No visit to Québec would be complete without indulging in a savory slice of tourtière, the famed double-crusted meat pie with a flaky, buttery crust that is usually eaten during Christmas. Tourtière can be traced back to the 1600s when Québécois settlers attended midnight mass on Christmas Eve and celebrated afterward with réveillon, a late-night festive feast fit for a king. Along the coasts, this pie is made with salmon or trout; in Montréal, it is made with ground pork or veal; and in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean, the pie is stuffed with game meats. We are making the Montreal version (ground pork) and serving it with coleslaw and cranberry sauce.

Ingredients: Ground pork, onion, celery, potato, garlic, thyme, sage, cinnamon, ginger powder, nutmeg, butter, egg, flour, cranberry, sugar, canola oil, salt, and black pepper.

Coleslaw: Cabbage, carrots, mayonnaise, vinegar, dijon mustard, sugar, salt, and black pepper

Pabellón Criollo is the national dish of Venezuela. It's the perfect comfort food plate with slowly stewed shredded beef, black beans, sweet fried plantains, and rice. When this comforting stewed and shredded beef is cooked in bay leaf, onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, and cumin, it makes the house smell so comforting. It is also sometimes served with a fried egg instead of plantains and is known as Pabellón Caballo. We are sticking to sweet plantains, black beans, and rice.

This is a gluten-free and dairy-free meal.

Ingredients: Beef, black beans, plantains, onions, garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, bell pepper, rice, bay leaf, beef broth, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, salt, olive oil.