a family holiday meal composed of recipes that have been around for generations is something we all cherish and look forward to every year. We are even willing to gain a few pounds for the pleasure of enjoying the comforting foods we love. It is also exciting to eat meals and attend parties at other people's homes, where we can be exposed to different ingredients that may enhance our own celebrated recipes. So why not consider letting several of Santa Fe's most notable chefs share a thing or two?

Nelli Maltezos, a chef and co-owner of Trattoria Nostrani, who has been in business for 11 years at the same location, says she loves the cast of characters and emotions that holiday cooking brings to the table. "It's all I can do but cry when people love what I make," she said. And since Brussels sprouts have recently become popular again, Maltezos shares with us the proper way to cook them, removing the strong aroma and aftertaste for those with weaker stomachs.

Santacafé chef Angel Estrada has worked at the restaurant for 16 years, four as executive chef. He offers a unique take on squash soup with apples, Chimayó red chile oil and sage. This soup is robust enough to serve as a meal and delicate and creamy enough to be an enticing appetizer.

Chef Mark Kiffin, the James Beard Foundation's "Best Chef of the Southwest 2005," revitalizes The Compound Restaurant with an exciting seasonal holiday menu made up of many entrées, appetizers and deserts dressed in the colors and flavors of fall. The featured Forever Braised Lamb Shank that falls off the bone without losing any flavor or texture is well worth the effort.

Chef Matt Ostrander from Luminaria has been working in culinary circles for 17 years, and he has done what many chefs wouldn't dare attempt: He combines cheddar cheese and ice cream. This is enough to bring tears to any Southerner's eyes, but his dish is by no means just a regional delicacy. Though it is true that most cooks have their own traditions, here are just a few ideas to make your holiday dinner that much more lively.

BUTTERNUT SQUASH-APPLE SOUP

Courtesy chef Angel Estrada, Santacafé, 231 Washington Ave., 505-984-1788, www.santacafe.com/restaurant.shtml

1 medium onion, sliced thinly.

2 cups peeled, cored and dices Granny Smith apples.

4 cups roasted, mashed butternut squash

3 cups vegetable stock

1/4 teaspoon each cinnamon, nutmeg, dried thyme, dried sage and white pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger or 1 teaspoon fresh graded ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon brown sugar or honey

Splash of white wine

Sauté onions in 2 tablespoons butter until translucent. Add apples and cook slowly until very tender.

Add the other ingredients and cook slowly for 15 to 20 minutes to meld the flavors, adding more stock as needed. Purée until smooth. Return to pan and slowly stir in 2 cups scalded heavy cream. Adjust seasoning and serve in pre-warmed bowls and finish with garnish of your choice — fried sage leaves, sour cream flavored with chipotle adobo, red chile oil, chopped green apple or cornbread croutons.



BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Serves four people, courtesy Chef Nelli Maltezos, Trattoria Nostrani, 304 Johnson St., 983-3800, www.trattorianostrani.com

11/2 pounds Brussels sprouts

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1/3 cup chicken stock

1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 11/2 teaspoons for the blanching water

1/4 stick unsalted butter

Fill a pot 2/3 of the way up with water. Salt the water with the 11/2 teaspoons of kosher salt. Place the pot on the stove top and bring it to a rolling boil. In the meantime trim the bottoms of the sprouts, then cut them into quarters. Carefully add the sprouts to the boiling water and cook for approximately 2-3 minutes. Drain the sprouts. Prepare a bowl with ice and water. Add the Brussels sprouts to the bowl of ice water. This procedure will stop the cooking process and preserve the color. Once cool, drain the sprouts a second time. Pat the sprouts dry with a tea towel and refrigerate until you are ready to serve them. When you are ready to serve the Brussels sprouts, begin by patting them dry a second time to avoid oil spattering. Heat a pan large enough to accommodate all of the vegetable. Use two pans if necessary.

Heat the pan dry over a medium flame for 4-5 minutes. Add the cooking oil. Allow 30 seconds to pass then add the Brussels sprouts. Let the sprouts cook undisturbed for a few minutes and then give them a stir. Add the teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook 4 more minutes. Add the chicken stock and allow it to reduce. When a very small amount of liquid is left in the pan, add the butter. Allow the butter to melt completely. Taste for salt, serve hot.



