December in Your Kitchen: Simple Rituals, Not Perfect Spreads

December can be a strange month in the kitchen.

You’ve got holiday expectations, end-of-year fatigue, a fridge full of “good intentions,” and maybe a tiny voice whispering that you should be doing more: more hosting, more baking, more “festive magic.”

If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. Your kitchen doesn’t need to look like a movie set to be meaningful. It just needs to feel like yours.

I’m Shannon, the cook behind Cook’s Culinary Collective. I’ve spent decades in a lot of different kitchens — dish pits and line stations, private homes, catering gigs, executive chef roles, and structured culinary school labs. The through-line in all of it? The best meals were never about perfection. They were about people feeling at home, at ease, and welcome at the table.

December is a perfect time to practice that.

WHAT I WANT FOR YOU THIS MONTH

When I think about December in your kitchen, I’m not picturing flawless beef Wellington or twelve side dishes. I’m picturing:

·         A pot of something cozy that basically cooks itself

·         A simple snack board that makes your friends linger

·         A dessert that feels special but doesn’t require a degree in pastry

I’m a big believer that skill and confidence in the kitchen come from thoughtful repetition — not high-pressure “ta-da!” moments. So instead of chasing spectacle, let’s lean into doable, delicious patterns you can return to all season.

Here are a few ways to do that.

1.      CHOOSE A “HOUSE SOUP” FOR THE MONTH

Instead of planning a dozen different dinners, pick one go-to soup that you can riff on all December.

Think something like:

·         A hearty vegetable-and-bean soup

·         A silky squash soup with a swirl of yogurt

·         A brothy chicken soup bulked up with grains

Once you know the basic pattern — aromatics → veg → liquid → simmer → seasoning — you can swap in what you have on hand. Different greens, a new grain, a squeeze of citrus at the end… it’s all fair game.

Why this helps: You’re removing decision fatigue. Each time you make your “house soup,” you’re practicing the same core skills: knife work, seasoning, simmering. That’s where real confidence builds.

2.      BUILD A LOW-STRESS SNACK BOARD RITUAL

December is full of “Come over for a drink?” moments that either feel fun… or secretly stressful.

Instead of a full spread, create a snack board ritual you can pull out with almost no thinking. For example:

·         One creamy thing (soft cheese, hummus, whipped feta)

·         One salty/crunchy thing (good crackers, toasted nuts, olives)

·         One fresh or bright thing (sliced apples or pears, pickles, citrus wedges)

·         One little “treat” (dark chocolate, candied nuts, a jam or chutney)

Arrange it all on a board or big plate, add a cloth napkin, and you’re done.

Quiet skill-building:You’re practicing balance — rich vs. crisp, salty vs. sweet, creamy vs. crunchy — which is the same muscle you use when you plate and season full meals.

3.      LET ONE SAUCE DO THE HEAVY LIFTING

A simple, repeatable sauce can turn “just cooked something” into “oh wow, this is dinner.”

For December, try making a small jar of one versatile sauce each week:

·         A lemony herb butter that’s great on roasted veg, fish, or pasta

·         A simple tomato sauce you can use for pasta, eggs in tomato, or baked polenta

·         A yogurt sauce with garlic, herbs, and a little olive oil for drizzling on everything

Make it once, then use it 2–3 times across the week. Suddenly leftovers + a fried egg + that sauce feels intentional, not like a compromise.

Why this matters:You’re learning how flavor compounds over the week. You’re also gently practicing the “chef habit” of thinking in components, not isolated recipes.

4.      KEEP DESSERT SIMPLE AND REPEATED

You do not need six different desserts to be a good host (or a good human).

Pick one thing that feels festive but is realistically doable, and make it your December “signature”:

·         A citrus olive oil cake you can dress up with whipped cream or fruit

·         A tray of dark chocolate bark with nuts, seeds, and dried fruit

·         Spiced poached pears or roasted apples with a scoop of ice cream

Make it three or four times. Yes, the same thing. You’ll get faster each round, and your people will start to think, “Oh, this is your dessert.”

5.      REMEMBER THAT CONNECTION IS THE MAIN COURSE

Underneath the recipes and techniques, Cook’s Culinary Collective is really about this: kitchens as spaces for connection, curiosity, and practice.

If your December table includes:

·         A pot of something warm

·         A plate of something crunchy

·         A sweet thing to linger over

·         People who feel welcome, seen, and not judged…

…you’re doing it right.

The “perfect” charcuterie rose or towering layer cake can’t compete with that.

WANT SUPPORT BEYOND THE RECIPE?

If you’re craving more hands-on guidance — the kind that lives between the lines of a recipe — that’s where Cook’s Culinary Collective comes in.

Through Cook’s Culinary Collective, I’m building:

·         Curated supper clubs where we cook and eat together

·         Hands-on workshops and labs to build real, repeatable skills

·         Cookbook clubs and seasonal resources that explore the why behind the how

If you’d like to follow along as this grows — and get first notice of classes, supper clubs, and new resources — make sure you’re on my email list and keeping an eye on upcoming posts.

In the meantime, I’d love for you to pick one idea from this post to bring into your kitchen this week. Your December doesn’t need to be bigger; it just needs to feel a bit more like you.