Al Roker is back on Milk Street with family recipes and television stories to share. He recalls celebrity-filled lunches at the NBC commissary and the holiday meal he dreamt of while recovering from surgery. Plus, Ben Mims reveals the secret history of cookies; Grant Barrett and Martha Barnette of “A Way With Words” express holiday gratitude with food-themed compliments; and we prepare Cantonese Sweet-and-Sour Pork.

Questions in this episode:

"What should I do with all of this vintage copper cookware I inherited?"

"Can you help me figure out the steps to this 1928 fruitcake recipe?"

"I have two questions about meat pies: how do I give them more flavor, and should I cook the filling ahead of baking?"