Food brings people together, especially during the holidays. Whether we’ve been eating them since childhood or adopted them as more recent traditions, many of the dishes we serve up this season have special meaning. This year when celebrations will look anything but normal, those comforting favorites will be even more important to keeping this season merry and bright. T&S reached out to local chefs for their favorite recipes to share some holiday joy. Bon appétit


gerard craft
executive chef and owner • niche food group
James Beard Award-winning chef Gerard Craft puts lemons and fresh herbs to work in this simple and delicious herb roasted chicken, perfect for a holiday meal. “With a limited number of people gathering at your table this year, this is an ideal time to cook a smaller and more flavorful bird,” he says. Ingredients for the seasoning can be found in most grocery stores, and it’s also a terrific time to support local butchers.

Herb Roasted Chicken

Oven: 450°

  • 4–7 lb. chicken
  • 4 large sprigs of rosemary
  • 1 lemon
  • ¼ c extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 large russet potatoes, diced
  • 2 yellow onions, sliced
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. Rinse the inside and outside of chicken, and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Place whole chicken in lightly greased large roasting pan of choice. Puncture holes in lemon before placing it with sprigs of rosemary in the cavity of chicken. Season inside the cavity with salt and pepper.
  3. Lightly toss diced potatoes and sliced onions with olive oil and season with salt and pepper before placing in the bottom of roasting pan. Place chicken on bed of potatoes and onions, creating a nice nest for roasting.
  4. Place roasting pan on the center rack in the oven. Roast for approximately 45 minutes or until the chicken thigh registers 165º.
  5. Remove from oven, carve and serve.

jesse mendica risk
executive chef and partner • olive + oak hospitality group
Busy schedules and growing families can lead to new holiday traditions. For Jesse Mendica Risk and her family, new commitments led to creating a Thanksgiving brunch so everyone could still gather together and celebrate. The menu moved away from holiday classics, and these biscuits have become the chef’s new Thanksgiving morning tradition.

Sweet Potato Biscuits

Oven: 425°

  • ¾ c mashed sweet potatoes
  • ⅓ c buttermilk or cream
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp smoked paprika
  • ¼ c all-purpose flour
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 ½ tsp baking powder
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 ½ tsp salt
  • 6 tbsp cold butter, cubed
  1. Mix dry ingredients.
  2. Cut in butter to coarse meal.
  3. Combine buttermilk and sweet potatoes.
  4. Mix wet into dry, being careful not to overmix.
  5. Turn out onto floured surface and knead five or six times.
  6. Roll out to 1-inch thickness, cut and brush with butter.
  7. Bake for 20 minutes.

Chefs photos courtesy of Four Seasons Hotel St. Louis and Olive + Oak