{"id":87163,"date":"2025-12-14T00:05:08","date_gmt":"2025-12-14T00:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/87163\/"},"modified":"2025-12-14T00:05:08","modified_gmt":"2025-12-14T00:05:08","slug":"recipes-wines-and-hosting-tips","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/87163\/","title":{"rendered":"Recipes, wines, and hosting tips"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whether you\u2019re hosting a holiday gathering or looking for the perfect takeout options, Eat Like a Local<\/a> has you covered. Join Chris Shepherd for an \u201cEat Like a Local\u201d holiday special airing on KPRC 2 and KPRC 2+<\/a> tonight at 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Discover how to build the perfect charcuterie board, whip up crowd-pleasing batch cocktails, and choose wines that will impress your guests \u2014 all with expert advice from Houston\u2019s top culinary insiders.<\/p>\n

Charcuterie 101CHARCUTERIE 101 (Montrose Cheese & Wine)<\/p>\n

To help you build the perfect charcuterie board this holiday season, Shannon McCracken, general manager and cheese buyer at Montrose Cheese & Wine, shares her expert tips.<\/p>\n

Pick 3 or 5 cheeses with a mix of textures and flavors.<\/p>\n

Choose 4 oz of each cheese for every 3-4 guests.<\/p>\n

Choose cheese first, then 2-3 meats to include on the board along with a seasonal selection of grapes\/apples\/pear and nuts (optional).<\/p>\n

Local honey or fig jam are great options for spreads on any board.<\/p>\n

Consider your guests dietary restrictions. Boards can be made to suit vegetarian and Kosher needs – just ask your cheese monger!<\/p>\n

Cocktail recipes<\/p>\n

We sat down with Justin Ware, operations director at Winnie\u2019s, Johnny\u2019s Gold Brick, and Starduster Lounge who shared two festive batch cocktail recipes perfect for the holidays. Get ready to impress your guests with his Jingle Balls Nog and Rudolph\u2019s Red Nose, plus expert tips on making cocktails in larger batches.<\/p>\n

Rudolph\u2019s Red Nose (1 cocktail) <\/p>\n

1oz apple jack <\/p>\n

1oz white rum <\/p>\n

1oz lemon <\/p>\n

.75oz orange tea syrup* <\/p>\n

.75oz apple cider <\/p>\n

1.5oz water <\/p>\n

Yield 6 fl oz <\/p>\n

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least one hour before service <\/p>\n

Garnish With Apple Fan <\/p>\n

Rudolph\u2019s Red Nose (5 cocktails) <\/p>\n

5oz apple jack <\/p>\n

5oz white rum <\/p>\n

5oz lemon <\/p>\n

3.75oz orange tea syrup* <\/p>\n

3.75oz apple cider <\/p>\n

7.5oz water <\/p>\n

Yield 30 fl oz <\/p>\n

Combine all ingredients and chill for at least one hour before service <\/p>\n

Garnish With Apple Fan <\/p>\n

Orange Tea syrup* <\/p>\n

4 cups White sugar <\/p>\n

2 cups water <\/p>\n

4 tea bags <\/p>\n

Yield 1 Quart <\/p>\n

Combine all ingredients in a pot larger the 1 quart and bring to a boil while stirring. Immediately after boiling turn off heat and allow to steep for up to 5 minutes. Strain the syrup through a coffee filter while hot. Carefully press the tea bags to extract as much tea as possible. Cool and use within 1 month if stored in a refrigerator. <\/p>\n

Jingle Balls Nog (1 cocktail) <\/p>\n

2 fl oz Almond milk <\/p>\n

1.5 fl oz Heavy Cream <\/p>\n

1 whole Egg <\/p>\n

.75 fl oz Cream Sherry <\/p>\n

.5 fl oz Cognac <\/p>\n

6 Teaspoons white sugar <\/p>\n

\u215b Teaspoon Vanilla Extract <\/p>\n

\u215b Teaspoon Almond Extract <\/p>\n

\u215b Teaspoon Fresh Grated Nutmeg <\/p>\n

Yield 8 fl oz <\/p>\n

Combine all ingredients and blend slowly and working your way to high until sugar is dissolved. 45 seconds to 1 minute. Chill well. Stir or shake the container well before serving to mix <\/p>\n

Garnish with fresh Nutmeg. <\/p>\n

Jingle Balls Nog (32 fl oz or about 5 cocktails) <\/p>\n

8 fl oz Almond Milk <\/p>\n

6 fl oz Heavy Cream <\/p>\n

4 whole Egg <\/p>\n

3 fl oz Cream Sherry <\/p>\n

2 fl oz Cognac <\/p>\n

\u00bd cup white sugar <\/p>\n

\u00bd Teaspoon Vanilla Extract <\/p>\n

\u00bd Teaspoon Almond Extract <\/p>\n

\u00bd Teaspoon Fresh Grated Nutmeg <\/p>\n

Yield 32 fl oz <\/p>\n

Combine all ingredients and blend slowly — working your way to high until sugar is dissolved. 45 seconds to 1 minute. Chill well. Stir or shake the container well before serving to mix <\/p>\n

Garnish with fresh Nutmeg. <\/p>\n

Wine ListHouston Wine Merchant (Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.)<\/p>\n

These are all available from the Houston Wine Merchant<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Giuseppe Quintarelli ca\u2019 del merlo 2018<\/p>\n

