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I was having lunch with a friend recently where we were bond-ing over our love of giving homemade preserves during the holidays. “It’s something everyone can appreciate,” the friend said, adding that a jar of apricot spread or a pot of fig jam from a late-summer harvest is a simple and personal gift.
I find the sentiment that food brings us together especially true of holiday food gifts when the creativity that takes place in the kitchen becomes the building blocks that make memories, create traditions, and fuel our connection to others.
Rolling and wrapping caramels to drop into a sleeve. Decorating sugar cookies, then leaving them out for Santa. Slicing a pie after a holiday dinner. I know several people from Puerto Rico who spend a good part of the season bottling coquito to share with friends and coworkers, as well as folks who ship tins of homemade holiday cookies near and far.
In fact, most food gifts can transcend socioeconomic boundaries, age, and culture and serve as little acts of diplomacy. Cherry preserves from Washington, spice blends from the Carolinas, or honey from California are whispers of home that help us express our region’s culture, history, and ethnicities. Gifts like cookbooks, bottles of wine, air fryers, and popcorn makers encourage action—ultimately to create something delicious to share.
Last year former US surgeon general Vivek Murthy visited the Bon Appétit Test Kitchen and discussed his booklet, “Recipes for Connection.” Gathering, he said, is a cure for the loneliness epidemic and a pathway to better understanding. He encouraged us to invite people over to share a meal. It doesn’t have to be fancy. “The cornerstone has always been being together and making food together,” he said. It could even be a few batches of cookies or some preserves that everyone takes home as a gift.
Make Something | Host Something
HOST A BA-STYLE COOKIE SWAP
The Bon Appétit Test Kitchen editors are repping their hometowns with new cookie recipes. Set up a cookie swap with your favorite cookies, using flavors that represent your city. Buy a stack of cookie tins or boxes from a craft store so everyone can customize their dozen.
COOKBOOK POTLUCK
Some of the cookbooks our Test Kitchen editors chose as their favorites of 2025 changed the way they cook at home. Now it’s your turn to share what changed how you cooked this year. Host a potluck and have friends make a dish from their favorite cookbook. You can swap books and recipes at the end.
WINTER WHITE (WINE) PARTY
Whether it’s to accompany a buffet of lamb and root vegetables or a white elephant gift, the slate of complex, velvety white wines are well-suited for a sit-down dinner, to be sipped with raclette or fondue, or alongside a bowl of buttery popcorn.
