What is your favorite Christmas dinner tradition?
Some wonderful-looking Chinese food, Hunan beef and chicken.
Malou Knapp, 80, Retired
I’m Venezuelan, and we make hallacas.They’re wrapped in banana leaves instead of corn husks. It’s a dough filled with beef stew that you spend a day making. We put peppers and raisins and an almond. So good!
Maria Isabel Alvarez, 28, Founder & CEO, Leaf and Vine on Pacific Avenue
Our son Charlie was born on Christmas, so he picks the meal every year. It’s kind of stress-free for us. The first year it was Cheetos and Mac and Cheese. This year he turns 20, and it’s going to be carbonara and burrata bruschetta and ube flan.
Athena Taylor, 38, Team Leader
I look forward to making tamales. Sometimes we make a pot roast, and with the leftovers we make tamales. I make a chipotle and guajillo chile sauce, fresh, and it’s great.
Creo Manrique, 32, Barista at Cat and Cloud, Abbott Square.
My mom makes little thin Italian breadsticks, wrapped in bacon, and then covered in brown sugar. And then you bake it. It’s delicious!
Clay Powell, 32, Operations Supervisor, Leaf and Vine on Pacific Avenue
We try to make tamales every year for Christmas. We make chicken and pork, and then cheese with jalapeno strips, which is called rajas. Sometimes we make sweet ones made with pineapple or strawberry batter.
Carlos Guerrero, 25, Sutter Health
