Christmas Around My Southern Table

Indulgent. Decadent. Luxurious. Lavish in taste and presentation.

Christmas arrives first in the scent of something baking.

Thanks for stopping by our special place that celebrates connection, hope, creativity, and resilience. The South Carolina Lowcountry is my center of gravity, where stories jump out at the least expected moments. It’s where we gather as a community of creatives to tell stories and gather ‘round our collective love for the power of story, good food, and fellowship. Step in, sit a spell, and make yourself at home. We’re glad you’re here.

Before the lights are strung or the tree is trimmed, before the ribbons are tied and the carols begin, there is butter softening on the counter, cinnamon warming in a pan, and a house slowly filling with memory. Every Christmas I have ever loved begins in the kitchen.

Cranberry Ricotta Cake

This little collection of recipes is more than a gathering of holiday dishes—it is a gathering of years. Of porches wrapped in cedar and pine, of flour on old wooden boards, of hands passing down not just instructions, but stories. These are the recipes that appeared faithfully year after year, the ones we cooked without needing to look at the page, the ones that made the season feel like home.

Some are joyful and grand. Others are humble and quiet. But each one carries the same offering: connection. A way of saying, I remember. I love you. Come sit with me.

Christmas food, especially in the South, is never only about what is served. It is about who gathers. It is about the empty chairs we still set by memory, and the new ones we pull up for those just finding their way into our story. It is about nourishment of every kind. Share your story or your recipe, but if not, I’m just glad you’re here.

You will find in these pages the flavors of long tables and late nights, of children slipping in for “just one more cookie,” of coffee poured in the early morning dark while the house is still quiet and full of waiting. You will find dishes meant for sharing, for gifting, for lingering over when the world outside finally slows.

I hope that these recipes become part of your own Christmas story. That they find their way into your kitchens and your traditions.

That they remind you—as they remind me—that the truest magic of the season is not wrapped in paper or ribbon, but in hands working together and hearts gathered close.

From my kitchen favorites to yours—Merry Christmas.

From our online cookbook, Tides of Tradition, a “thank you” to our paid subscribers. Join now and never miss a story or a recipe.

These apple galettes are so simple to make. Be sure to save an extra one or two for friends who drop by or when you want to put your feet up and enjoy a cozy afternoon by the fire.