Food brings people together, especially during the holidays. Whether we’ve eaten them since childhood or adopted them as more recent traditions, many of the dishes we serve up this season have special meaning. T&S reached out to St. Louisans for their favorite recipes to share some holiday joy. Bon appétit!

latkes
Darcy Glidewell, The Next Step
Latkes are not only my favorite holiday food, but the smell is synonymous with Hanukkah to me. My mom, Sharon Greenburg, has worked on perfecting her recipe, using just the right combination of potatoes and onions and experimenting with the best oil, and skillet, for the job. We have always eaten these as an appetizer for our Hanukkah party meal, usually the first night of Hanukkah. When my family arrives at my mom’s house, we can smell the latkes before we walk in the front door. I’ve had many potato pancakes over the years, but there is simply nothing like a tried-and-true homemade Jewish latke.

 

Ingredients
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp., garlic powder
¼ tsp. salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 medium potatoes, peeled
1 medium onion
1 tsp. baking powder
Vegetable oil with neutral flavor (grapeseed or canola) for frying
Sour cream or applesauce for topping

  • Grate potatoes and onions into a bowl. Put mixture into a clean dish towel and squeeze to remove excess liquid.
  • Return to bowl, add beaten egg and mix well. Add garlic powder, salt, pepper and baking powder. Mix to combine.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop mixture by large spoonfuls (about 2 tbsp.) into hot oil and spread to make a circle approximately 2½ inches. Fry until golden brown on each side (do not flip too soon–about two to three minutes on each side). Add more oil as necessary.
  • Drain on paper towels, and serve warm, topped with sour cream or applesauce.

 

aab iii’s secret shrimp recipe
Susie Busch Transou,  Hearth and Soul
We absolutely love including this recipe as an appetizer during holiday get-togethers. It is always a favorite, making so many family and community events extra special—and delicious! Of course, it has a special place in my heart since it uses the seasoning my dad, August Busch III, created.

 

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh jumbo shrimp, peeled
1 tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. AABIII Steak Seasoning
½ bottle of Budweiser
3-4 limes
A splash of dry vermouth
⅛ tsp. cayenne pepper

  • In a large skillet, heat olive oil and saute garlic.
  • Add shrimp, a dash of cayenne pepper and a dash of AABIII Steak Seasoning to the skillet, quickly saute.
  • Pour half bottle of Budweiser over the shrimp, and bring to a simmer.
  • Juice two to three limes over the shrimp, and add a splash of vermouth to finish.
  • Transfer shrimp to serving dish, and sprinkle with AABIII. Serve with fresh limes.

 

yorkshire pudding
Peter Palermo, The Sheldon
My paternal grandparents loved to celebrate Christmas with a southern Italian feast—I think I even remember the Feast of Seven Fishes one year. During my time in San Francisco, I learned to love the holiday tradition of cioppino—with Dungeness crab straight from the Wharf. But Christmas Eve at my maternal grandparents was an entirely Anglophile affair—and this is the holiday meal I crave—featuring a rib roast and Yorkshire pudding. It’s just not the holidays without it.

 

Ingredients
4 eggs
2 c. of milk
2 c. of flour
1 tsp. salt
½ c. pan drippings from rib roast

  • Preheat oven to 450°. In a blender, mix the eggs, milk, flour and salt until it forms a smooth batter.
  • Place the empty rib-roast pan and pan drippings in the oven until smoking hot. Pour batter into the pan and return to the hot oven.
  • Cook at 450° for 15 minutes and then turn the heat down to 350° for another 25 minutes. Cook until puffy and golden brown.
  • Cut into large pieces, and serve with a slice of rib roast.