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Local chefs share their favorite holiday inspiration & comfort food!
Mancy’s Steakhouse
953 Phillips Ave. • Toledo • mancyssteakhouse.com
Chef Kasey Szirotnyak
Where do you eat for comfort food when you’re off the clock? Bangkok kitchen, the Lad Na soothes my soul.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Corn casserole At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Holiday cookies!
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: All the squashes. If you were a spice, which one would you be? Clove.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? Chicken paprikas from Aunt Carol.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? Anything with matcha in it.
What does this dish/recipe mean to you? Apricot Nut Cake: It’s a traditional Hungarian dessert. It brings back happy childhood memories of holidays before both sets of my grandparents passed away.
Apricot Nut Cake
Dough
3/4 C sugar
3C flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks butter
3 egg yolk
2 teaspoon vanilla
1/2 C sour cream
Combine sugar, flour, baking powder and butter- work together well. Add egg yolks, vanilla, and sour cream
Cover and chill. Divide into 2. Roll out and cover the bottom of a 9×13 cake pan.
Nut filling
2c chopped walnuts
Dash salt
3/4 c sugar
3 well beaten egg whites
Spread nut mixture on top of dough layer.
Apricot filling – we get that from the Hungarian bakery in Birmingham.
Roll out the other dough ball and cut into strips. Create the top layer of lattice. Brush with 1 beaten egg. Bake for 40 minutes @350.
Ye Olde Durty Bird
2 S St Clair St. • Downtown Toledo • yeoldedurtybird.com
Don McCluskey – Head Chef
Don McCluskey – Head ChefWhat does this dish/recipe mean to you? It means it is time for Ye Olde Durty Bird’s Traditional Holiday Prime Rib Dinner served with the Holiday Brussel Sprouts.
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? My parent’s house.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Homemade Ravioli.
Dish or techniques I’m known for: Soups. At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Pumpkin Bread.
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: Flavored Italian sausages.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? Dill Pickle everything.
Holiday Brussel Sprouts
Ingredients
• 1 1⁄2 pounds Brussels sprouts,
trimmed and cut in half (long way)
• 3 Tablespoon Olive oil
• 3⁄4 teaspoon Sea salt
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 3⁄4 cup Dried Cranberries
• Balsamic glaze drizzle
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 400° Fahrenheit.
In a bowl toss the Brussels sprouts with olive oil, salt and pepper.
Pour them on a sheet pan, spread out evenly and roast for 35-40 minutes.
When done…pour the roasted Brussels sprouts into a bowl, add dried cranberries and toss together.
Place in serving dish then drizzle with Balsamic glaze.
Mancy’s Bluewater Grille
461 W Dussel Dr. • Maumee • mancysbluewater.com
Chef Liz Anderson
What does this dish/recipe mean to you? It reminds me of making holiday pies, with family, that are simple and delicious.
Where do you eat for comfort food when you’re off the clock? At my mom’s house!
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Her homemade holiday dinner rolls. I have tried to replicate them, they’re just never like hers.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Any hot tea, but mainly chai with coconut milk.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Hot honey – sweet & spicey.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? My grandma’s beef and noodles.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? Crumbl cookies – so overrated.
No Bake Pumpkin Cheesecake With Brown Butter Biscoff Crust
The crust
2 cups biscoff cookies
1⁄4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 stick melted butter (reserve 1 tbsp)
Brown butter in saute pan until nutty
smelling over medium heat.
Strain milk solids.
Add all to food processor and pulse until
fine crumbs and combined.
Press into a 9 inch pie plate.
Bake 350 for 5 minutes.
Chill.
The filling
1 1⁄2 blocks softened cream cheese
1 cup canned pumpkin
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1⁄2 tsp cinnamon
1⁄2 teaspoon nutmeg
1⁄4 tsp allspice
1 1⁄4 cups powdered sugar
2 cups heavy cream
1 tbsp reserved melted brown butter
Beat heavy cream to stiff peaks. Set aside.
Beat together remaining ingredients with a hand mixer until smooth and silky.
