Holiday Recipe Contest Will your secret recipe win?

 Coming from a line of Italians, food is the center of family in our house.  Everything revolves around cooking.  When our family gathers for the holidays, each day begins with a shopping trip for fresh groceries – usually multiple stops.  My grandparents stop at a bakery for the bread and pastries, a butcher for the meat and at least two different grocery stores for the right brands at the right price.  Cooking is an affair, and only the best will do for their children and grandchildren.
Once they return home, chilled white wine starts filling up the crystal, and the cold plate serves as an all-day station for hors d’oeuvres: fresh cold cuts, cheese, bread and olives – and dozens of homemade cookies.  Only the cooks are allowed in the kitchen until dinner is served, and the rest of the family gathers around, awaiting the evening’s largest event.
We pass the time watching football, Oscar-nominated movies or, of course, The Godfather.  By the time dinner rolls around, we’ve had our fill of wine and are ready for multiple courses – Aunt Carol’s lasagna on Christmas, two kinds of meat and salad always served last.  We wait at the table for dessert, while our stomachs settle with tea and storytelling.
Food is tradition for most cultures and families.  What does your family eat during the holidays?  Is there a dish everyone looks forward to each year?  Do you do something unusual for your holiday dinners?  Let us know!
Enter the Holiday Recipe contest by sending a photo and recipe for your best family dish to contest@santaclaritamagazine.com by October 31.  Our mouths are watering just thinking about the delicious holiday meals SCV residents enjoy with their families!