Let the good tidings flow. Today on my blog, OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish, I am kicking off a little liquid merriment for the season. Welcome to the test kitchen's "12 shots of Christmas." Drink responsibility and always have a designated reindeer to drive your sleigh. While I set up the mixers, you can join the daily dish:
Gingerbread house school. The pastry team at The Ritz-Carlton Orlando Grande Lakes is hosting a weekend gingerbread house school through Dec. 28. Guests make a holiday house to take home using baked gingerbread panels and edible decorations supplied by the hotel. The cost is $150 for a family of four and includes a $10 donation to the Children's Miracle Network and a personalized gingerbread brick on the resort's Santa's workshop. The sessions, which last about two hours, are at 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. For reservations call 407-393-4648. The Ritz-Carlton is at 4012 Central Florida Parkway.
This old Hanukkah house. Bring out your inner architect and design a Hanukkah house for a chance to win some great prizes. Through Dec. 15 upload a photo of a hand-built holiday structure using the "Manischewitz Chanukah House Decorating Kit" to the Manischewitz Facebook website (facebook.com/Manischewitz). There is a limit of one online entry per person.
Judges will determine the grand-prize winner, who will receive $500, and second-place finisher ($200). They also will select five finalists whose entries will be posted online for voting by the public. The entry with the most "likes" on Facebook will be awarded third place and $150. The finalist with the second most "likes" will receive $100 in Manischewitz products.
Road trip. A signature South Florida wine-tasting and culinary event is expanding to become the 10-day "Uncorked: The Key Largo & Islamorada Food & Wine Festival" from Jan. 10-19. The celebration, which used to be held in the summer, will include a cooking competition, culinary demonstrations and more than 30 wine-pairing events. For a complete schedule and to purchase tickets, visit floridakeysuncorked.com.
What's in season. At farmers markets and in the supermarket produce section, look for avocados, bananas, bell peppers, cabbage, canistel, carambola, cauliflower, celery, coconut, cucumber, eggplant, grapefruit, guava, kale, kumquat, lettuce, mushrooms, oranges, papaya, passion fruit, pummelo, radishes, snap beans, squash, strawberries, sweet corn, tangerines and tomatoes.
At the seafood counter, shop for alligator, clams, mahi mahi, mullet, mullet roe, oysters, snapper, shrimp, Spanish mackerel, spiny lobster, stone crab and tilapia.
The Foodies are coming! It's time to vote for your favorite restaurants in the Orlando Sentinel's 15th annual Foodie Awards. The online ballot has more than 45 categories, including fine-dining, wine list, breakfast, brunch, power lunch, food trucks, coffeehouses and bars that serve exceptional food. The final results — along with my picks — will appear in the Calendar section on Friday, Jan. 25. All votes must be cast by midnight Dec. 31. So put down that fork and vote today at OrlandoSentinel.com/foodies.
Heather McPherson can be reached at 407-420-5498, Twitter@OS_thedish and hmcpherson@tribune.com. Follow daily food news at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish.
Get the dish
Check out the Morning Mix with Scott McKenzie recipe of the week, Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Chocolate Cheesecake, at OrlandoSentinel.com/thedish and Mix1051.com
