A More Peaceful Thanksgiving
Less Stress. More Flavor. More Time Together. Delicious recipes, a complete shopping list, and a one-oven cooking plan
There is something wonderful about a holiday table. The good dishes come out of the cupboard, someone brings the rolls, and someone else insists that no holiday meal is complete without their grandmother's recipe. And somewhere in the kitchen, a cook is quietly wondering how six dishes are supposed to come together when there is only one oven. I know that feeling well.
After decades of studying food history, here is what I have learned: memorable meals have never depended on the biggest kitchen, the most expensive ingredients, or the fanciest equipment. They depend on knowing what to do with what you have, and quite often, the difference is in the seasoning.
For this holiday collection, I wanted to do something a little different. I didn't want to reinvent Thanksgiving or turn familiar favorites into dishes nobody recognizes. Instead, I wanted to show how a few thoughtful flavor changes can make the foods we already love feel special again.
We're using five Oak City Spice Blends seasonings to create six dishes that belong together on one beautiful table: a maple-cider glazed pork loin, creamy mashed potatoes with a hint of smoke, Italian herb green beans, sweet and savory roasted carrots, Parmesan buttermilk biscuit bites, and a platter of deviled eggs to keep everyone happy while dinner comes together.
Because a beautiful holiday meal should also be a practical one, I've included a complete shopping list and a cooking schedule for anyone serving dinner at 4:00 PM with just one oven. Let's get cooking.
1. Maple-Cider Glazed Pork Loin with Escape to Blue Ridge
Serves: 6 to 8 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: about 60 to 85 minutes, depending on thickness · Oven: 375°F
There is something particularly welcoming about a beautifully roasted piece of pork arriving at the holiday table. Pork and apples have been culinary companions for centuries, especially in regions where orchards and pig farming were part of everyday life. The natural acidity of apples balances the richness of the pork, while a little sweetness encourages browning.
For this version, we're using Escape to Blue Ridge, our smoky, savory seasoning with warm spices and a little heat, and finishing it with apple cider and maple syrup. The result is a glossy, beautifully seasoned roast that looks far more complicated than it actually is.
Bloom Classification: Medium Bloom | Oil
Why the Bloom Works
Escape to Blue Ridge contains paprika, garlic, onion, pepper, and other aromatic spices. Briefly warming the seasoning in oil helps carry those flavors across the surface of the pork. Because the blend also contains sugar and pepper spices, the bloom must stay gentle and brief, and the maple-cider glaze goes on later so its natural sugars caramelize instead of burning.
Ingredients
1 boneless pork loin roast, 2½ to 3 lb (1.1 to 1.4 kg)
1 tablespoon olive oil (15 ml)
1 tablespoon Escape to Blue Ridge seasoning (about 9 g)
½ cup apple cider (120 ml)
¼ cup pure maple syrup (60 ml)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (15 g)
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (15 ml)
½ teaspoon kosher salt (about 2 g), optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Pat the pork loin dry with paper towels and set it on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Warm the olive oil in a small skillet over medium-low heat, add the Escape to Blue Ridge, and stir for about 20 seconds, just until fragrant. Take it off the heat right away and brush the seasoned oil over the entire surface of the pork.
Roast the pork for 35 to 45 minutes before you begin glazing. While it roasts, combine the apple cider, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, and vinegar in a small saucepan and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, until slightly reduced and glossy. Before you start brushing, pour some of the glaze into a separate bowl and set it aside for serving, so it never touches the brush used on the raw pork.
Brush the pork with glaze and continue roasting, adding more glaze now and then. The roast is done when an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part reads 145°F. Let it rest for at least 3 minutes, though about 10 minutes makes slicing easier. Slice across the grain and serve with the reserved warm glaze.
Best With
Buttery mashed potatoes, green beans, roasted carrots, or holiday dressing.
Blooming Notes
Don't let the seasoning sizzle aggressively in the oil. Paprika and garlic turn bitter when scorched, so you're looking for fragrance, not browning.
