Christmas 1-2-3, Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2002

Gold’s philosophy of three-ingredient simplicity provides a sane solution for the frenetic holiday season.  Christmas 1-2-3 makes nostalgia feel fresh -- with clever twists and elegant nuances— candy cane ice cream with cream of coconut, a wreath of radishes with goat cheese and cumin, or melt-in-your mouth smoked salmon pillows (made with puff pastry and boursin). Eighty-six recipes – fulfill the promise of abundance without the burden by compressing the tasks of shopping, prepping and cooking. Gold proclaims that a time of joy and celebration should never be thwarted by attempts to perform unrealistic culinary feats, and so she offers Crisped Duck with Port Wine Reduction, Roast Goose with Chestnuts and Prunes, Brussels Sprouts with Sun-Dried Cranberries, Wild Rice with Five-Hour Onions, and Eggnog Cup Custards, as delicious proof.

"The only recent Christmas cookbook that strikes me as having a clear and well-executed agenda is Rozanne Gold's Christmas 1-2-3. It ably addresses the talk of reducing the bother with the excellent three-ingredient recipes. It could go far toward keeping the lid on Yuletide kitchen panic." -Anne Mendelson, Gourmet

"It's an easy read with faultless, imaginative recipes you'll find yourself making not just for the holidays but year-round." -Rosemary Black, Daily News

"In Christmas 1-2-3, Rozanne Gold gives the harried cook an early present: a new collection of three-ingredient recipes to make the holidays more happy than hectic." -Karen Fernau, Arizona Republic

"Rozanne Gold, a woman who has been putting her finger on the pulse of contemporary American cuisine, has just fingered the culprit in the hassle that is holiday entertaining." -Baltimore Sun