There are many reasons to love the holiday season. For me, my priorities have changed over the years. As a kid, I lived for opening presents on Christmas morning. As an adult, I looked forward to spending time with friends and family (and I still do).

In my holidays spent in NYC, where I am far away from most of my family, my main focus has been about comfort. Despite my busy work schedule and my generally crazy life, I am still blessed enough to spend the holiday with a few loved ones and so I’ve taken to creating traditions with them…all focused on creating comfort. One of these traditions is cooking “Christmas Caldereta” which is a Filipino beef stew. Not only is it festively colored in red and green, it is also a heartwarming fill-your-soul-with-goodness kind of dish. It comforts me when I am away from home and missing the people and culture that I love.

My recipe is a family secret (the best recipes always are). Maybe someday I will share it. Until then, I suggest searching the internet for Filipino caldereta and going for whichever recipe uses your favorite ingredients, meats, and vegetables. If you are a typical New Yorker and can’t fathom doing all that work (I hear ya), head over to Gramercy Park and order it at Grill 21 (shown as “Kaldereta” on their menu).

Merry Christmas — I hope you are able to spend your holidays in comfort, surrounded by love, laughter, and joy!