Tomorrow's Table
Thinly sliced leftover pork makes a terrific sandwich with sharp cheddar and apple butter. Add a little leftover cranberry sauce for a lunch that tastes distinctly of the holiday.
2. Viking Salt Buttery Mashed Potatoes
Serves: 6 to 8 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: about 25 to 35 minutes
Mashed potatoes may be one of the most comforting foods ever placed on a holiday table. They're wonderfully simple, yet they teach an important lesson about flavor: fat, salt, and temperature all change how we experience a dish.
Here, Viking Salt brings a gentle smoky character from hickory- and cherry-smoked sea salts, along with black pepper, onion, and a touch of turmeric. The goal isn't potatoes that taste overwhelmingly of smoke. It's just enough depth that someone takes another bite and wonders what makes them so good.
Bloom Classification: Gentle Bloom | Butter
Why the Bloom Works
Butter is especially good at carrying the aromatic character of spices. Gently warming Viking Salt in melted butter spreads its smoky, peppery qualities evenly through the potatoes.
Ingredients
3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes (1.36 kg)
6 tablespoons unsalted butter (85 g)
¾ cup whole milk or half-and-half (180 ml)
1 teaspoon Viking Salt seasoning (about 5 g), plus more to taste
Kosher salt for the cooking water, as needed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (6 g), optional
Method
Peel the potatoes if you like and cut them into evenly sized pieces. Put them in a large saucepan, cover with cold water, and add a little kosher salt. Bring the pot to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the potatoes are fork-tender. Drain them well and return them to the warm pot for a minute so the excess moisture can steam away.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over low heat. Stir in the Viking Salt for about 20 seconds, then add the milk and warm it without letting it boil. Mash the potatoes, working in the seasoned butter and milk a little at a time until creamy. Taste before adding any more Viking Salt, and finish with fresh chives if you like.
Best With
Roast pork, turkey, ham, gravy, and roasted vegetables.
Blooming Notes
Smoked salt is wonderful, but more isn't necessarily better. Start with one teaspoon, mix thoroughly, and taste before adding more.
Tomorrow's Table
Shape leftover mashed potatoes into small cakes and pan-fry them in butter until golden. Serve with a fried egg for breakfast.
3. La Spezia Italian Herb Green Beans with Toasted Almonds
Serves: 6 · Prep: 10 minutes · Cook: 12 to 15 minutes
Every holiday table needs something green. Green bean casseroles have certainly earned their place in American holiday tradition, but sometimes I want a vegetable that tastes fresh, bright, and unmistakably like itself. These green beans are just that.
La Spezia Italy brings basil, garlic, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, and thyme to the skillet. Toasted almonds add a delicate crunch, and lemon brings the whole dish into focus, making it an excellent companion to the richer dishes on the table.
Bloom Classification: Gentle Bloom + Finish | Olive Oil
Why the Bloom Works
Many of the aromatic compounds in dried Mediterranean herbs are fat-soluble. Warming La Spezia gently in olive oil releases their fragrance and spreads their flavor across the beans, while adding the lemon at the very end protects its fresh, bright character.
Ingredients
1½ lb fresh green beans, trimmed (680 g)
2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
2 teaspoons La Spezia Italy seasoning (about 2 g)
¼ cup sliced almonds (25 g)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter (14 g)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (15 ml)
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest (2 g)
¼ teaspoon kosher salt (about 1 g), or to taste
Method
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green and just tender, then move them straight into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain and dry them thoroughly.
Toast the almonds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat until lightly golden, then set them aside in a small bowl. Add the olive oil and butter to the same skillet over low heat, stir in the La Spezia, and warm it gently for 20 to 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add the green beans and toss over medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes, until heated through.
Take the skillet off the heat and stir in the lemon juice and zest. Taste and adjust the salt, then transfer the beans to a serving platter and scatter the toasted almonds over the top.
Best With
Roast pork, turkey, chicken, ham, and rich holiday casseroles.
Blooming Notes
Dried herbs can scorch quickly. Keep the first bloom gentle, then let the moisture in the beans help regulate the heat.
Tomorrow's Table
Chop leftover green beans and toss them with cooked rice or farro, a little olive oil, and a squeeze of lemon for a simple grain salad.
