A recent survey finds 81% of Americans show love for family and friends by preparing holiday dishes, but there’s always one dish at Christmas that tests how polite your family is.

Someone’s one forkful away from blessing the cook’s heart, but nobody dares to leave that recipe off the menu. It might be a wobbly mold of aspic with floating shrimp, a salad that doesn’t contain a single leaf of lettuce or a fruitcake packed with neon cherries and nuts so dense it could double as a doorstop.

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Dining and Cooking