Gently fold in whipped heavy cream.
Add filling into pie crust.
Chill 4 hours or until cold.
Garnish with whipped cream and biscoff cookies.
Serve with caramel sauce, if desired.
Claude’s Bistro & Bar
5103 Levis Commons Blvd. • Perrysburg • claudesbistro-bar.com
Chef Zach Moser
His Dish: Braised Lamb Shank osso buco w/ fresh pappardelle, gremolata and Parmesan.
What does this dish/recipe mean to you? Midwest comfort.
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? At home with family.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Pigs in a blanket.
Dish or techniques I’m known for: Slow Braising.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Turkey and Game meats.
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: More of a dish but I’m trying to perfect Tamales.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Paprika.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? Tamales from my friend’s mom.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? Chain fast food restaurants, eat local and healthier.
Parkway Place Catering
2592 Parkway Plaza • Maumee • parkwayplaceevents.com
Executive Chef Julie Ziethlow
What does this dish/recipe mean to you? It means hometown and comfort to me. A bit of nostalgia if you will.
Where do you eat for comfort food when you’re off the clock? Schmucker’s!
Dish or techniques you’re known for: Flavor balancing, plating and presentation. And my charcuterie boards!
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Pepper. Because I’ve found that perfect balance in life. Depending on the situation, I could be sweet or spicy, subtle or strong.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Slow roasted pork loin with natural jus, roasted buttered spaghetti squash and maple baked sweet potatoes. Maybe throw in a cobbler of some sort! Or just a warm bowl of chicken gnocchi soup.
Chef Julie’s Pot Roast
4 # boneless beef chuck roast, trimmed
5 T. mixture of kosher salt, black pepper and granulated garlic
1 large onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
6 c. beef broth
1) Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
2) Rub salt mixture onto roast, covering all sides.
3) Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a Dutch oven or an oven safe roasting dish. Sear over high heat. Cook the meat, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes, each side.
4) Adding in the vegetables to get a quick color on them.
5) Remove from heat. Cover with beef broth, place lid over top and put into oven.
6) Cooking for 2 ½ to 3 hours. Until fork tender! Should be about 145 degrees when finished.
7) When finished, in a separate pan, melt 2 sticks of butter and whisk in 1 cup of flour, creating a roux. Stirring constantly, cooking 2-3 minutes, until smooth.
8) Gradually whisk in beef broth, making sure there are no lumps.
9) Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until the gravy has thickened to your desired consistency.
10) Serve over mashed potatoes and sliced pot roast.
11) Pair with your favorite vegetable and red wine and enjoy!
Rockwell’s at the Oliver House
27 Broadway St. • Toledo • rockwells.mbaybrew.com
Chef Damian Clarke
His Dish: Sausage Stuffing
What does this dish/recipe mean to you? This recipe represents my childhood, I would wait for my mom to make them. She only made them one time per year at Christmas time.
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? My mother in law makes a special homemade spaghetti sauce for special occasions that I always look forward to.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: A Colorado roast is something I have tried several times and will never be able to make as well as my mom.
Dish or techniques the chef is known for: The honey lime chicken that is on our menu I have brought from one restaurant I have worked at to another. It is always a hit!
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Homemade cinnamon rolls and eggnog, this is the only time of year I eat cinnamon rolls.
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: This time of year I love working with is sage. This time of year it works perfectly with the foods that are commonly served at this time of year.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? I would be garlic, it is my favorite and so versatile.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? I would love to have a meal cooked by Bobby Flay, I would let him decide and hope that he made something that includes seafood!
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? Vegan foods, I understand people have preferences but it takes a lot of creativity away from the chefs when that isn’t their specialty.
Rosie’s/Rosaria’s
606 N McCord Rd. • Toledo • rosiesitaliangrille.com • 135 W 3rd St. • Perrysburg • rosariason3rd.com
Executive Chef Eric Kish
What does this dish recipe mean to me? This dish means holidays to me; it’s the one dish I consistently cook for the holidays, and friends and family talk about it all year round. I’m also currently up to making 8-10 of these turkeys every Thanksgiving for friends and family.