4. Cowboy Crunch Maple-Roasted Carrots
Serves: 6 · Prep: 10 minutes · Roast: 25 to 35 minutes · Oven: 425°F
Carrots have a wonderful secret. When roasted, their natural sugars concentrate, their edges brown, and they come out of the oven sweeter and richer than they went in. Add maple syrup and they're delicious. Add Cowboy Crunch, and now we're getting somewhere interesting.
The garlic, mustard, pepper, herbs, and smoky notes in Cowboy Crunch balance the sweetness of the carrots and maple. This is a vegetable side dish that refuses to disappear into the background.
Bloom Classification: Medium Bloom + Finish | Oil
Why the Bloom Works
A brief oil bloom spreads Cowboy Crunch's savory spices evenly across the carrots. The maple glaze goes on near the end of roasting so its sugars develop color without burning.
Ingredients
2 lb carrots, peeled and cut into evenly sized pieces (907 g)
2 tablespoons olive oil (30 ml)
2 teaspoons Cowboy Crunch seasoning (about 5 g)
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup (30 ml)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted (14 g)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (5 ml)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (4 g), optional
Kosher salt, to taste
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. Warm the olive oil gently in a small saucepan, add the Cowboy Crunch, and stir for 15 to 20 seconds before taking it off the heat. Toss the carrots in the seasoned oil until every piece is evenly coated, then spread them in a single layer on the baking sheet.
Roast for 18 to 22 minutes, turning once. Meanwhile, stir together the maple syrup, melted butter, and vinegar. Drizzle the glaze over the carrots, toss gently, and return them to the oven for another 7 to 12 minutes, until tender, glossy, and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with parsley if you like.
Best With
Pork, turkey, roast beef, mashed potatoes, and holiday grain dishes.
Blooming Notes
Cowboy Crunch already contains some brown sugar. Keep the bloom gentle and watch the carrots closely once the maple glaze goes on.
Tomorrow's Table
Chop leftover roasted carrots into a grain bowl, or blend them with vegetable stock for a creamy roasted carrot soup.
5. Wilde Garlek Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuit Bites
Makes: 24 to 30 bites · Prep: 15 minutes · Bake: 12 to 15 minutes · Oven: 425°F
These little biscuits may be my favorite kind of holiday recipe. They're small enough to enjoy before dinner, substantial enough to serve beside the main course, and just fancy enough to make a simple bread basket feel special. Parmesan adds savory richness, while Wilde Garlek brings layers of garlic, onion, pepper, chives, and celery seed.
One important trick: grind the Wilde Garlek a little finer before adding it to the dough. The blend contains several forms of garlic and onion, and a finer texture spreads those flavors more evenly through the biscuits.
Bloom Classification: No Bloom | Cold Butter Incorporation
Why the Bloom Works
Sometimes the right blooming technique is not to bloom at all. Cold butter creates tender, flaky pockets in the dough, and the moisture from the buttermilk hydrates the dried garlic and herbs as the biscuits bake. Warming the butter first would work against the very texture we're trying to create.
Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour (250 g)
1 tablespoon baking powder (12 g)
½ teaspoon kosher salt (3 g)
1½ teaspoons Wilde Garlek seasoning, finely ground (about 4 g)
½ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed (113 g)
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese (75 g)
¾ cup cold buttermilk (180 ml), plus 1 to 2 tablespoons (15 to 30 ml) if needed
1 tablespoon melted butter, for brushing (14 g)
Method
Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and finely ground Wilde Garlek. Add the cold, cubed butter and work it in with a pastry cutter or your fingertips until the mixture looks like coarse crumbs with some pea-sized pieces remaining. Stir in the Parmesan until it's evenly distributed.
Pour in the cold buttermilk and fold gently until a shaggy dough forms. If dry flour remains, add more buttermilk a tablespoon at a time, taking care not to overmix. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, pat it to about ¾ inch thick, and cut it into 1½-inch squares.
Arrange the biscuits about 1 inch apart on the baking sheet and bake for 12 to 15 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Brush them with melted butter and serve warm or at room temperature.
