Food & Wine December 2022 / January 2023

For the Feast LONG BEFORE photographer Eva Kolenko started shooting food, she was inspired by the paintings of the Dutch masters and their “exquisite eye for light.” “The Dutch still-life painters are like the original food photographers,” she says of the artistic movement that took hold in the 1600s and inspired this month’s stunning cover. In her Petaluma, California, studio, Kolenko and stylists Audrey Taylor and Erin Quon leaned into the era’s vanitas themes to interpret Culinary Director Justin Chapple’s recipes for a towering seafood feast. They incorporated symbolic references like a peeled lemon and burning candles into the photograph to remind us of the fragility of life. The message: “Every moment is a gift. Enjoy life as it is now,” Kolenko says. “I wanted to inspire readers to go all out with…

Snack Attack BONILLA A LA VISTA PATATAS FRITAS Jenelle Manzi, New York City Ballet dancer and CEO of the snack bar company Get Golden, loves these olive oil–cooked Spanish potato chips. “They are perfectly crisp and salty,” she says. The paint-can-size container looks great, too. ($55, despanabrandfoods.com) TINY FISH CO. TINNED FISH “Nothing beats a bite of seafood with a glass of wine,” says chef Melissa Perello, who gifts conservas fans these tins from Top Chef’s Sara Hauman. ($42 for 3 tins, thetinyfishco.com) BJORNQORN This vegan popcorn comes in flavors like “earth” (truffle). It’s the perfect cocktail snack, says Chitra Agrawal, founder of the condiment company Brooklyn Delhi. ($43 for 12 3-oz. bags, bjornqorn.com) WEST~BOURNE TOGARASHI CRUNCH This savory snack is a great stocking stuffer, says Mélanie Masarin, founder of the nonalcoholic drink brand Ghia. “It’s salty, spicy,…

LAMB BIRYANI IF THERE IS AN INDIAN DISH that signifies celebration, it’s dum biryani. At weddings in India, chefs who have specialized in making biryani for generations are brought in to create the feast centerpiece for hundreds of guests. With its bronzed dome of dough and layers of rice and braised meat, it’s a mesmerizing sight—and intimidating enough that you could be forgiven for thinking that this style of biryani might be a stretch for a home cook. Raleigh, North Carolina, chef Cheetie Kumar disagrees. “Biryani is the best family meal,” she asserts. “It’s like shepherd’s pie but way sexier. If you can make coq au vin or a braised brisket, you can do this.” She suggests a few shortcuts: purchased fried onions (preferably an Indian brand so the onions are not…

CRISP RAW VEGETABLES deserve to be celebrated throughout the year, and these salads make it easy to do just that, exuding the comfort and warmth we crave in the heart of winter while showcasing often-overlooked winter produce. Packed with hearty greens and tangy dressings, their bright colors and bold flavors make them vivacious enough to hold their own in a holiday meal, but they’re also simple enough to be tossed together for a casual weeknight dinner. You’ll want to keep them on rotation all season long. Charred Shallot and Arugula Salad With Sunny-Side-Up Eggs TOTAL 25 MIN; SERVES 4 Peppery arugula, nutty Parmesan, savory prosciutto, and sunny-side-up eggs pair with a garlicky dressing in this hearty salad. Charring shallots makes them tender and coaxes out their sweetness. DRESSING ¼ tsp. grated lemon zest plus 2…

WHETHER YOU OPT for the multi-tiered classic preparation for New Year’s Eve or decide to use an everyday baking sheet for a weeknight date, an extravagant spread of chilled seafood with condiments will make any occasion special. And it doesn’t have to be tons of work. The trick? Get the highest-quality seafood that needs little preparation, and put most of your effort toward preparing next-level condiments that can be made ahead. From oysters with yuzu kosho mignonette (p. 56) to lobster tails with green goddess aioli (p. 57), we’ve got you covered with delicious recipes, pro tips, and equipment and retailer recommendations. —JUSTIN CHAPPLE PICK YOUR PLATTER Building an epic spread requires lots of surface area. Whether you go tall (with a tower) or wide (with a pan), line the bottom of…

THE HOLIDAYS are synonymous with baking—which can be delightful to some and daunting to others. But whipping up an impressive baked good doesn’t have to mean spending hours in the kitchen. This year, skip the laborious spun sugar, and opt out of complicated pâte à choux. Instead, keep it simple. We reached out to our favorite pastry pros for their least fussy, most festive recipes, each achievable in under 45 minutes of hands-on cooking time. Whether you’re looking for a centerpiece-worthy showstopper like 2020 F&W Best New Chef Camille Cogswell’s Cheesecake Bars with Candied Orange and Pizzelle Crust (recipe p. 64) (featuring ultra-creamy cheesecake—no water bath required!), a giftable candy like chef LaMara Davidson’s Toasted Pepita and Ancho Chile Peanut Brittle (p. 66), or something that’s snackable and make-ahead like…