Episode 168: A Chef's Christmas

For this year's holiday show, we'll hear how a chef celebrates at home with his family. Our guest is Alfred Portale, chef and co-owner of New York City's Gotham Bar and Brill. Chef Portale loves Christmas but, like all of us, his life is crammed with work, family, and travel. He tells us how he's rethought the Christmas feast he prepares for his wife and daughters, and shares his recipe for Roast Cod with Savoy Cabbage, White Beans, and Black Trufflefrom his new book, Alfred Portale's 12 Seasons Cookbook.

Jane and Michael Stern are eating a Danish pastry unknown in Denmark and unique to Racine, Wisconsin. The gadget-obsessed Dorie Greenspan reports on kitchen scales, the perfect last-minute gift for the serious cook. The one and only Julia Child, whose latest book is Julia's Kitchen Wisdom, joins us by phone with her top picks from this year's crop of new cookbooks. You'll want to try Julia's recipe for Savory Cheese Soufflé. We think it would make a splendid dish for a holiday brunch. In the second half of the show, Lynne takes your calls, reveals her Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese sources, and leaves us with a recipe for Charles Dickens Hot Punch.

Broadcast dates for this episode:

• December 23, 2000