Holiday Recipes: 4 Easy Updates on Classic Christmas Dishes

From roasted goose to plum pudding, retro holiday recipes get a delicious update.

We asked local chefs to put a modern spin on vintage recipes from our archives—plum pudding, anyone?—and the result is a whole host of new Christmas dinner classics.

 CLICK NAMES OF THE VINTAGE RECIPES TO SEE PHOTOS

1. Roasted Fraser Valley Goose with Okanagan Apple, Squash and Cranberry Stuffing

The Original: Roast Goose with Bread, Apple, Raisin and Walnut Stuffing (December 1976)The Update: I don’t think it needs to be much of a departure, as goose with fruit is a very good flavour combination; however, I like to “localize” it a bit more.—Chef Chris Whittaker, Forage, Vancouver

2. Kimchi Brussels Sprouts

The Original: Brussels Sprouts with Pecans (December 1982)The Update: Essentially Brussels sprouts are little baby cabbages, but the kimchi makes them more elegant and more delicate. For our kimchi at the Guild we like to add maple syrup—a bit of our local terroir to kick-start the fermentation process.—Chef Ryan O’Flynn, the Guild, Calgary

3. Pommes Anna

The Original: Potatoes Anna (December 1982)The Update: Pommes Anna is usually served as a side dish, I wanted to feature the potato as a dish on its own. The idea of the tarte Tatin gave me the opportunity to do so, as well as add a Québécois touch to the dish with the maple syrup and the Oka cheese.—Chef JC Poirier, St. Lawrence, Vancouver

4. Christmas Plum Pudding Redux

The Original: Christmas Plum Pudding (December 1988)The Update: Plum pudding is a classic and doesn’t need much updating. I did lose the mace, which I’d wager next to no one keeps in their kitchen (was it a spice rack staple in the ’80s?), and I got rid of the milk, which gave it a loose, spongy texture. The biggest change I made was to cook it in a slow cooker, since steaming puddings on the stovetop is not a technique the majority of us are familiar—or comfortable—with. You get the same low, slow cooking time in a slow cooker, which traps the steam so you don’t have to keep checking to make sure the water hasn’t cooked off, and you can even leave the house if you want to.—Julie Van Rosendaal, cookbook author, Best of Bridge Sunday Suppers, Calgary

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