Holiday Music to Cook By

Local chefs crank up these classics (and not-so-classics) for the holiday season.

By Margaret Littman

When Cherry Street Eatery and Sweetery chef and owner Meg Giuffrida heats up the oil for the multi-denominational December latka party she and her husband, musician Paul Burch, throw each year, the soundtrack for her pre-party prep is jazz singer and pianist Blossom Dearie. âАЬItâА^TMs always New York in the 1950s when IâА^TMm getting ready for a dinner party,âАЭ Giuffrida says.

Of course, itâА^TMs the ingredients and the time-honored recipes that make a holiday dish taste like our memories dictate. But the music that plays as we roll piecrust and baste turkeys and fry latkas is important for getting into the mood. In âАЬNashville EatsâАЭ (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, $35) author Jennifer Justus writes, âАЬmusic and food both have a way of bringing us together and telling our stories,âАЭ which is why she includes playlists along with the recipes.

We asked local cooks, both home and professional, as well as a few musicians who know their way around a kitchen, which holiday soundtracks are essential to their food prep this time of year. Here are a few of their classics to put into rotation, plus a few suggestions for new downloads.

Nicki Pendleton Wood, author of âАЬSouthern Cooking for CompanyâАЭ (Thomas Nelson, $26.99)

âАЬI decided a couple years ago to branch out beyond Vince GuaraldiâА^TMs âА^~A Charlie Brown ChristmasâА^TM and Frank SinatraâА^TMs Christmas album.âАЭ SheâА^TMs also a big fan of what she calls âАЬa stonkingly good mixâАЭ put out by Janet Timmons (former WRVU and current WXNA DJ) around 2014. Other favorites include Sufjan Stevens Christmas songs and for 2016 she plans to add in the Beach BoysâА^TM holiday record, plus Christmas music by Stevie Wonder and the Jackson 5.

Julia Sullivan, chef, Henrietta Red

âАЬAround the holidays, I like to listen to the Emmylou Harris Christmas album,ÂаâА^~Light of the Stable.âА^TM My mom used to playÂаâА^~Christmas TimeâА^TMs a CominâА^TMâА^TMÂаon repeat and my sister and I loved it. It still gets me in the spirit.âАЭ The rest of the year Sullivan leans to power anthems from bands such as Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and Florence and the Machine. âАЬI need steady background noise. Anything too loud or too busy distracts from the work.âАЭÂа

Deana Carter, Grammy-nominated country powerhouse

Her âАЬFather ChristmasâАЭ album was re-released in 2011 (10 years after its original release) and it is an album that has become sweeter to Carter since her dad passed away. So, she cranks that up as she makes her momâА^TMs special homemade cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce and chocolate chip pie. Also playing are Nat King Cole, Burl Ives, Mariah Carey and big band-style holiday standards.

Brett Corrieri, corporate chef, Embers Ski Lodge

âАЬI always listen to the Ramsey Lewis Trio performing the âА^~Charlie Brown ChristmasâА^TM soundtrack. It brings me back to the memories of cooking with my mom at Christmas. We listened to this albumâАФyes, albumâАФwhen we made peanut butter fudge to give as presents, and as we decorated the tree. It has the right mix of upbeat tracks mixed with some calmer pieces.âАЭ

Jake Veyhl, owner, JakeâА^TMs Bakes

When alone in the kitchen, Veyhl typically turns to podcasts (or Texas Rangers games). But now that the kitchen is cranking out warm cookies with a crew, thereâА^TMs upbeat music to âАЬbounce around to. I listen to stuff because itâА^TMs catchy and keeps me moving aroundâАФnot necessarily because I have songs with deep meanings.âАЭ Veyhl says âАЬthe best part about having a bunch of musicians on staff (songwriters Jacky Dustin and Jedidiah Freiheit, among others) is that thereâА^TMs never a lack ofÂаmusicÂаin the kitchen.âАЭ

Karl Worley, chef and co-owner, Biscuit Love

ItâА^TMs a James Brown kind of kitchenâАФsoulful music to match his soulful dishesâАФat the local favorite Southern brunch spot, no matter the time of year.

Maneet Chauhan, executive chef and owner, Chauhan Ale & Masala House

âАЬWith the kids, I usually listen to Christmas carols when cooking during the holidays. I went to a convent school in India, so I also like to listen to the holiday hymns and carols we would listen to then. We subscribe to Bollywood Radio, so that is always playing in whatever kitchen IâА^TMm in!âАЭ

Bart Pickens, executive chef, Party Fowl

âАЬCooking toÂаmusicÂаis always about creating a vibe.âАЭ A typical Friday night might be a collaboration between Rihanna and Eminem and the âАЬNo More DramaâАЭ album by Mary J. Blige. But âАЬcooking and baking during the holidays need something different,âАЭ Pickens says. âАЬI love toÂаcookÂаto the holiday sounds from New Orleans...like the Neville Brothers. My other Christmas favorite is LeAnn RimesâА^TM holiday album.âАЭ

LilyÂаIsaacs, Dove-award-winning singer

âАЬGrowing up in a Jewish home, we never celebrated Christmas. We had Hanukkah...the Festival of Lights! My parents would sing songs like âА^~Spin the Dreidel.âА^TMÂаWhen I had children of my own we celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. I loved playing the Christmas classics. My favorite artists were Barbra Streisand and Michael Buble. We always playedÂаa variety of songs,âАЭ says the singer who converted to Christianity in 1971. For Isaacs, who now leads the family group the Isaacs, any favorite is better when sung with all the family. These classics are sung along with their traditional Christmas meal: lasagna and homemade apple pie and the traditional Jewish pastry rugelach.