Gluten Free

Theobroma cacao, the botanical name meaning “food from the gods,” captures the magnificent essence of the cacao bean. It’s the perfect way to start the journey through the sweets of Mexico because it is also considered one of the most important contributions from the land to the world. Cacao was consumed by the Olmecas as early as 1500 B.C.E. Mayan priests used it for religious rituals, mixing it with chiles, vanilla, and honey. The Mexica indians consumed it hot or cold and mixed it with ground corn, vanilla (the orchid and the bean), magnolia flowers, achiote, allspice, or honey, and used the bean as currency. It was (and continues to be) energetically beaten with a molinillo, poured from up high so it is foamy, and often taken in ceramic cups or jícaras (gourd bowls). In Mesoamerica, the fruit of the cacao symbolized the human heart, and the ground toasted bean symbolized the blood. Moctezuma Xocoyotzin offered the first chocolate beverage to Hernán Cortés. Cortés sent cacao to Europe as a tribute to Spain, explaining the different uses and the importance it had in Tenochtitlan; it quickly became the preferred beverage of the king. In Mexico, chocolate remains an ingredient used primarily in beverages. Its importance has lasted many centuries, and there are many different kinds of chocolate mixtures. Many places preserve the tradition of slowly toasting the beans on a comal, peeling them (an atole is sometimes made from the shells), and grinding them by hand over a warm molinillo; others go to a community mill. Either way, most mix it with sugar and cinnamon (the cinnamon is also toasted and ground, in most cases). Then tablets or balls are formed from this granular mixture and left to dry in the shade. The ones with almonds, vanilla, and/or spices are usually reserved for special occasions. I wanted to make my own in a modern kitchen using a food processor because much of the hot chocolate that is exported doesn’t have almonds and uses artificial flavoring (luckily, though, a couple of really good brands are becoming more available); I was very happy with the results. You can make the hot chocolate with water or milk and use a whisk if you don’t have a molinillo, but make sure it is really frothy and hot when you drink it.

Sometimes the best gift in the world on Christmas is to serve your children one of their favorite dishes. And, boy oh boy, does Spenser love cheesy potatoes! Warning: this recipe is extremely addictive. We use smoked paprika to add a hearty smokiness that’s like nothing else out there.

This dish is the king of all veggies. Turnip greens, kale, Swiss chard, and mustard greens all join forces in a hearty, healthy side dish. Putting them all together may go against your style, but, trust us, the combo is surprisingly delicious. (Just ask the girls; they were skeptical at first, too.) As you know, we can all use more veggies!

PAT We all love carrots in this household, but no one more than Gina. Adding the maple syrup brings out their natural sweetness, giving some sugar for my sugar. (Maybe she’ll let me steal some back later on!)

Our girls are huge lovers of green beans, so they are a must-have on the menu. (We try to accommodate everyone in some way or another.) Of course, the smokiness of the pig doesn’t hurt, either

GINA Outside of England, I know it may seem out of the ordinary to have prime rib, but after having so much ham or turkey, we like to mix it up a little bit—and Pat loves a juicy steak. That’s one thing that’s nice about the Neely household: you can expect the unexpected. I remember, the first time we served it, everybody was shocked and talked about how it looked so pretty, they didn’t want to slice into it. But if you know my brother Ronnie and Pat’s brother Mark, that thought about not slicing the roast didn’t last very long. And tasting this ruby port sauce is almost as fabulous as opening that present you’ve been hinting at all season.

Just a hint of chocolate at the end of the party completes the evening—and these taste fabulous with the Bellinis. Run your hands under cold water (and dry well each time) while you’re rolling the truffles into balls to prevent the chocolate from melting in your hands (and ruining your manicure . . . ).

GINA Kale is my newest and most charming friend. It’s in the green-veggie family, but is often overlooked. Boy, are you guys missing out on this one. Preparing it is very easy: all you do is chop some garlic, sauté it in some olive oil with red-pepper flakes for a kick, add in some salt, pepper, and broth, and steam. Now, we all can use an easy dish to prepare on such a busy day . . . so I gift you with this one.

The key word here is “Gouda”: it takes your mashed potatoes right to the VIP list. This way, please!

GINA Fried turkey was and is very big in the South. I watched Mama Callie make it many a time, and I was always thinking she was going to burn herself or the house down! She’d rub the spice mixture all over the turkey and into the cavity. (Hmm . . . I always thought Pat was the first spice-rub master, but maybe not.) When you fry a turkey, you are sealing all those herb flavors and juices right in. You also get outrageously crispy skin. Pat likes to fry with peanut oil, because of its high smoke temperature and great flavor. Try it; it’s easier than you think (see note), and leaves your oven free for all your side dishes!

Corn on a stick? Did somebody say big-kid treat? Don’t forget the mayo: you’ll need to make the chile powder and cayenne stick. No grill? No worries, you can go the old-school route with a hot cast-iron skillet.

The great thing about this glaze is that it can be used for any grilled meat. You can brush it onto pork chops, chicken, ribs—anything you feel like grilling on game day!

PAT Most people will serve chicken for tailgates, but you know we like to shake it up a bit, so we serve turkey legs—or “Fred Flintstone bones,” as I like to call them. To give ours a kick, we let them marinate overnight in buttermilk, hot sauce, lemon, onion, and garlic. Then we take them out the next day, let the excess drip off, brush on the olive oil, and throw them on the grill. Folks will be asking for these so fast, you may never get to your business with the glaze.

Fall is a perfect time to try this bisque. The healthy and delicious sweet potato, which certainly represents the season in our home, is one of the stars of the soup. And if you’ve got leftover pumpkin flesh after carving your decorations, you can always substitute that for the canned purée. Using chicken broth instead of water gives this thick soup a rich-tasting down-home flair.

Everybody likes something to munch on for extra energy, or to accompany that glass of wine earned by a day of unpacking! You may think you’ll never find ancho-chile powder, but McCormick packages it, and it is readily available at most grocery stores. It’s really important to keep the heat on low in this recipe, because the nuts and spices are inclined to get too brown.

Assure your neighbors that they won’t have to dig out the grill immediately to slap this dry rub on steaks (although you wouldn’t mind if they did!). The mixture can be kept in a clean, airtight jar for up to 3 months.

This is a great mix of pretzel sticks, smoked almonds, and sesame sticks. Melting the butter and adding it to the mix helps the savory-sweet-spicy seasonings stick together. (And that little hint of cayenne will keep them awake!) Bag these up so that they can be taken to class for a power snack.