To paraphrase Julia Child - “A party without cocktails is just a meeting!” My Sidecars with Dried Cherries are a classic old- fashioned cocktail with a twist - I make them with freshly squeezed lemon juice, Cognac and Grand Marnier plus Cognac-soaked dried cherries. They’re sweet and tart and the perfect holiday cocktail!!

Shrimp Cocktail is such a classic hors d'oeuvre for holiday parties, but so often the shrimp is over-cooked and too cold straight from the refrigerator. I decided to try roasting the shrimp for shrimp cocktail, and I've never looked back. The shrimp takes just 10 minutes to roast and it comes out perfectly cooked and tender every time. I promise, once you try Roasted Shrimp Cocktail, you'll never make it any other way!

While it might be traditional to cook Thanksgiving stuffing inside the turkey, I prefer to make a savory bread pudding that roasts alongside the turkey instead. The turkey roasts more quickly and the stuffing comes out crunchy on top and moist inside. My Herb & Apple Bread Pudding has all of the classic stuffing ingredients – toasted bread, apples, onions, and fresh herbs - baked into a rich, savory pudding. It’s the best of both worlds: perfectly cooked turkey and delicious, crispy stuffing.