The TASTE team’s top picks from the Nov/Dec issue

Khanya Mzongwana | deputy food editor

"I love Abi's sparkling melon gin fizz on page 26! I'm hyper-focused on finding my ideal holiday drink, and this one is ticking all my personal boxes – it's fizzy, ginny and fruity, and it makes delicious use of a fruit that's usually hard to get people to eat – winter melon!"

Kelly Cloete | group account director

"I'm excited to try Sam Woulidge’s condensed milk cake on page 58 – it has just four ingredients. Need I say more?"

Hannah Lewry | contributing food editor

"I know it's probably terrible to choose my own recipe but the crunchy chicken 'burger' salad on page 103 is NEXT-LEVEL DELICIOUS and great for poolside lunching! An absolute crowd-pleaser."

Lesego Madisa | content producer

"Khanya’s braaied mielie atchar on page 168 is calling my name and it would be so rude to ignore it. I’m obsessed with the entire edible gift feature, but that atchar… I’m sold!"

Katharine Pope | head of digital content

"I love an inventive veggie side and the creamy cabbage gratin on page 30 is a hit in our house. It’s a super-easy recipe featuring cream, Parmesan and garlic, but it transforms the humble cabbage into something rather desirable. I also have my eye on Khanya’s sweetcorn cooked in coconut milk – all my favourite flavours in one place!"

Yvette Samaai | business marketing manager

"I really couldn’t decide on one, so I will be making the following:

1. Lesego's gran's soft dinner rolls on page 154 will go well with leftovers
2. Phillippa’s pull-apart lamb with tahini sauce and minted yoghurt on page 116. The spin here for me is the tahini sauce and minted yoghurt – different to my usual Christmas roast leg of lamb.
3. Hannah's sweet-and-salty cranberry and goat’s cheese salad on page 104, lovely for a summer afternoon."

Annzra Denita Naidoo | online editor

"I am 100% biased here, but my mother's Christmas stuffing on page 150 is the best stuffing in the entire world. It's the stuff of legend in my family. She has to make it every year and it's devoured by the spoonful (but she always makes extra and keeps it just for me). Now the TASTE readers get to experience it too, thanks to the lovely family sides feature in the issue that shares our team's family recipes. (P.S. she is so excited to be featured in the mag ❤)."

Kate Wilson | editor-in-chief

"I’m totally making the panettone trifle with roasted strawberries and elderflower on page 86 for Christmas and adding meringue and sparklers! I’m also thinking of breaking away from my sweetcorn soufflé and making Khanya’s corn-and-coconut milk bake on page 128."

Martin Jacobs | acting art director

"For me, it’s the trout crudo, orange horseradish and crunchy capers from Abi’s Christmas feature on page 29. I love the salty flavour of a fried caper, and imagine it’ll pair beautifully with horseradish and a cured fish, be it trout, salmon or yellowtail."

Liesl Nicholson | group operations manager

"Abi’s triple-chocolate lamington Peppermint Crisp tart trifle on page 82! I’m not a traditional trifle person (stop throwing mince pies at me!), but this recipe is really triggering for some reason. Could be the Peppermint Crisp-lamington combo😊."

Fatima Saib | commercial content editor

"It will have to be the herby Greek-style leg of lamb with celery-and-apple toum on page 142. Give me lamb any day and I am happy!"

Sienna Nzama | assistant production co-ordinator

"I would love to try Abi’s Christmas cake and rum-soaked cherry semifreddo on page 30. Christmas cake is the girl she thinks she is and is a must-have at the table. Having it as a semifreddo will be a first for me and I'm definitely trying the recipe."

Get your copy of Woolworths TASTE today

You can get your issue at your local Woolworths, plus it's available for digital download via zinio.com and magzter.com.