Where do I eat comfort food when I’m off the clock? When I’m off the clock and I want good comfort food, I call my mom and ask her if she can make me one of my favorites. She always says yes. Everything she makes is wonderful, but she knows my top 3 favorites, and I let her surprise me on which one she chooses to make.
This time of year, what is my favorite thing to eat? This time of year, my favorite thing to eat is prime rib; it’s another one of those things that remind me of the holidays.
Cajun fried turkey recipe
Ingredients:
1 10 # average bone-in or boneless
turkey breast (I prefer boneless)
Liquid Injection recipe
1 cup red hot or desired hot sauce
1⁄4 cup chicken stock
1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper
1⁄2 tsp white pepper
1⁄2 tsp garlic powder
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together, and with a meat injector, inject the turkey in numerous spots. Once the turkey is injected with the hot sauce mixture, set it aside and make the breading.
Breading recipe
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 TBSP Kosher salt
1 TBSP cayenne pepper
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP white pepper
1 TBSP paprika
Instructions:
Mix all ingredients together, then coat the turkey, shaking off the excess flour. Deep fry at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden brown. Once the turkey is done frying, place it in a 375-degree oven uncovered until the internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. When the turkey reaches 165 degrees F, remove from the oven and let rest for at least 10 minutes, slice to desired thickness, and serve with the horseradish sauce and your favorite side dishes.
The Toledo Club
235 14th St. • Toledo • toledoclub.org
Executive Chef Sean Moran
His Dish: Macadamia Crusted Halibut with cranberry pecan wild rice risotto and charred broccolini
What do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? Hungarian Paprikás csirke (“paprika chicken” in English), made by my mother-in-law, Bonnie, and traditional pigs in the blanket, made by my Uncle Terry.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Sausage bread, she wasn’t the best cook, but her sausage bread at the holidays was a family staple.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: A bowl of loaded chili What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? A Wagyu bone in ribeye prepared medium rare by my wife.
Pecan cranberry wild rice risotto style
½ cup chopped onion
2.5tbls oil
¾ cup risotto
½ cup pre cooked wild rice
3 cup chicken stock
1Tbls butter
1/3 cup cranberries
½ cup toasted pecans (chopped)
½ cup asiago cheese
Salt pepper to taste
- Sautee onion in bottom of pan cook about 4-5 minutes until soft but not burnt
- Add the risotto Sautee for 2 minutes
- Add one cup of chicken stock until absorbed continue adding stock and stirring about 5 minutes then add the wild rice and half of cranberries
- Continue to cook risotto, continue stirring to cook the rice about 15 minutes
- Once cooked add parmesan cheese,butter,toasted pecans
Macadamia Crusted halibut
4ea 5-6oz halibut filet
Salt pepper
½ cup macadamia nuts, chopped
1/3 cup panko
Zest of lemon
2Tbls chopped parsley
2tbsp melted butter
1tbsp of blended oil
1tbsp honey
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees spray sheet pan with pan spray
- Season halibut with salt & pepper
- In a bowl mix together macadamia nut,panko,chopped parsley,melted butter
- Mix everything together until incorporated
- In a bowl mix together Dijon & honey brush the top of each halibut filet press the macadamia crust on top of each filet
- Bake in oven at 400 degrees for 12-15 minutes until crust in golden brown
Charred Broccolini
bunches
4Tbls olive oil
Salt & pepper
2 tsp chopped garlic
1ea lemon juiced
½ cup asiago cheese
- Pre heat oven to 400 degrees
- Spray the baking sheet with pan spray
- In a bowl toss broccolini with oil, salt and pepper
- Transfer broccolini to baking sheet spread evenly across baking sheet
- Roast in oven for 15 minutes
- Combine lemon juice oil, salt, pepper, asiago in bowl whisk together
- when broccolini comes out oven drizzle mixture over top of broccolini
Mancy’s Italian
5453 Monroe St. • Toledo • mancysitalian.com
Chef Casey Sadowski
Where do you eat for comfort food when you’re off the clock? Home with my family preferably. It’s hard to pick a restaurant when you work in the ultimate comfort food location, Mancy’s Italian.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Chicken Paprikash! I distinctly remember it being better than the Budapest restaurant, which in my opinion says a lot.