Best With
Holiday soups, turkey, ham, roast pork, cheese boards, and leftover cranberry sauce.
Blooming Notes
Because Wilde Garlek contains different forms of garlic and onion, particle size matters. Grinding the seasoning finely improves flavor distribution without leaving distracting chewy pieces in a tender biscuit.
Tomorrow's Table
Split leftover biscuits and fill them with thin slices of turkey, a little cranberry sauce, and perhaps a sliver of sharp cheddar.
Allergen note: This recipe contains wheat and milk. A gluten-free version requires a separately tested flour substitution and verified gluten-free ingredients. Samples prepared from this recipe are not gluten-free.
6. Viking Salt Deviled Eggs
Makes: 24 halves · Prep: 20 minutes · Cook: about 12 minutes, plus cooling
Deviled eggs are one of those dishes that vanish from a holiday table before anyone admits to eating them. The American deviled egg feels like a familiar picnic and holiday favorite, but seasoned and stuffed eggs have a much longer history: European cookbooks recorded variations centuries before the modern mayonnaise-based version became popular.
For this recipe, we're keeping the creamy, tangy filling everyone recognizes and adding a little Viking Salt for a gentle smoky finish.
Bloom Classification: No Bloom | Cold Emulsion
Why the Bloom Works
Mayonnaise already provides the fat needed to carry the aromatic character of Viking Salt, so there's no need for heat. Letting the filling rest briefly gives the smoky, peppery notes time to spread through it.
Ingredients
12 large eggs (about 600 g without shells)
⅓ cup mayonnaise (75 g)
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard (10 g)
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (5 ml)
½ teaspoon Viking Salt seasoning (about 2.5 g), plus more to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives (3 g), optional
Method
Place the eggs in a saucepan and cover them with cold water by about 1 inch. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, and take it off the heat. Let the eggs stand for 11 to 12 minutes, then move them straight into an ice bath to cool completely.
Peel the eggs, slice them in half lengthwise, and pop out the yolks. Mash the yolks until smooth, then mix in the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, vinegar, and Viking Salt until creamy and evenly combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
Spoon or pipe the filling into the egg white halves and garnish with chives and a very light dusting of Viking Salt. Keep the eggs refrigerated until serving.
Best With
Holiday appetizer platters, vegetable trays, cheese boards, and brunch gatherings.
Blooming Notes
A little Viking Salt goes a long way in a cold preparation. Let the filling rest in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes before deciding whether it needs more.
Tomorrow's Table
Chop properly refrigerated leftovers into egg salad for sandwiches. Keep deviled eggs cold, and don't leave them at room temperature for more than two hours.
Your Holiday Gathering Shopping List
One of the least enjoyable parts of preparing a holiday meal is discovering halfway through that you're missing something. So I've combined the ingredients from all six recipes into one list. The quantities cover the entire menu for about 6 to 8 people, and some grocery packages will leave you with a little extra. Print this section, check your pantry, and head to the store with confidence.
Fresh Produce
3 lb Yukon Gold potatoes
2 lb fresh carrots
1½ lb fresh green beans
1 fresh lemon
1 small bunch fresh chives (optional)
1 small bunch fresh parsley (optional)
Meat
1 boneless pork loin roast, 2½ to 3 lb
Dairy and Eggs
1 dozen large eggs
1 lb box unsalted butter (the menu uses about 17 tablespoons, a little more than two sticks)
¾ cup whole milk or half-and-half
¾ cup buttermilk, plus a little extra if needed
¾ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
Baking and Pantry
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Kosher salt
At least 5 tablespoons olive oil
6 tablespoons (⅜ cup) pure maple syrup
½ cup apple cider
5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
⅓ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup sliced almonds
Parchment paper
Plenty of ice, for chilling the green beans and eggs
From Oak City Spice Blends
Escape to Blue Ridge for the Maple-Cider Glazed Pork Loin
Viking Salt for the Mashed Potatoes and Deviled Eggs
La Spezia Italy for the Italian Herb Green Beans
Cowboy Crunch for the Maple-Roasted Carrots
Wilde Garlek for the Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuit Bites
A Little Shopping Advice from the Spicekeeper
Before heading to the store, check your pantry, since you may already have the flour, baking powder, oil, vinegar, maple syrup, and mustard. And if you're cooking for a smaller gathering, consider choosing just three or four recipes rather than the entire menu. A wonderful holiday meal isn't measured by the number of dishes on the table.
