Winter 2023 | Cover Story

All is Merry and Bright

Delicious holiday celebration ideas bring family and friends together in jovial delight.

written by Heidi Bethel
photo by Jen Schmidt

’Tis the season for holiday cheer and gatherings galore! This year, perhaps a few updated takes on those age-old traditions are due. As festive table runners and centerpieces are placed, consider the awe you’ll inspire by presenting a beautifully prepared goose or duck in place of the tried-and-true stuffed turkey. Heirloom beans and creative sides give new life to accompaniments enjoyed by all. Try pumpkin a different way and show off some skills in the baking department with homemade doughnuts.

Take a stroll into Nothing to It! Culinary Center in Reno as it hosts its annual gingerbread-house-decorating classes for children and, new this year, an imaginative ladies’ night out event. Catch up with chef Mark Estee and his culinary team as they prepare for the special Feast of the Seven Fishes at Cucina Lupo in Carson City and Liberty Food & Wine Exchange in Reno, featuring the freshest catches from Sparks’ Sierra Gold Seafood. This traditional Italian-American celebration is sure to be an evening to remember.

Whether you’re looking for an alternative to the same ol’ turkey dinner, a new way to impress at your next potluck, or another tip for your holiday table, the following pages will prove that you can find plenty of ways to enhance your holiday merriment in Reno-Tahoe.

Winter 2023 | Cover Story

Feast of the Seven Fishes

Some holidays are so intimately linked with certain foods that we can’t imagine one without the other. For Mark Estee, CEO of Reno’s Local Food Group, Christmas Eve has always meant oil fondue since he was a child.
Read More .edition-link { color: #F7941D; text-decoration: none; } .edition-link:hover { color: #7B8794; } Winter 2023 | Cover StoryFeast of the Seven Fishes

Winter 2023 | Cover Story

The Mighty Bean

Beans have been the unfortunate victim of bad branding. As a child, it’s likely you heard the little ditty about beans that was, oddly enough, taken from Stephen King’s book The Gunslinger, and went something like this: “Beans, beans, the musical fruit, the more you eat, the more you …” Well, you get the idea.
Read More .edition-link { color: #F7941D; text-decoration: none; } .edition-link:hover { color: #7B8794; } Winter 2023 | Cover StoryThe Mighty Bean

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