Whether you observe Christmas or another religious or cultural holiday, or just an opportunity to take some time off work, this is a season for celebrating family, friends and — of course — food. With cherished traditional recipes and tantalizing displays of elegant dishes and treats, food plays an important role in our observance of Christmas, from a special family breakfast through to the snacks passed around during the day, and finally to a memorable dinner.

Over the years I've created treats and meals for my own loved ones at Christmas, and I'm so happy that they have become as cherished to themselves as to me. Friends and families of vegetarians such as myself often have to forgo or add to earlier Christmas food traditions out of necessity, but one of the purposes of my cooking for friends and family has been to show them that vegetarian food can be just as rewarding an experience on special occasions as it is for everyday eating. One of my greatest rewards is to find that they themselves have discovered that Christmas traditions can grow and change through time without any loss of flavor or delight.

I cannot serve my treats and dishes to you, my readers, as much as I would like to. But I hope that sharing the recipes with you will provide you with inspirations and ideas that will add to your own Christmas eating and entertaining experiences, and make your holidays a time of sharing wonderful food as much as sharing time with the most important people in your life. Most of all, I hope that each and everyone one of you have a very warm and blessed Christmas.

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Christmas is a busy time for many, especially for those providing the lion's share of the nourishment. Sweet indulgences of course occupy a central role at this time of year and must be taken into account. Thankfully many treats can be prepared ahead of time and offered up when needed. The recipes presented here are not only easy to make and enjoyable year-round, but also good for you while satisfying a seemingly insatiable craving for sweetness. Additionally, all of the recipes are vegan-friendly, and that's another bonus because you'll be able to cater to a wider variety of tastes and preferences.

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Thanksgiving Day is almost upon us again. First set aside in North America to celebrate the harvest bounty of the New World, Thanksgiving is a useful reminder for those of us modern-day urban-dwellers accustomed to enormous supermarkets that shelves and shelves of inexpensive food couldn't always be so easily taken for granted … it may be especially appropriate for us to remember this year. It seems appropriate that as we give thanks for being able to spend a day with family and friends, we celebrate with food … and usually plenty of it!

These are some of my favorite fall entertaining ideas from the hundreds of recipes I've published over the years. From breakfast or brunch through to snacks and appetizers, dinner ideas, soups, salads and side dishes, and — of course — treats and desserts, there's something for every vegetarian or any family with vegetarians to feed at Thanksgiving. There are even some ideas in there for vegans or those who want to try an Indian-themed Thanksgiving dinner for a different experience. Your family and friends just might be giving thanks for your cooking at the end of the day!

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Creamy, rich and fragrant dal makhani — literally "buttery lentils" — variations of this once humble north Indian street food staple have become signature dishes in fine Indian restaurants and homes across the world. Like other famous dal curries, dal makhani invites experimentation. The essentials of whole urad beans — easily found in any Indian grocer and also known as black gram — and red kidney beans, ginger, garam masala, and cream remain the same in all of these variations, but otherwise the dals are a canvas upon which to work your seasoning art.

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