Your Holiday Gathering Game Plan
One oven. A 4:00 PM dinner. And time to enjoy your guests.
Let's talk about something that rarely appears in beautiful holiday food photographs: the kitchen at 3:15 in the afternoon, when the roast is still in the oven, the potatoes aren't mashed, someone has arrived early, and you're wondering where you put the serving spoon. Most of us don't have two ovens or a professional kitchen staff. We have one oven, a stovetop, and a lot of things competing for our attention.
The good news is that this entire menu can be prepared in an ordinary home kitchen. The trick is deciding which dishes truly need to be made at the last minute and which ones can be made ahead. Here's how I would organize a 4:00 PM dinner for about 6 to 8 people.
The Day Before: Give Yourself a Head Start
A little preparation the day before makes an enormous difference. Start with the deviled eggs: cook and peel the eggs and mix the filling. For the neatest platter, store the whites and the filling separately in covered containers and fill them on the day, though you can fill them now if you prefer. Make the maple-cider glaze for the pork, cool it, and refrigerate it in a covered container.
Next, turn to the vegetables. Wash, trim, and dry the green beans and store them in the refrigerator, or go one step further and blanch and chill them. Peel the carrots, cut them into evenly sized pieces, and refrigerate them in a covered container. For the biscuits, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and finely ground Wilde Garlek, and keep the butter and buttermilk cold until you're ready to bake.
Finally, set the table. Put out serving platters, utensils, trivets, and anything else you'll need; labeling each serving dish with a small note can be surprisingly helpful. And one more trick: empty the dishwasher before you start cooking. You'll thank yourself later.
Cooking Day: Dinner at 4:00 PM
10:00 AM: Bake the biscuit bites. Preheat the oven to 425°F, then prepare and bake the Wilde Garlek Parmesan Buttermilk Biscuit Bites. Let them cool, cover them loosely, and leave them at room temperature. They'll get a quick warm-up just before dinner, which means one entire dish is finished before lunchtime.
12:45 PM: Roast the carrots. Bring the oven back to 425°F and roast the Cowboy Crunch carrots according to the recipe, maple glaze and all. Spread them in a shallow container, cool them promptly, and refrigerate until the final reheating. They reheat beautifully, so there's no reason to make them compete with the pork for oven space later.
1:20 PM: Prepare the pork. Turn the oven down to 375°F. Take the pork from the refrigerator while you gather the roasting pan, thermometer, and remaining ingredients, keeping its time out of the refrigerator brief. Pat the pork dry, gently bloom the Escape to Blue Ridge in olive oil, and coat the roast. Set the glaze out, ready to warm.
1:40 PM: The pork goes into the oven. A 2½ to 3 lb boneless loin may take 60 to 85 minutes, but its thickness matters more than its weight, so trust an instant-read thermometer over the clock. Start checking after 50 to 60 minutes. Warm the glaze, set aside a portion for serving, and brush the rest on during the later part of roasting. Your target is 145°F in the thickest part, followed by at least 3 minutes of rest.
2:30 PM: Organize the stovetop. Peel and cut the potatoes if you haven't already and put them in a pot of cold water. Set out the ingredients for the green beans and mashed potatoes, toast the almonds if you haven't yet, and make sure your serving dishes are ready.
2:45 PM: Start the potatoes. Bring the pot to a boil, which takes 10 to 15 minutes for 3 pounds of potatoes, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until fork-tender. Keep an eye on the pork while they cook.
3:15 PM: Check the pork. Once it reaches 145°F, move it to a cutting board and tent it loosely with foil. If it finished earlier, don't worry: a tented roast holds its heat well, and serving it well within two hours of cooking keeps it safe. If it needs more time, leave it in and shift the remaining steps, since the vegetables and biscuits can be reheated later.