Dish or techniques I’m known for: Its always changing but here at the Italian I’d confidently say I make the best Chicken Marsala.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Soup and chili. Tis the season!
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: Different types of mushrooms. It screams comfort food for me.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Everything Bagel seasoning.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? Buffalo chicken mac and cheese from my uncle.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? CONVENIENCE!!!!! Convenience is the death of the culinary world in my opinion. I think people are getting too complacent and being lazy. Fast food, Doordash, Uber-eats, food subscriptions, it all takes away from the experience. The food is never as good; it’s all slopped into a box. Most, if not all, is fried and over processed. And it costs almost triple than what it would if you cooked at home.
Shorty’s True American Roadhouse
5111 Monroe St. • Toledo • shortystoledo.com
Brandon Bugsby
Favorite holiday dish: My favorite holiday dish is one that has brought families together for over 20 years – Shorty’s Ultimate BBQ Feast is a sure-fire way to please the whole family.
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? There is no place like home.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: London Broil and brown rice. Somehow, she took something so simple, and turned into a masterpiece.
Dish or techniques I’m known for: No one smokes ribs quite like we do here at Shorty’s True American Roadhouse. At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: St. Louis Style Spare Ribs
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Salt, you need it for everything.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? For my last meal I would have to take a bone-in dry, aged ribeye from Mancy’s Steakhouse with their signature bone-marrow butter. It’ll knock your socks off.
Marcel’s
6600 W. Sylvania Ave. • Sylvania • marcels419.com
Marcel Hesseling – Chef/Owner
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? I like to eat at home with my family. My wife cooks, as well as my mother-in-law and other friends and family. As a chef, there is nothing more comforting than when someone cooks for me.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Braised red cab- bage with apples and cinnamon. It’s a very traditional Dutch side dish in the winter and a very unique flavor profile for American’s. It’s currently served on the side of our grilled double-bone pork chop and described as “Carla’s Way” for my mom. Dish or techniques the chef is known for: My wife would say that when I prepare French cuisine, it’s incredible but when I prepare comfort food, it’s life-changing.
At this time of year my favorite thing to eat is: Fall/winter flavors are my favorite. They remind me of the Netherlands, of my family, and gezelligheid (a feeling of coziness, conviviality and warmth).
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: It’s not right now per se but I am really excited about a whole steer I just purchased from a local farmer. I toured his farm and his small herd is pasture-raised and grass-fed, with no added hormones or antibiotics. The farmer also sustainably grows feed corn and grinds it himself for the cattle in the winter. The animals are very well cared for and we will be featuring some very nice Angus beef starting in February.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Nutmeg.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? A warm Dutch apple pie made by my mom.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever? This business is hard enough, I’m not going to vote one of my colleagues off the island!
Pan-seared salmon glazed with bourbon infused cranberry-rosemary-orange marmalade and served on a wild rice pilaf
Pan seared Salmon on wild rice pilaf
4 x 6-7 oz. portion of Salmon
1 cup dry brown rice, red rice/wild rice blend*, rinsed well
2 cups court bouillon (vegetable stock)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
2 shallots, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 cup of sliced mushrooms
1 garlic clove, grated/minced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
⅓ cup chopped fresh parsley
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions on the pilaf
- In a saucepan, combine the rice, water, and 1 teaspoon of the olive oil. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce the heat, and simmer for 45 minutes, or until the water is absorbed. Remove from the heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Incorporate butter. Fluff with a fork.
- While the rice is still warm, toss it with the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil and butter, the garlic, parsley salt, and several grinds of pepper. Sauté the shallot, mushroom and garlic until translucent, toss again to combine.
