Homemade Christmas Food Recipes

This year, give homemade Christmas food recipes, presents as warm and personal as the aroma of your own holiday kitchen. (See the homemade Christmas recipes in the image gallery.)

Homemade Christmas Food Recipes

This year, give presents as warm and personal as the aroma of your own holiday kitchen.

Gifts of food at Christmas are traditional in many
families, and for good reason. Since almost everyone loves
to eat, the giver can rest assured that such presents will
be welcomed–not stored in the attic until the next
garage sale. Furthermore, preparing home-cooked gifts in a
snug, fragrant kitchen is at least as much fun as coping
with crowded malls and slushy streets. And best of all, a
homemade gift embodies the warmth and affection that are
among the loveliest ornaments of the Christmas
season.

The only problem is, when a number of gifts of perishable
food all arrive in the same week, there’s often more than
anyone can use. So why not add a measure of flexibility to
this year’s culinary offerings? Choose a recipe that you
like . . . measure out the herbs and spices that provide
its distinctive flavor . . . wrap them up with a festive
ribbon . . . attach a copy of the recipe . . . and present
your holiday-harried friends with a gift they can enjoy at
their convenience. All they have to do is add a few of
their own ingredients, follow your simple directions, and
savor your (almost) home cooking.

If you have dried, homegrown herbs from last summer’s
garden, your gift will be even more personal and
flavorful–and very economical, too. If not, you may
the necessary store-bought ingredients in your pantry.
(Keep in mind, though, that herbs and spices lose much of
their flavor after a few months; if your tarragon has been
hanging around since last Easter, get a new jar.) And even
if you do have to purchase the makings for your seasoning
packets, you’ll still wind up with relatively inexpensive
gifts–especially when you consider the prices of many
of the made-for-Christmas trinkets that litter the store
shelves and lure last-minute shoppers.