3:25 PM: Mash the potatoes. Drain the potatoes and let the excess moisture steam off. Warm the butter gently with the Viking Salt, add the milk, and mash. Cover the pot and keep the potatoes warm until serving.
3:30 PM: Reheat the carrots and finish the green beans. With the pork out of the oven, raise the temperature to 400°F. Move the carrots to an oven-safe dish and reheat them until hot throughout; cooked and chilled vegetables should reach 165°F. Meanwhile, blanch the green beans if you didn't do it the day before. Warm the olive oil and butter with the La Spezia, toss in the beans until hot, and finish with lemon juice, zest, and toasted almonds.
3:40 PM: The final kitchen check. The mashed potatoes should be finished and warm, the green beans ready or nearly ready, and the carrots reheating. Fill the deviled eggs if you stored them separately, arrange them on their platter, and return them to the refrigerator until guests are ready. Taste the warm dishes and make any final seasoning adjustments.
3:45 PM: Warm the biscuit bites. Slide the biscuits into the oven for 5 to 8 minutes, until warmed through. If there's room, they can share the oven with the carrots. Move the finished vegetables to their serving dishes.
3:50 PM: Slice, plate, and gather. Slice the pork across the grain, arrange it on a platter, and spoon some of the warmed reserved glaze over the slices. Bring the mashed potatoes, carrots, and green beans to the table, pile the biscuits into a lined basket, and bring out the deviled eggs. Then take a moment to look at what you've accomplished.
4:00 PM: Dinner is served. One oven, six dishes, and a holiday meal made with a little planning, a few good seasonings, and no need to spend the whole day racing around the kitchen.
A note about timing: Ovens and roasts vary, so treat this schedule as a guide, not a guarantee. The pork's safe internal temperature always takes priority over the clock. Keep hot foods at 140°F or above while holding, refrigerate cold foods promptly, and don't leave perishable dishes at room temperature for more than two hours.
Four Rules for a Calmer Holiday Kitchen
1. Protect your oven time. The pork roast is the one dish that needs the most attention to timing and temperature; everything else can be made ahead or finished on the stovetop. When you plan a holiday meal, work backward from the main course and give it the oven space it needs.
2. Don't make everything at the last minute. By the time the pork goes into the oven, the deviled eggs are already prepared, the biscuits are baked, and the carrots are roasted. Much of your work is already behind you. That isn't taking shortcuts. That's good kitchen management.
3. Remember that flavor develops over time. Some dishes benefit from resting. The Viking Salt in the deviled eggs has time to spread through the filling, the pork glaze can be made a day ahead, and dried herbs often become more integrated as they absorb moisture. Understanding how ingredients behave is just as important as knowing how much to use.
4. Give yourself permission to be flexible. Maybe the pork needs another 10 minutes, the potatoes take a little longer, or your guests arrive early. That's all right. Put out the deviled eggs, offer everyone something to drink, and let the gathering begin. The people around your table are not there to inspect your cooking schedule. They're there to share a meal with you.
From the Spicekeeper's Journal: The Holiday Table Is About More Than Food
One of the things I love most about studying food history is discovering how much we have in common with cooks who lived hundreds of years before us. Their kitchens looked different, their equipment was different, and their ingredients depended on where they lived, what they could afford, and what the season offered.
But they still planned meals and prepared food for celebrations. They still tried to make something special for the people who mattered to them, and they still had to figure out how to get everything ready at about the same time.
The holiday table has never really been about perfection. It's about hospitality: family recipes, new traditions, laughter, and the foods we remember long after the dishes are washed. So whether you prepare every recipe in this collection or simply try a new seasoning on your favorite side dish, I hope you find something here that makes your holiday cooking a little easier and a lot more interesting. Because the right blend changes everything.
Michel McNeese
Owner, Oak City Spice Blends Medieval Food Historian
Where history meets your kitchen. www.oakcityspiceblends.com
Food safety figures checked against the USDA FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.
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