Our Chefs Are Sharing Their Families’ Holiday Recipes
Start a new holiday tradition
Every dish tells a story of tradition and culture, and over the holiday season, family and friends from across the globe come together and connect over one common thing: Food! Below, six Lettuce Entertain You chefs—Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan (Sushi-san and The Omakase Room), Executive Pastry Chef / Partner Yasmin Gutierrez (Beatrix), Chef / Partner Raul Gutierrez (Big Bowl), Executive Chef / Partner David DiGregorio (Osteria Via Stato), Chef / Partner Joe Decker (Wildfire) and Executive Chef David Koehn (Mon Ami Gabi – Chicago)—share special holiday recipes inspired by their own family traditions for you to try at home.
Vietnamese Pork from Master Sushi Chef Kaze Chan (Sushi-san)
The Dish: Vietnamese Pork made with Berkshire pork with fresno chili, green onion and cilantro caramelized over binchotan charcoal
The Story: “This recipe has been in my family for generations. I first remember my grandmother making this at her restaurant back in the 1950s in Saigon. This dish has its origin with my family’s restaurant, but it has continued to be a Chan family staple, with my mother and aunt cooking it for me regularly throughout their lives. Today this 70-year-old recipe lives on at Sushi-san. The high-quality elements of the recipe remain the same, but we have elevated the dish by sourcing pasture-raised Berkshire Pork, a heritage breed of pig that is common in Japan.”
For the full recipe for Vietnamese Pork, click here.
Try this dish at Sushi-san, make a reservation.
Seafood Stew from Executive Chef David DiGregorio (Osteria Via Stato)
The Dish: Seafood Stew with seared scallops, shrimp, market fish served with garlic ciabatta bread
The Story: “The Feast of The Seven Fishes, named for the seven hills of Rome, is a multi-course holiday meal that captures the spirit of Italy with an abundance of seafood dishes from around the country. I have wonderful childhood memories of my grandfather preparing the Feast of the Seven Fishes every Christmas Eve. The holiday was centered around food and family and we looked forward to it every year. My favorite bite was tiny fried smelts, so tender and crispy. At Osteria Via Stato, the Seafood Stew has been a tradition on the Feast of the Seven Fishes menu for many years. The savory, hearty tomato broth is one of my favorite things to cook and eat. For me, it is all about nostalgia and family.”
For the full recipe for Seafood Stew, click here.
Cochinita Pibil from Executive Chef Raul Gutierrez (Big Bowl)
The Dish: Conchinita Pibil, slow roasted pork in adobo sauce wrapped in a banana leaf, traditionally cooked underground, served with rice, beans
The Story: “This recipe has been in my family for generations,” says Chef Raul. “My wife Maria and I prepare this for our family gatherings and celebrations. This dish dates back to the pre-Hispanic times of the Mayan civilization. It originates from the peninsula of Yucatan. Pibil comes from the Mayan word pib, which means “cooking underground”; where the meat cooks slowly until tender. One of the main characteristics of this dish is that it is cooked with achiote (annatto seed), which is derived from a small tree that produces a seed that when it matures it turns orange and is used as a condiment.”
For this dish in particular, the meat is mixed with fresh citrus juices and more spices. The high acid content of the marinade and slow cooking time tenderizes the meat, allowing otherwise tough pieces of meat to be used. Cochinita Pibil is prepared and used for multiple dishes like tacos, tortas or panuchos. It is always served with a salsa called xnipec. This sauce is made with red onions, habanero pepper, cilantro and sour orange. It is also eaten with sides like yellow corn tortillas, banana leaves, red pickled onions, refried black beans and habanero chilies.
For the full recipe for Cochinita Pibil, click here.
Make a reservation at the Big Bowl location nearest you.
Baked Brie En Croute from Executive Chef David Koehn (Mon Ami Gabi – Chicago)
The Dish: Baked Brie En Croute with apricot jam, honey, almonds and fresh mint
The Story: Perfect to slather on crispy bread or each on its own as a great holiday entertaining recipe that everyone will love, Chef David says: “The Baked Brie recipe was a part of my family’s holiday celebration for as long as I can remember. Somewhere along the way, our holidays became accidentally French in the food we prepared. My mother, Sharon, would make whole beef tenderloin with Sauce Bernaise, always a few trays of scalloped potatoes, which are a Midwestern version of potato gratin, and of course, lots of bread and butter. But, before everyone would sit down for dinner, there was the Baked Brie. I don’t know who made it each year, I think the responsibility shifted, but without fail, the gooey, sweet, salty, puff pastry-encrusted brie was there, topped with honey and almonds, and quickly devoured by all. It’s one of those great dishes that hits all the marks: easy to make, impressive to look at, and perfect to share.”
For the full recipe for Baked Brie, click here.
Make a reservation at Mon Ami Gabi – Chicago.
Char’s Breakfast Casserole from Chef/Partner Joe Decker (Wildfire)
The Dish: Char’s Breakfast Casserole with Italian sausage, onions, eggs, spices and cheddar cheese
The Story: A hearty one-pot casserole dish perfect for a holiday brunch, Chef Joe says: “Every Christmas morning, we would make a delicious breakfast casserole that was my mother-in-law’s recipe. It is quite delicious and satisfying. It is not really tied to my heritage, but my kids will always remember that dish and will make it for their future families. It is called Char’s Breakfast Casserole because it is named after my late mother-in-law, Charlene. It has Italian sausage, wheat bread, onions, eggs, half n’ half, dry mustard, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and cheddar cheese.”
For the full recipe for Char’s Breakfast Casserole, click here.
Make a reservation at the Wildfire location nearest you.
Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies from Executive Pastry Chef Yasmin Gutierrez (Beatrix)
The Dish: Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies with milk chocolate and cayenne
The Story: “Growing up, my mom always made hot chocolate and champurrado with Abuelita, a traditional, cinnamon-infused chocolate commonly used in home cooking in Mexico. I replicated these flavors when creating the Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookie by using milk chocolate, cinnamon and the addition of cayenne. Each bite reminds me of Mexico.”
Click here for the recipe for Spicy Mexican Chocolate Cookies.
