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Holidays

Chicago's Delightful Pastries Makes 40,000 Pączki This Time of Year. Take a Look Behind the Scenes

Kathleen Hinkel

Photographer Kathleen Hinkel visited Delightful Pastries on Lawrence Avenue in Jefferson Park to get a behind-the-scenes look at the colorful preparation that goes into creating thousands of pączki in the days leading up to Lent. 

King Cake Isn't the Only Special Dessert for this Season. Discover Its Relatives, Which You Can Try in Chicago

Daniel Hautzinger

New Orleans' popular Carnival dessert king cake descends from sweet European treats associated with Epiphany, on January 6. And it has a cousin in the Mexican rosca de reyes. 

A Ukrainian Cider Recipe for the Holidays from a Respected Chicago Chef

Daniel Hautzinger

Uzvar is a cider of dried fruits and nuts typically served around the holidays in Ukraine. Chef Johnny Clark, who recently opened a Ukrainian restaurant and named it after his grandma, Anelya, shared a recipe for the warming drink.

Cooking Shows to Help You Through the Holidays

Daniel Hautzinger

We've got plenty of holiday specials from food shows, as well as some shows that just have great recipes for the holidays, for you to stream this holiday season.

A Puerto Rican Holiday Bread Pudding You Can Make with Your Kids

Daniel Hautzinger

In Puerto Rico, budín de pan or bread pudding is typically served during Nochebuena or Christmas Eve. This recipe from PBS KIDS' Jessica Martinez is adapted from her grandmother, who took out the traditional raisins in favor of making the budín like a pineapple upside-down cake.

A Kid-Friendly Fruitcake Recipe

Daniel Hautzinger

Fruitcake may be a polarizing holiday dish, but if you make it fresh at home with your children, it can become a memorable new tradition – and it's easily customizable in terms of what fruit and nuts you include in it.

Celebrate the Holidays with WTTW's Festive Programming

Daniel Hautzinger

Cozy up with family and friends and enjoy our line-up of holiday programming as the nights get shorter and the holidays approach.

Milk Street’s Culinary Director Talks New Cookbook and Thanksgiving Tips for Overwhelmed Holiday Cooks

Daniel Hautzinger

Thanksgiving is Wes Martin's favorite holiday, and he has some useful tips for harried home cooks. He also talks about the new cookbook Milk Street Simple.

Brighten Your Holiday Season with These Light Shows Around Chicago

Meredith Francis

Lighten up! The holidays are almost here. Many of the Chicago area’s holiday light festivals kick off in mid-November and run through early January.

A Mexican Matzo Ball Soup from Pati Jinich

Daniel Hautzinger

With Hispanic Heritage Month, Mexican Independence Day, Rosh Hashanah, and the premiere of a new season of Pati's Mexican Table, it's the perfect time to try Pati Jinich's matzo ball soup with Mexican flavors, adapted from her grandmother.

Chicago's Thattu Hosts a Hands-on South Indian Feast Celebrating the Harvest

Daniel Hautzinger

Onam is a harvest festival traditionally celebrated with a vegetarian feast known as sadya in the south Indian state of Kerala. Avondale's Thattu serves Keralite food, and hosts a sadya. “People are not aware of the diversity of Indian cuisine,” says the owner.

The 2023 Performers of 'A Capitol Fourth'

Daniel Hautzinger

Meet the performers of the 43rd iteration of PBS's broadcast of the Independence Day celebrations, songs, and fireworks from the West Lawn of the U.S. Capitol.

A Recipe for Orange Cranberry Soda Bread with White Chocolate Chunks

Daniel Hautzinger

Celebrate St. Patrick's Day with the simple but utterly worthwhile soda bread, in a version from Christopher Kimball's Milk Street that is brightened by orange and dried cranberries and slightly sweetened by white chocolate chunks. 

Semlor, King Cake, and Pancakes: Indulgent Treats to Enjoy on Fat Tuesday That Aren't Pączki

Daniel Hautzinger

Fat Tuesday may now be unofficially known as Pączki Day in Chicago, but there are plenty of other treats to enjoy on a day when Christians traditionally used up fat and meat before entering a period of fasting. 

Chinatown's First Cocktail Bar Celebrates Lunar New Year with Cocktail Versions of Asian Food

Daniel Hautzinger

Nine Bar is celebrating Lunar New Year with cocktails inspired by Asian dishes like fried sesame balls and tom kha kai, along with food from acclaimed Filipino restaurant Kasama. The bar was born out of pop-ups that orginally began as Lunar New Year's celebrations.
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