FOREVER BRAISED LAMB SHANK, PAN-ROASTED ESCAROLE WITH POBLANO AND SHALLOTS, GOLDEN RAISIN GREMOLATA AND LAMB BRAISING REDUCTION

Yields four portions, courtesy of chef Mark Kiffin, The Compound Restaurant, 653 Canyon Road, 982-4353, www.compoundrestaurant.com

4 lamb fore shanks, bone in

1 white onion, small dice

2 large carrots, small dice

4 ribs celery, small dice

1/4 cup tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1/2 gallon stock, beef or veal

Fresh herbs: a few sprigs of fresh thyme, rosemary, and or marjoram

2 tablespoons butter

1 large head escarole lettuce

1 poblano chile, roasted, peeled and diced

1 shallot, minced

1/4 cup golden raisins, softened in warm water then drained

1 lemon zest

3 tablespoons flat leaf parsley, minced

2 cloves fresh garlic, minced

Kosher salt to taste

Black pepper, fresh grind, to taste

Preheat an oven to just over the 200 degree mark (around 210). Season and sear the shanks on a flat griddle or in thick sauté pans. Remove, add diced carrot, onion, celery and cook until lightly brown. Add tomato paste and cook another minute. Deglaze with the wine, stir to incorporate it, add the stock and bring to a boil. Add the shanks to the stock then the fresh herbs. Return to the boil. Cover pot and place in the oven. Kiffin and his staff cook it low and slow for 16 hours at the restaurant overnight. Test lamb for fork tender doneness. For the escarole, heat a pan, add the butter and cook the escarole until slightly wilted. Add the shallots and chile. Continue to cook about 2 more minutes. Remove and keep warm. For the gremolata, mix the lemon, raisins, parsley and garlic well. To serve, remove the shanks from the stock, strain and discard the cooked vegetables, reduce stock to desired thickness. Place the escarole on a plate, top with a shank, spoon a portion of the stock over and sprinkle with some gremolata.



MILE HIGH RED CHILE CHEDDAR APPLE PIE

Courtesy chef Matt Ostrander, Luminaria restaurant, Inn & Spa at Lorretto 211 Old Santa Fe Trail, 866-582-1646, www.innatloretto.com/new-mexico-dining/santa-fe-restaurant.php.

Crust:

2 cups flour

3/4 cup shortening

1 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoons red Chimayó chile

1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar

Add water until dough comes together in a ball

7-8 tablespoons cold water

Mix together the ingredients with your fingers until crumbly.

Divide into two balls on a flowered surface and begin rolling both balls out until they are able to line a 9-inch pie pan. Proceed to line one of the pans with the one crust and reserve the other for the top of the pie.



Filling:

8 large Gala apples

1 pound box brown sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoons all spice

3 teaspoons Chimayó red chile powder (more or less depending on preference)

2 tablespoons flour

1/2 stick of butter (diced)

Begin by peeling, coring, and then slicing all of your apples

Mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add the cored, sliced and peeled apples to your bowl of dry ingredients and toss until fully covered. It will be slightly pasty; that's what you're looking for. Place filling in pie crust and dot the diced butter all over the pie.

Mix together one egg and 2 tablespoons of water. Brush the mixture around the edges of your pie to create a seal between your top and bottom layer. Take reserved top pie crust and place over the top of your pie and crimp your edges. Take the remaining egg wash and brush all over the top crust. This will give you a shiny crust, and you can prick top with a knife or fork.

Peheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pie for 10 minutes. Then lower oven to 350 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. Crust will be golden brown when done.



CHEDDAR ICE CREAM

12 ounces sugar

1 cup yolks

4 ounces nacho cheese dip

1 quart and 1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon Chimayó red chile powder

11/2 cup milk

1/2 tablespoon vanilla paste

1/4 cup vodka

1/4 teaspoon salt

In a bowl place sugar and egg yolks and nacho cheese and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Place all other ingredients in a large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Once it comes to a boil, turn off heat and slowly add to the egg mixture. Be sure to slowly add the milk to the egg mixture while whisking (if done in the opposite order you will get scrambled eggs) until everything is incorporated and then add 4 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese and whisk. Place cooled mixture in and ice cream maker until frozen to a soft serve consistency.