HOLIDAY DISHES FOR THE FAMILY FEAST

Cru Food & Wine Bar’s scrumptuous holiday meal. Photo by Robert Tsai

Story by Robin Barr Sussman

Many of us will be enjoying holiday festivities with close family this year instead of dining out or traveling. But we could all use a little help with the cooking, so why not mix things up with some new dishes and desserts? Pick up or add these creations to your home cooked spread. Happy holidays!

CRU FOOD AND WINE BAR Elevate your Thanksgiving on-site or to-go with butternut squash soup, roasted turkey, pumpkin ravioli, spiffy sides, well curated wines and dessert. cruwinebar.com

Cru Food & Wine Bar's Pumpkin Ricotta Ravioli

Photo by Robert Tsai

Goode Co. Pecan Pie

Photo by Allison Moorman

Brennan’s of Houston’s Lemon Meringue pie

Photo by Jay Stevens

WHITE ELM CAFÉ BAKERY Sweet holiday mornings start with cinnamon rolls from this new bakery out west, which also crafts pies, cakes, cookies and other treats. whiteelmcafebakery.com

White Elm Bakery’s cinnamon rolls

Photo by Shannon O’Hara

BRENNAN’S OF HOUSTON Bring Thanksgiving fine dining home with packages including a whole smoked turkey, gravy, sides, cranberry sauce and dessert. Stunning lemon meringue pie! brennanshouston.com

OSTIA For a holiday dinner by the fireplace, consider entrees from sleek new Ostia in the Heights. Impressive Italian choices include pork chops, seafood risotto, whole shrimp, roasted turnips, duck liver pâté and family-style dinners. ostia.com

DISH SOCIETY Brighten up the table with the shaved Brussel Sprouts salad and other innovative and healthful sides like mashed sweet potatoes with warm fall spices. dishsociety.com, multiple locations.

MOLINA’S CANTINA Tamales at Christmas are a Texas tradition, naturally portable and easy to reheat. Other crowd-pleasers: enchiladas, Jose’s queso, a variety of salsas. molinas.com

Festive Italian specialties from Ostia

Photo by Jenn Duncan

GOODE CO. The luscious Brazos Bottom Pecan pie made with Texas pecans is a big hit for dessert. Check the website for Goode restaurants that bake pies for pick-up along with whole smoked turkey. goodecompanybarbeque.com

RELISH RESTAURANT AND BAR Vibrant salads like the kale and grapefruit, pear salad or butternut squash soup will lighten up the spread deliciously. Count on Relish and don’t be a slave to the kitchen! relishhouston.com

Tamales: A Tex Mex tradition for the holidays by Molina’s Cantina.

Photo by Julie Soefer

TEXAS PECAN DISHES WITH TEXAS WINES For a Texas two-step, try a few Texas pecan recipes like a jalapeno cheeseball rolled in chopped pecans paired with Pedernales Cellars tempranillo or baked sweet potatoes garnished with chopped pecans. Buy Texas wines and Millican Texas pecans at HEB. texasfinewine.com

Cru Food & Wine Bar

Photo by Robert Tsai

RECIPE:

Butternut Squash Bisque

Whip up this easy recipe inspired by the bisque served at Cru Food & Wine Bar. The pomegranate seeds add a jewel-like finish. Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon canola oil I medium yellow onion, coarsely chopped 2 garlic cloves, sliced Coarse salt to taste ½ teaspoon dried thyme ¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 large butternut squash (about 4 pounds), peeled, seeded, and cut in 1-inch cubes (can be purchased prepared from supermarket) 1 (14 ½ ounce) can reduced sodium chicken broth 1 cup half-and-half 2 tablespoons pomegranate seeds for garnish

Method In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium. Add onion, garlic, thyme, cinnamon, and cayenne. Season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add squash, broth, half-and-half, and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil; reduce to a simmer, and cook until squash is tender, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Working in batches, puree in a blender until smooth. Season with salt. Serve warm and garnish each serving with pomegranate seeds. Note: The leftovers freeze perfectly. Yield: 12 servings

HOLIDAY WINES FOR PERFECT PAIRINGS Uncork these crowd-pleasing, recently released wines that pair with everything from turkey to tamales and play well with buttery stuffing, salads and savory appetizers.

Cru Food & Wine Bar

Photos by Robert Tsai

White: Keller La Cruz estate chardonnay, CA $40; Brennan Vineyards viognier, TX $22; Alexandria Nicole Cellars a2 chardonnay, WA, $18; Signor Vineyards pinot gris, $35.

Red: Landform pinot noir Willamette Valley $25; Space Age grenache rosé Central Coast CA, $15 (both groundedwineco.com); Seghesio Sonoma zinfandel $25.

Bubbles: Benovia Blanc de Blancs, Russian River Valley, $50; Chandon brut Napa Valley $19.99; William Chris Texas Petillant Naturel sparkling rosé $25. Visit shademypatio.net