A strata is a layered casserole, related by eggs and cheese to a frittata or quiche, made from a mixture of bread, eggs, and cheese plus any vegetables and proteins you have on hand. You can serve it for any meal, from breakfast through dinner.

Wile it sounds Italian, the strata is actually American in origin. The earliest recipe has been found in a 1902 book, Handbook of Household Science. That first recipe used white sauce instead eggs.

Today’s variations include everything from sweet stratas like French Toast Strata to savory stratas, like the recipe below. A strata can make good use of leftovers:

Yummy layers of eggs, bread and any leftovers you have. Photo courtesy National Pork Board.

 
Here are hundreds of strata recipes.

This recipe is from the National Pork Board, which has many delicious recipes at PorkBeInspired.com.
 
 
RECIPE: PORK ROAST STRATA WITH GREEN CHILES & GOAT CHEESE

The National Pork Board says: This recipe is wonderful for Christmas morning or New Year’s Day because it takes advantage of the previous night’s leftover roast. You can substitute cooked sausage—breakfast or Italian—or even diced ham for the pork. On the side, serve a citrus and avocado salad and cinnamon-laced coffee.

Preparation

1. PREHEAT oven to 350°F.

2. SPRAY a 2-quart casserole dish with cooking oil. Arrange 1/2 of the bread in the dish. Top with 1/2 of the pork, 1/2 of the chiles, 1/2 of the cheese, and 1/2 of the sage. Repeat 1 time, making 2 layers. Set aside.

3. WHISK the eggs in a large bowl; then whisk in the milk, salt, and pepper. Pour egg mixture over casserole and set aside for 20 minutes, pressing on the bread occasionally to help it absorb the liquid.

4. BAKE until browned and the center is set, about 1 hour. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting and serving.

 
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*Don’t buy pre-crumbled goat cheese; it doesn’t melt as well.
 
 

But we do know when our favorite Christmas songs debuted.

This list was compiled by Marnie Hanel for the New York Times Magazine issue of December 15, 2013.

CHRISTMAS CAROLS BY YEAR COMPOSED

1818: Silent Night
1824: O Tannenbaum
1857: Jingle Bells
1866: Deck The Hall
1934: Winter Wonderland
1940: White Christmas
1941: The Little Drummer Boy
1944: Baby It’s Cold Outside
1945: Let It Snow
1949: Rudolph, The Red-Nosed Reindeer
1950: Frosty The Snowman
1962: Do You Hear What I Hear

  
*Source: FoodTimeline.org.
  

Make these today for Christmas Eve, or to enjoy instead of traditional Christmas popcorn balls.
 
 
RECIPE: POPCORN SNOWMAN

Ingredients For 5 Snowmen

 
Preparation
1. MELT marshmallows and butter in a large saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Let stand for 5 minutes. Pour over popcorn and stir.

2. COVER your palms with butter and shape the popcorn into balls. Decorate as desired, using royal icing to affix candies. Let set.

HAT TRICK

You can make the snowman’s hat from:

 
Stick the pieces together with some royal icing, and use the same icing to affix the hat to the snowman.

We couldn’t get enough of them, and the bartender told us the breadstick was actually Pocky Pretz, a Japanese snack.

The first Pocky flavor, launched in 1966, was biscuit sticks coated in chocolate. The name derives from the Japanese word for crunchy (pokkin).

Since then, as many flavors of Pocky have appeared as you can shake a biscuit stick at. Most are frosted in sweet flavors: almond, banana, coconut, milk chocolate, green tea, honey, strawberry and so forth.

Some Pocky varieties are filled, this one with chocolate cream. Photo courtesy Glico.

Hugely popular in Asia, they’re a fun snack and delicious with a glass of milk or a cup of coffee or tea. The success has spawned imitators: Lucky, Pepero and Toppo, among and others.

There’s even a “Pocky Day” celebrated in Japan on November 11 (because 11-11 looks like four Pocky sticks).

There’s plenty of Pocky in the U.S. You can find them in the international section of many large supermarkets, Walmart and other retailers, in addition to Asian food stores. And of course, there’s a big selection on Amazon.com.

POCKY IS GREAT GARNISH

You can garnish just about any dessert with Pocky and enjoy the visual appearance as well as the crunch and flavor. Just a few ideas:

You can also send a gift box of six assorted Pocky flavors.

How do you like to use Pocky?
  

Our friend Hannah Kaminsky of BittersweetBlog.com created “Thanksgiving kabobs” from all the classic Thanksgiving (and Christmas) accoutrements. They’re threaded onto portion-controlled, dippable skewers.

 
“These kebabs are limited only by a lack of imagination,” says Hannah.

She loves gravy for dipping on the side; the choice is yours.

[1] Winter vegetable kabobs (photo © Hannah Kaminsky | Bittersweet Blog).

 
 
RECIPE: WINTER VEGETABLE KABOBS a.k.a. THANKSGIVING KABOBS

Ingredients

Quantities will vary depending on how many people you plan to serve and which vegetables/add-ins you choose.

 
Preparation

1. PREPARE wooden skewers by submerging them in water for at least 20 minutes. This prevents them from burning (or worse, catching fire) while in the oven. If using metal skewers, skip this step.

2. PREHEAT oven to 400°F and lightly grease a shallow baking dish that can accommodate the full length of the skewers. Thread individual vegetables on the skewers in any pattern or proportion you like. Just ensure that all your components are roughly the same size so that they cook evenly. Place the finished skewers in a single layer in the prepared baking dish. If you’re making enough for a big party, consider a second baking dish.

3. WHISK together the ingredients for the marinade and brush it generously over the skewered “meat” and veggies. If you have any leftover marinade, reserve it to baste the skewers halfway through the cook time.

4. BAKE for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetables, flipping after 10 and basting if desired. The vegetables should be nicely browned and tender when done. Serve immediately over hot mashed cauliflower, mashed potatoes or grains with a small bowl of gravy for dipping.
 
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*When selecting cranberries, look for particularly large berries and skewer them precisely in the center, as they have a tendency to wither and/or split while baking.

†Hannah prefers Grade B maple syrup in this recipe.