Hi! Dena here. The holidays just passed and, if you’re like me, you’re still coming down from the high of continuous Christmas music, family bonding and an exhorbitant amount of food.

We had a fantastic time being surrounded by loved ones, but secretly, our favorite part of the holidays is the food.

For Christmas, we smoked a turkey in our smoker which we rubbed with a bbq seasoning and served it with hickory smoked spiral-cut ham and all the fixings — mashed potatoes, gravy, green bean casserole, cranberry sauce, dinner rolls and various other sides.

So what if my kids had ham and Cheezits? We’ll work on refining their palates next year.

But our favorite holiday meal, hands down, was New Year’s Eve. My husband and I put our kids to bed and sat together at the dining room table to enjoy two amazing steaks, baked potatoes and a bottle of wine.

Michael (that’s my husband) likes a KC Strip, thick and juicy. So that’s what he got. I, on the other hand, must have a T-bone, medium well with Teriyaki sauce. It may sound kind of strange but I love it! We would rather sit at our own table with the steaks we love than go to any restaurant in town.

I mean, what steakhouse is going to have Teriyaki sauce on hand?

The wine? A bottle of White Zinfandel. Yeah, I know. Now you can see where our kids got their love of Cheezits.

We’ll have to be better about branching out and trying other wines that may be better suited.

I’m going to check out the Wine Pairings section on www.KansasCitySteaks.com next time. We need help in that department.

So, how about you? What were your holiday dinners like? Were they traditional like mine? Or did you serve something amazingly original that we need to know about? I’d love to hear about it!

From Renee in California
Mack’s Smoky Lipsmakin’ Steak Rub
Makes enough for 4 steaks

4 T. Seasoned Salt
4 tsp. Finely Ground Bold Coffee
2 tsp. Dark Brown Sugar
½ tsp. Ground Nutmeg

Blend ingredients together and mix well.  Sprinkle
on both sides of 4 steaks, then grill or broil to desired
doneness.

From Michael in California
Turkish Delight Rub for Steaks
Makes enough for 6 Steaks

2 T. Ground Turmeric
2 T. Brown Sugar
2 T. Kosher Salt
1 T. Paprika
1 T. Coriander Seeds
1 T. Cumin Seeds
1 T. Fennel Seeds
1 T. Red Cayenne Pepper
1 T. Granulated Garlic
1 T. Granulated Onion
1 T. Ground Dried Thyme
1 tsp. Black Pepper

Toast the coriander, cumin, fennel and sesame seeds in a
small, heavy skillet over medium-high heat for about 1 minute.
Shake the pan as the seeds toast to avoid burning.  Remove
the toasted seeds from the skillet and allow to cool.  When
they’ve cooled, grind seeds together in a spice mill or food
processor until well blended.  Mix ground seeds together
with the remaining ingredients; blend well.  Use to coat
both sides of steak before grilling.