Whether it’s a recipe that’s been passed down for generations or one from a more recent tradition, many of the dishes we serve up during the holidays have special meaning. Those comforting favorites help bring people together and keep the season merry and bright. T&S reached out to local chefs for their favorite recipes to share some holiday joy. Bon appétit!

Sourdough Pancakes 
A.J. Brown of KNEAD Bakehouse + Provisions
Throughout the holiday break, our family enjoys slow mornings and making these pancakes. sourdough pancakes

night before ingredients 
200 g. bread flour
240 g. milk
20 g. sourdough starter

day of ingredients 
12 g. baking powder
30 g. sugar
6 g. salt
2 whole eggs
60 g. grapeseed oil
Jam
Honey butter

  1. Mix the flour, milk and starter the night before. This will begin the levaining process for the fluffiest pancakes ever.
  2. The following morning, separate the egg yolk from the whites. Set the whites aside. Mix the egg yolks, sugar, salt, baking powder and grapeseed oil until combined into the batter from the night before.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks and fold into the batter.
  4. Scoop onto a greased skillet on medium/high heat. Flip pancakes once they are golden brown, about 60 to 90 seconds.
  5. Stack the pancakes high and top with jam and honey butter.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup
Alec Schingel of Winslow’s Table
This soup is perfect for chilly winter nights! cream of cauliflower soup

3 large onions, diced
2 large white cauliflowers, cored and finely sliced
8 oz. butter
1 pint heavy cream
Salt to taste

  1. In a large heavy bottomed pot, melt your butter over medium heat. Add the onions and season with a generous amount of salt. Cook, stirring frequently, but try not to color the onions.
  2. Once the onions have released some of their natural liquids and are about half cooked, add the cauliflower and season again. Continue cooking the cauliflower and onions until they are completely tender, there should be some liquid in the pot released from the veggies. Take your time, this process should take 20 to 30 minutes.
  3. Add heavy cream and one quart of water. Increase the heat and simmer for another 20 minutes.
  4. Use a high powered blender to puree the soup. For a very smooth texture, pass it through a chinois or fine mesh strainer. Don’t forget to taste and add more salt if necessary.

Smoky Sweet Potato Gratin
Jason Tilford of Mission Taco Joint
This is a side dish I came up with as a special at Milagro. I like it because it’s a savory dish that has a little spice, smoke and sweetness with a nice tang from the goat cheese

Oven: 375°

3 sweet potatoes
1 c. goat cheese
2 c. cream
1 tbsp. salt
¼ c. chipotle purée
2 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 c. Panko bread crumbs
⅛ c. melted butter

  1. Peel the sweet potatoes and slice into ⅛ inch slices, set aside. Prepare the cream by whisking it with salt, chipotle purée and half of the smoked paprika in a mixing bowl.
  2. Spray a baking dish with nonstick spray and put a layer of sweet potato down, overlapping to cover as much of the bottom as possible. Top with ¼ of the goat cheese and ¼ of the cream sauce. Repeat this process until potatoes, cheese and cream are all used.
  3. Cover with foil and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and cook for another 15 minutes.
  4. Prepare the crumb topping by mixing the breadcrumbs, butter and remaining smoked paprika. Top the gratin and cook for another 10 minutes until golden brown.
  5. Remove and cool for 10 minutes to allow the cream to set before cutting.