My father in-law is not a big fan of turkey and makes his love of ham at the holidays well-known. Honestly, I can relate. After spending much of the summer and fall testing turkey recipes, I’m ready for something different come November. So we started adding a ham to the family Thanksgiving menu about five years ago, but as the host (and cook), I ran into a problem: How can I season and heat a ham while the turkey is hogging all the oven time? Slow-cooker ham is the solution!

Since most holiday hams come fully baked, all I have to do is load it into the slow cooker in the morning to have ham in time for lunch. As another bonus, the slow cooker can be set to warm so the ham stays moist while we wait for that one sister-in-law who is always late.

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The best part of any meal is dessert, if you ask me, and a Passover Seder is no exception. There are certain Passover sweets that always come to mind this time of year, like flourless chocolate cake and coconut macaroons, but really that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to treats that will please everyone at the table. Here are 22 recipes to inspire you through the holiday season.

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The Seder plate is the most important part of any Passover Seder. It’s rich with symbolism, meaning, and history. And it’s what the holiday ritual is centered around. (Fun fact: Many Seder plate designs configure the six items into the six points of the Jewish star.)

If you’re not sure how to set it up, though, it can be very stressful. What if you forget something? What if you put something in the wrong place?

Whether you’re hosting a Seder this year or just going to one, you should know what goes on a Seder plate and why. Of course, there have been some changes over the years, and some families add, change, or rearrange items. But we swear that it’s really not all that complicated. See for yourself.

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The supermarket shelves are lined with matzo, and butchers are stocking up on brisket, which can only mean one thing: Passover is right around the corner.

This year, the holiday of Passover — Pesach in Hebrew — begins Monday night, April 10. The celebration of the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt lasts a week (some Jews celebrate for eight days, while others celebrate for seven), and is notable for the things you aren’t allowed to eat (including leavened bread). In fact, there seem to be a lot of rules around this holiday and, if you just started dating a new Jewish boy or find yourself hosting one of the nights, the holiday can seem intimidating and daunting.

But it’s also celebratory and fun! (And you can even drink good wine.) Here’s everything you need to know to have a chag sameach (happy festival).

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This cake has magical synergy. With no flour at all, this delicate and tender almond cake is based on the taste of ancient recipes, yet it’s made with modern cake-baking techniques. You’ll bake this cake in a jelly roll pan and split it into threes to make the layers. We’ll keep running with the theme of almonds with a nutty chocolate cream cheese filling. To finish, the cake is covered with chocolate ganache and toasted almonds.

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(Image credit: Quentin Bacon)

Passover lasts an entire week. A very, very long pizza-less and pasta-free week. Fortunately, bubbes have come to the rescue. Over many generations, some pretty inventive grandmas and great-grandmas have come up with Passover-friendly dishes to sustain their hungry families and friends during that week — recipes that are inexpensive, made with easy-to-find ingredients, and don’t require much work. Matzo brei is exactly that. It remains a staple breakfast and lunch food, and it’s been around so long for one other reason: it tastes great.

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The unspoken party code (for a certain type of party) dictates that if you are invited, it is incumbent upon you to bring beer. Wine is also acceptable, even preferable, depending on the crowd and the occasion. I do not bring hard liquor, on account of general ignorance, but I have seen it done to great effect, and I commend those efforts.

But alcohol is not appropriate for all occasions. What if you don’t drink, or your host doesn’t drink? What if your host is pregnant, or is on a detoxifying cleanse, or the party is at 10 a.m. and in celebration of the birthday of a toddler? What if you are simply tired of bringing six packs, which go unnoticed because there are always too many six packs?

Here is the answer: Bring something else. There is a world of festive offerings beyond booze — offerings that will be met with unbridled enthusiasm and consumed with gusto.

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Getting invited to your middle school friend’s bat mitzvah is a lot different than getting invited to a Passover Seder. For one, you got to wear a frilly dress and dance around on bubble wrap with an inflatable guitar. A Seder is, well, centered around a lot more rules and rituals.

Headed to your first Seder? You’ll have fun: It’s a ceremonial event marked with storytelling, food, songs, and prayers. Here’s what you should know before you go.

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