Alex Foillard Brouilly 2018<\/p>\n

North Valley Vineyards Chardonnay 2022<\/p>\n

Domaine Vacheron Sancerre 2022 Magnum<\/p>\n

Moulin Touchai 1996<\/p>\n

Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose<\/p>\n

Ch\u00eane Bleu Rose 2023<\/p>\n

Hirsch Vineyards West Ridge Pinot Noir 2022<\/p>\n

Thomas Fogarty Cabernet Sauvignon 2015<\/p>\n

Heirtz Vineyards Martha\u2019s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2017<\/p>\n

Holiday menu timeline<\/p>\n

To help your holiday season run smoothly, we asked our resident expert, Chris Shepherd, to share his top tips for stress-free celebrations.<\/p>\n

Make a timeline. Lay it out day by day \u2014 prep lists, shopping lists, everything.<\/p>\n

Write your menu and decide on drinks – consider cocktails, mocktails and wine. <\/p>\n

Coordinate with your guests. Find out now who\u2019s bringing what, so you don\u2019t double up.<\/p>\n

Make it easy – place an order (before the event!). Cook what you want and lean on local shops and restaurants for the rest. It\u2019s a great time to try something new!<\/p>\n

Enjoy the day! Go with the flow. Plans are great \u2014 but don\u2019t freak out if you have to change them. Hosting is busy, but it should also be fun.<\/p>\n

Hosting tips<\/p>\n

Hosting can be a breeze with the right approach\u2014here are expert tips from Elliot Wood, general manager of Credence, to make your next party unforgettable.<\/p>\n

Instead of creating a general experience that suits everyone, consider incorporating your guests\u2019 specific interests. Ex.: surprise them with a special wine or dessert you know they love.<\/p>\n

Be present. Don\u2019t get so caught up in hosting that you don\u2019t have time to spend one-on-one with your guests. Plan ahead so the tasks of hosting don\u2019t consume you.<\/p>\n

End with a surprise. It could be a fun drink or sentimental dessert, but end the party with something your guests will remember. <\/p>\n

If wrapping up the night is tricky, plan a \u2018next stop\u2019 for your guests. Make a reservation at a local bar or an event that your guests can attend when the party is over. This brings the night to a close with a sense of excitement.<\/p>\n

Desserts!<\/p>\n

Bananas Foster Recipe<\/p>\n

2 bananas, sliced lengthwise<\/p>\n

3 tablespoons rum<\/p>\n

\u00bd cup light brown sugar <\/p>\n

\u00bc teaspoon ground cinnamon<\/p>\n

Vanilla ice cream<\/p>\n

Instructions:<\/p>\n

Preheat the skillet over medium-high heat. <\/p>\n

Add butter, sugar and half of the rum. <\/p>\n

Stir until butter is melted and sugar is dissolved.<\/p>\n

Add bananas. Saut\u00e9 about 1 minute, or until bananas start to soften.<\/p>\n

Carefully tilt the pan toward you to get top half of pan hot but not too hot, then remove the pan from the heat. <\/p>\n

Pour the remaining rum over the bananas. Tilt the pan toward the flame CAREFULLY to ignite rum.<\/p>\n

Sprinkle cinnamon over the flame. <\/p>\n

When flames die out, remove from the heat. <\/p>\n

Serve bananas and sauce over ice cream.<\/p>\n

Pie guide<\/p>\n

Cleburne Cafeteria – Cherry Pie; Coconut Ice Box Pie<\/p>\n

Fluff Bake Bar – Chocolate peppermint pie; egg nog cream pie<\/p>\n

House of Pies – Bayou Goo Pie; Dutch Apple Pie<\/p>\n

Nobie\u2019s – Black Bottom Coconut Pie; Cinnamon Toast Crunch Pie<\/p>\n

Proud Pie – Wobbly Turtle Pie; Big Texas Bourbon Pecan Pie<\/p>\n

Gift guide<\/p>\n

Wine Lover: Coravin<\/p>\n

Home Cook: Meater 2; Cook Like a Local Cookbook; Pepper Cannon 44 Farms Gift Packs, Kunz Spoon, <\/p>\n

Sweets & Treats: Brennan\u2019s Pralines; Suzie\u2019s Pastry Shoppe; Raja Sweets, Three Brothers Bakery<\/p>\n

Dining out on Christmas 2025<\/p>\n

If cooking isn\u2019t on your Christmas to-do list this year, don\u2019t worry \u2014there are plenty of dining options available in Houston for Christmas 2025. Whether you want to enjoy a meal out, pick up takeout, or take advantage of holiday specials<\/a>, many restaurants will be open on Christmas Eve<\/a> and even on Christmas Day<\/a>. From festive holiday menus to convenient takeout deals, this guide covers where to find delicious meals without the stress of cooking at home.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s a closer look at some of the restaurants and businesses featured in this article: <\/p>\n

Season 3 of \u201cEat Like a Local\u201d<\/p>\n

Copyright 2025 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Whether you\u2019re hosting a holiday gathering or looking for the perfect takeout options, Eat Like a Local has…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":87164,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[9044,7748,39598,41640,9043,41641,49,41639,56,58,57,27183],"class_list":{"0":"post-87163","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-houston","8":"tag-chris-shepherd","9":"tag-christmas","10":"tag-christmas-eve","11":"tag-christmas-recipes","12":"tag-eat-like-a-local","13":"tag-eat-like-a-local-with-chris-shepherd","14":"tag-food","15":"tag-hosting-tips","16":"tag-houston","17":"tag-houston-headlines","18":"tag-houston-news","19":"tag-recipes"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87163","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=87163"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/87163\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/87164"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=87163"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=87163"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=87163"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}