyed this along with some sharper cheeses from Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery like the Highway 1 Fontina. Paired with some Rustic Bakery crackers and Holiday Berry Jam, it was the perfect spread.

I say grab a buddy and take the backroads to Marin French Cheese Company or Valley Ford Cheese & Creamery for your holiday Cheese Tour this year. 

Deviled Eggs 

This delicious mixture of egg, mustard and probably too much mayo for your average Joe is the first homemade dish I ever brought to my family’s Christmas Day feast.

The recipe is simple but always a hit. After you’ve boiled your eggs and separated the yolk from the egg whites, it’s time to go wild. Mix the yolks with whatever your heart desires; I’m partial to either yellow mustard or Dijon and a god-awful amount of mayo and chopped pickles. Top with smoked paprika and some parsley for flare and you’re all set.

Baked Brie 

This dish is always a crowd-pleaser. It looks quite impressive, although it is easy to make. All you need is a round of brie, some puff pastry, egg whites and fruit preserves — if you’re feeling fancy.

Place the brie on top of the dough. Top the brie with preserves and fold it up like a present. Brush the puff pastry with egg whites and pop it in the oven. Bake it for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees, or until the top is deliciously brown, and the molten and melty brie protrudes from the puff pastry. Serve it with crackers or some fresh bread, and the Aunties and Nonnas will sing your praises all night.

Rudolph’s Cranberry Fizz

This cocktail (or mocktail!) is new to me this holiday season, but it’s already become my new staple. I went the homemade route with this recipe, making a cranberry-and-lemon-infused simple syrup. Just boil down some cranberries and lemon zest with equal parts sugar and water until the berries pop and let the concoction cool before use. 

For your cocktail: Grab a pretty glass and add one shot of gin (or any alcohol of your choice), two spoonfuls of the cranberry simple syrup and top it with sparkling wine. For a mocktail version, use lemon- or orange-flavored sparkling water instead. Garnish with some cranberries or lemon peel, and spend some well-deserved time with your loved ones.

The holiday appetizers are whatever you want to make of it. You can make as much or as little as you want at almost any price point. I remember the time I made a cheeseboard with bruleéd figs for an early holiday gathering with friends. We tried to make our evening fancy, making mushroom pasta paired with nice bottles of wine.  I wanted to go all out on my cheese spread as well. I picked up some figs, carrots, goat cheese and brie from my local Oliver’s Market and torched brown sugar on the figs for a bruleéd effect. This fed 7 of us and cost around $40, but it was priceless for how much fun we all had during our festive dinner party. 

My biggest cheese board to date consisted of 8 different cheeses from Oliver’s Market and Marin French Cheese Company. It was my one contribution to Christmas Dinner last year. I spent over $100 on cheese and the fixings, but it fed all four of us with plenty of leftovers. It was so fun to go around and pick out different types of cheese and little flavor pairings to go along with each cheese. What can I say? I love myself a cheeseboard.

Happy Holidays to everyone in the Santa Rosa Junior College Community! Let’s celebrate making it through another year with our loved ones, and please drink responsibly this holiday season.