If you like to cook as much as I do, the holidays can either be incredibly fun — or not. It all depends on how much you’ve got going on this time of the year.
I personally enjoy reading or flipping through cookbooks. It’s about technique, education and experimentation for me. I have come up with some great recipes in the past 10 to 15 years, but I can’t deny that influences come from here, there and everywhere. I usually look at recipes from my favorite chefs and wind up taking elements from all of them and make my own version of whatever it is I am getting ready to Eat and Like.
That said, we are going on tour. A tour of what, you ask? A culinary holiday tour of Savannah.
Beginning on Dec. 3, we are taking you through the 12 days of Christmas in Savannah. Twelve different chefs, 12 different holiday recipes from 12 different restaurants in the area. Cocktails to cookies, side dishes and entrees — all from this area’s best chefs and culinary talents. For two and a half weeks, we will provide you one recipe per day at eatitandlikeit.com, and introduce you to the folks who make it at SavannahNow.com, just to give you some tips on some holiday favorites or some new ideas for dishes you’ve never made before. We will even offer something for vegetarians.
A lot of us will do some holiday entertaining at one point or another, so this could be your chance to serve something from the best menus in town. Look for it every day from Dec. 3-18. Only at eatitandlikeit.com and SavannahNow.com.
QUICK BITES
• We know Danny Glover and Richard Dreyfuss are in town for a few weeks shooting a movie, “Killing Winston Jones.” Well, Mr. Glover stopped in over the weekend at Sisters of the New South on Skidaway Road.
• Something to do this holiday season that is a definite treat: I had the pleasure of judging the gingerbread contest at the Westin Savannah Harbor last week. Winners were announced Saturday. Such amazing, amazing works. They will be on display through New Year’s, so I strongly recommend a cup of hot chocolate and a stroll through the Westin lobby. Just hop the ferry from River Street. They are incredible.
• Big congratulations to Leopold’s Ice Cream and Savannah for being named “Best Ice Cream City in America” by Travel + Leisure Magazine. But then, we already knew that, right?
• Oh, and almost forgot ... go, Dawgs! Beat ‘Bama! Beat Notre Dame!
Jesse Blanco is a local news anchor at WTGS and host of the Emmy-nominated “Eat It and Like It,” Savannah’s only TV show dedicated to its culinary scene. Visit him at www.eatitandlikeit.com or email jesse@eatitandlikeit.com.