“In Brazil, cod fish is one of the centerpieces of a buffet table in any given holiday,” says chef and author Leticia Moreinos Schwartz, who plans to make this entrée on Christmas.

She loves preparing the dish ahead of time to have more time on the actual holiday. “This dish can be assembled the day before (the onions and potatoes even three days before), so that when guests arrive, I can actually spend time with friends and family,” she says. 

Leticia Moreinos Schwartz was born and raised in Brazil. She studied Culinary Arts, Pastry Arts, Food Journalism, and Food Blogging— all at The French Culinary Institute. She continued her career cooking at legendary NY restaurants such as Le Cirque 2000, La Grenouille, La Caravelle, and Payard Patisserie & Bistro. She is the author of The Brazilian Kitchen and is working on her second book My Rio de Janeiro which is due out in 2013. She writes for Saveur, Fine Cooking, and is a frequent guest on The Today Show.