A South Carolina Favorite, with a Maryland Twist Christmas Eve dinner in the United States often features fish or seafood. When I was growing up, my mother would make Oyster Stew. Although a very simple dish and relatively easy to make, it has a richness that is undoubtedly festive. Other Christmas Eve seafood traditions date back to many of the Catholic European countries.

A yummy layered cookie featuring raspberry jam and almonds. These Viennese Triangles were one of the many holiday cookies we made every year when I was growing up. Mum and I would spend most of a weekend, togther in the kitchen churning out batch after batch of homemade sweetness. If memory serves me, I think we had a core list of nine or ten different cookies, and usually would tryout a new one every once in a while.

Triple Ginger Cookies with Cream Cheese Frosting and Sprinkles. The holiday season is here! You still have time to make a few treats before the New Year and these gingerbread cookies have always been a holiday hit. We love to decorate them as much as we love to eat them, because this recipe doesn't skimp on the great ginger flavor.

Piccalilli is a sweet-tart pickled vegetable relish. It’s a wonderful way to preserve a multitude of late summer vegetables. This version notably incorporates a large amount of unripe tomatoes, which were usually harvested after the first frost. This recipe in particular is based on my grandmother’s, though I have updated it quite a bit. It's a bit simpler to make, and bit more zesty.

Varied parts of the U.S. have traditions regarding foods that are considered lucky if eaten on New Year’s Day. In my family, that means a big pot of black-eyed peas, served with cornbread and piccalilli relish. Today, I'm sharing our family favorite recipe for black-eyed peas, cooked with ham hocks. When I was growing up, our only choice was to start with dried beans.

I know we are all still working on the December holidays, but I wanted to get a head start on the first dinner of the New Year. Varied parts of the U.S. have traditions regarding foods that are considered lucky if eaten on New Year’s Day. In my family, that means a big pot of black-eyed peas, served with cornbread and piccalilli relish.

My favorite holiday dessert is my mother’s trifle. Her trifle is not the classic “Ye Olde English Trifle,” but even more delicious! She combines elements from Italy, Portugal and France for a uniquely delicious experience. But, before I tell you all her secrets, let’s discuss a few other layered desserts. The Scots have one called a Tipsy Laird, that’s made with Drambuie.

Cooking Around the Calendar with Elyza MacAlister I grew up in a food-loving family, so it’s no surprise that cooking is one of my hobbies. I’ve lived all over the U.S. and never get tired of discovering new types of regional cuisine. But not just our home cooking; I love food from all over the globe. In the coming year, I plan on sharing some of my favorite foods, as well as some of my favorite holiday dishes.