For something more substantial — though we would gladly make dinner out of appetizers, to be clear — Kay Chun’s recipe for pernil-style chicken thighs applies a garlicky, oregano-and-citrus rub to everyone’s favorite cut of chicken for a super flavorful sheet-pan dinner. (Vegetarians or vegans will want to check out this robust vegan jackfruit pernil, a recipe by Lyana Blount, adapted by Christina Morales.)
If you’re on salad duty, this tardivo salad with pistachio and citrus is downright elegant and surprisingly easy to prepare. No worries if you can’t find tardivo — though it’s the chicory used by Mary Attea, the executive chef at Raf’s, endives would be an excellent substitute for this recipe adapted by Nikita Richardson (whose name you may recognize from our Where to Eat newsletter).
And while December weekends are usually surrendered to said holiday parties and festive gatherings, we hope that you’ve set aside some quiet time for yourself. Maybe it’s just a lazy morning in pajamas with never-ending coffee, tucking into Hetty Lui McKinnon’s kimchi potato hash and eggs. Or maybe it’s a stolen Saturday night, just you, your favorite holiday movie and a tortoiseshell-topped vanilla crème brûlée. Mark Bittman’s five-star recipe makes four servings, but the custard-filled ramekins will keep in the fridge for a couple of days, and it’s not specified that those other three servings need to be for other people.