Think back, grown-ups, to when you were a kid on Christmas morning, hoping that thing you really wanted and specifically asked mom, dad and Santa for just didn't happen. But instead, you got... It was the Christmas of 1984 and 9-year-old me was all about collecting new vinyl for my record player. Man that makes me feel old! I was hung up on the movie Eddie and The Cruisers and would watch it on cable repeatedly, so I had to have the soundtrack. Just freakin' had to! I gave my mom a list of records I wanted, including Eddie and The Cruisers, but what I got came way out of left-field, and I …

I still love the classics, like The Year Without a Santa Clause and George C. Scott's A Christmas Carol, but some of my favorite "holiday" movies aren't traditional, or for kids, or even much about Christmas for that matter! Here's my random list. Share your favorites in the comments. Trading Places Friday After Next Edward Scissorhands Batman Returns Less Than Zero Untamed Heart 200 Cigarettes Stepmom Ghostbusters II A Very Harold & Kumar 3-D Christmas

My parents are both Cuban. They came to the United States in the early 60's and while they never returned to their homeland, the one thing they've never forgotten is how to cook fantastic Cuban cuisine. I grew up with arroz con pollo, croquetas, frijoles negros and the like. The spices and seasonings, the flavors, the aromas of stews and beans and meats cooking for hours on the stove; it has my mouth watering. While my mom has taught us the recipes and many of my siblings and I can nearly match her dishes, we have only sampled a handful of restaurants north of Miami, Florida to do so. When I …