Holiday recipe collection

Smoked salmon with Irish brown soda bread, mixed greens, capers, and cherry tomatoes. A classic appetizer plate served with lemon, butter, and a drizzle of good olive oil.

Nothing is better than the traditional eggnog, which can entertain guests or keep you warm during the holidays.

Christmas stollen with raisins, almonds, walnuts, lemon and orange zest in a buttery yeast dough, frosted with powdered sugar glaze. Make two to three days ahead for best flavor.

Spanish pan con tomate with Serrano ham slow-roasts plum tomatoes for a sweet, garlicky spread piled onto toasted baguette and topped with thin slices of jamón. A classic tapas party platter.

Vegan Spanish rice made with brown rice, stewed tomatoes, garlic, green pepper, celery, and warm spices. Oil-free and full of flavor, sauteed in vinegar and water instead of oil.

Spells & Bells are festive Christmas cookies cut into holiday shapes and deep fried until golden and puffed, then served plain, sugared or glazed. A cream-rich fried dough that's crisp outside and tender within.

Spiced Christmas ornaments mix cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, and cloves with applesauce into a fragrant no-bake dough rolled and cut into holiday shapes. A homemade craft that scents the tree for years.

Spiced gingerbread with cinnamon, mace and nutmeg, brightened with orange zest and brandy, studded with raisins. A moist, dense holiday loaf perfect for Christmas tea trays.

Timen Ajami spiced meat skillet with ground beef or lamb, allspice, Madras curry powder, rosewater, dried currants, and chopped almonds. A fragrant Middle Eastern one-pan dish ready in 45 minutes.

Spiced olives are the easiest homemade Moroccan-style appetizer: drained olives tossed with your favorite spice blend and left to marinate overnight. Transforms ordinary olives into something bar-worthy.

Spiced shrimp with broiled polenta stacks lemon-sage shrimp onto crisp-broiled polenta rounds, finished with crumbled prosciutto. An elegant, quick New Year's Eve appetizer or small-plate main.

Vegan spiced sweet potato pie with cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg, topped with walnuts. Dairy-free Thanksgiving pie that uses white miso for savory depth and cornstarch for clean slices.

Cinnamon applesauce Christmas ornaments: scented dough ornaments made from cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, ginger, and applesauce. Not edible, but they smell like Christmas for months.

Cinnamon-spiced cranberry sauce made with whole cranberries, sugar and a cinnamon stick. Just four pantry ingredients and 20 minutes for a holiday side that beats anything in a can.

Halloween spider cake made from two bowl-shaped cakes filled with green Jello, frosted black with licorice legs and gumdrop eyes. Oozes green goop when sliced.

Halloween chocolate spider treats made with melted chocolate chips, crunchy chow mein noodles, and M&M eyes. Three-ingredient no-bake party snack kids can make themselves.