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The strategic course in your seven-course extravaganza. Light and refreshing between the rich Asian salmon cake and the hearty Tuscan fish and chips. Fifteen minutes to make. In advance. No running to the supermarket at the last minute for a package of goldfish crackers to round out the meal.

I always thought the traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes was a very cool idea for a festive meal. So this year I'm planning a very cool menu that you can easily knock off. A lot of it in advance. So your Christmas Eve day is a Slower Happier holiday.

I always thought the traditional Christmas Eve Feast of the Seven Fishes was a very cool idea for a festive meal. So this year I'm planning a very cool menu that you can easily knock off. A lot of it in advance. So your Christmas Eve day is a Slower Happier holiday.

For about $4.25 in ingredients and 12 minutes of your time, you get five or six dozen of the best cookies ever. And something that's in the running for Best Homemade Christmas Gift Ever. Bake a dozen. Give the rest of the dough as a gift that keeps on baking.

It's really cold here. So it's time to make ribollita, a deeply delicious and satisfying potful of Tuscan kale soup, something between a rich vegetable soup and a vegetable stew. A complete meal in a bowl.

Pizza spends a few minutes in a really hot oven. So do kale chips. A match made in the oven. Cherry tomatoes for some fruitiness and acidity. Some holiday color and decor. The perfect Christmas pizza.