The Grouper Christmas Cookie

“Cielo makes pancit: rice noodles with chicken, sausage and vegetables. I make beef adobo, a stunningly rich braise of short ribs in soy sauce, coconut milk, chicken stock, vinegar and garlic. The first year, none of our guests had ever tasted it before. Every year since, I have been asked if I’ll be making it again.”
 — The Times’ food writers of today and yesterday jangle their chains while fondly remembering their favorite holiday meals — all of which are immortalized in icing on adorably decorated sugar cookies.