- Season to taste, garnish with more parsley, and serve. Pan sear Salmon in sauté pan and cook until desired temperature and or a nice crust has formed. “Chef’s favorite” is cooked medium-well serve with the marmalade and finish with fresh chopped parsley.
Rosemary-Cranberry-Orange marmalade
This recipe uses the natural pectin in the citrus fruit to set the marmalade without requiring added pectin.
Ingredients
4 large oranges (about 2 to 2.3 pounds)
4 cups water (plus more for boiling the rinds)
4 cups granulated sugar
2 cups of cranberries
2 tablespoons of minced rosemary
1 Teaspoon of garlic
½ cup of port wine
½ cup bourbon
Pinch of salt
1 cup of frozen orange juice concentrate
1 table spoon of vanilla extract
Equipment
Large, heavy-bottomed saucepan or Dutch oven
Sharp knife or mandoline
Food processor (optional, for finer chopping)
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit. Wash the oranges thoroughly in hot water to remove any wax or residue.
- Carefully peel the rind from the oranges, saving the rinds. Scrape off and discard any thick, white pith from the rinds to reduce bitterness.
- Slice the remaining peeled fruit into small pieces, removing and discarding any seeds.
- Julienne or thinly slice the rinds into small, uniform strips.
- Soak the rinds (optional, but recommended). For less bitterness and a softer peel, place the rind strips in a saucepan, cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain the water, cover again with fresh water, and repeat the process two more times.
- Combine ingredients and soak overnight. In a large pot, combine the prepared orange slices, rinds. Add 4 cups of water. Bring the mixture to a boil, then remove from heat, cover, and let it soak at room temperature for 12 to 24 hours. This step helps extract natural pectin and softens the peels.
- Cook the fruit mixture. The next day, place the pot over medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a full boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the peels are very soft and the liquid has reduced by about half.
- Add sugar, cranberries and the rest of the ingredients and cook to set. Add the sugar to the pot and stir until it is completely dissolved. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mixture back to a rolling boil. Continue to boil rapidly, stirring frequently, until the marmalade thickens and reaches the setting point (around 220°F-223°F on a candy thermometer). This usually takes 15-20 minutes.
- Test the set. To verify the marmalade is ready, place a small spoonful on a chilled plate that has been in the freezer for a few minutes. Let it cool for a minute; if it wrinkles when gently pushed with a finger, it’s done. If it is too runny, continue to cook for a few more minutes and retest.
Quimby’s
3536 W Sterns Rd, • Lambertville, MI • quimbysrestaurantandbar.com
Chef Tommy McLaren
His Dish: Baked Ziti
Where do you eat for ‘comfort’ food when you’re off the clock? The dish is baked ziti,it has ground sausage and garlic sauteed with red peppers and onions and ricotta cheese with homemade marinara sauce. topped with mozzarella cheese and baked.
Cooking trend I could do without: Deconstructed cooking. I want my egg roll with everything in it..I already know what’s in it don’t need to see it on the plate…
Favorite holiday dish: We didn’t have many Christmas traditions at my house my mom always made cookies on Christmas when I was a kid I always remember the smell. (Rip mom)
Regalo’s
1968 Miami St • Toledo • hollywoodcasinotoledo.com/dining/regalo
Chef Adam Dunn
Chef Adam DunnWhat does this dish/recipe mean to you? This dish is the “High Roller Chicken” one of the first thing I created, it is a culmination of things that I learned, from childhood and has influence from chefs that I learned from.
Something I’ll never make as well as my mom is: Her meatloaf roll, and white bean chili.
Dish or techniques the chef is known for: Cacio E Pepe table side.
An ingredient I am most excited about right now are: Mushrooms , lesser used cuts of meat.
If you were a spice, which one would you be? Salt , its in almost everything.
What’s your “last meal” request — and who’s cooking it? Tagliatelle, beef bolognaise, Shepards pie, Sticky toffee pudding and Chef Marco pierre white.
What’s one food trend you wish would disappear forever?: I know it wont be the popular answer but – chef tweezers.
