… and other seasonal family eats fondly remembered by local chefs
“I still make puto bumbong (logs of white and purple sticky rice with brown sugar and fresh coconut) during Christmas. During the midnight Mass, people would line up at the stalls outside the church just for these. It reminds me of my childhood in the Philippines.”
— Ramir DeCastro, chef/owner, Yonaka Modern Japanese and Purple Potato
“At my house it was latkes. The secret to good latkes: grated onion, chive, and making them little! A small and crispy latke is always better. And, of course, apple sauce and sour cream.”
— Michael Rubinstein, sous chef, Momofuku Las Vegas
“A holiday tradition was roasted duck or chicken. We would stuff it with sticky rice, diced pork belly, Chinese sausage, chestnuts, and shiitake mushrooms — just something my mom would make up because she didn’t enjoy turkey!”
— Sheridan Su, chef/owner, Flock & Fowl
“Every Christmas Eve after midnight Mass, lots of Polish food. Perogis, babka, galumpki (stuffed cabbage), and kielbasa. My favorite part was making a lefovers sandwich the next day. I’d do sliced kielbasa on babka with lots of horseradish and mustard.”
— Nicole Brisson, culinary director, B&B Hospitality Group