A few years ago, I had the good fortune to be traveling abroad during the holidays and spent my Christmas holiday in McLeod Ganj, India, a former British hill station in the north Indian Himalayas.

The town now is best known as the home of the exiled Tibetan government and his holiness, the Dalai Lama. During my time there, I really came to understand that for me the holidays and food are inextricably linked.

Every day I was in India afforded me many chances to experience some new and exciting culinary adventures. From the Tibetan momos in McLeod Ganj, the chicken curry in New Delhi, the sabzi in Haridwar to the vindaloo in Goa, I truly felt I was eating my way across the Indian subcontinent. Most of my days seemed to revolve around seeking out the most interesting dishes in the least likely of places.

Naturally, while I was traveling abroad during the holidays, my mind turned to the foods I would be missing at home. Even though I was in India, one of the most dynamic, complex and vibrant cultures on the planet, I still craved tradition.

I craved the dishes that help make the holidays a memorable occasion for my family - the smell of sage-and-sausage stuffing wafting through the house, and the most prized of all May family recipes, Grandma's applesauce-raisin cake. A large slice of that is a welcome treat any time of year but especially so around the holidays.

If these dishes aren't on the table, there will be a backlash from the rest of the family. The day somehow doesn't feel the same if those tried-and-true favorites aren't present.

The holiday scene in McLeod Ganj was quite festive considering the small Christian population there, a lingering remnant of the British presence in India. The only church in town, St. John in the Wilderness, held a Christmas Eve service and afterward we sang Christmas carols by candlelight.

Assembled around me was perhaps the most multiethnic and multidenominational group of carolers - Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians and Buddhists - all singing and, in some cases, humming along to the favorite carols.

It was an exceptional moment to be in predominantly Hindu India in a predominantly Buddhist town singing Christmas carols crammed inside this small stone church with people from all around the world.

It was one of those times when you think the world will someday get its collective act together. If all these different people can gather together here, and come away with a newfound appreciation for each other, the world has a fighting chance. Looking back, the moment seems more noteworthy now considering the current state of affairs in our country and around the world.

On that Christmas night, we celebrated with a holiday meal offered by a popular local restaurant. The clientele that evening was a mix of backpackers, locals and a large and boisterous bunch of Indian men out for their friend's bachelor party. A shortage of seats landed us at the rowdy revelers table and this group was thrilled to have some new friends join the party.

As we waited for our dinner, we were hounded mercilessly into downing several shots of the local firewater with this bunch. The warm holiday glow was indeed upon us.

Finally dinner arrived and it was an impressive plate that Mom would be proud of - a juicy piece of roasted chicken surrounded by all the trimmings. The meal included a moist, flavorful stuffinglike dish, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes, some fabulous vegetable concoction and some fresh, warm chapati.

The cooks in that kitchen knew what they were doing. The dinner was fabulous.

While we were finishing our meal, our Indian friends began to grill me about how I spent my Christmas holiday at home. I explained to them the goings on of a Western Christmas, all of the preparation that goes into the food and the cookies you leave for Santa Claus that somehow mysteriously disappear by Christmas morning and, oh yeah, all the presents.

Only later did I realize how much of our holiday activity revolves around food. The notion of that never really crossed my mind before then. Look at Christmas, Thanksgiving and the Fourth of July - they all include a lot of eating.

Being in another country brought into clear focus what the holidays at home are really about. It really comes down to two things: food and family. If those two things are in place, everything is just fine.

As good as my dinner in McLeod Ganj was - and believe me it was delicious - I still wanted some of Mom's home cooking. The holidays and food that come with those days has a strong pull on a person.

These dishes you've grown up eating and recipes that have been passed down from generation to generation really do complete the holidays.

Glenn May is the executive chef at A Cook's Table.

Applesauce-Raisin Cake

Serves 14 to 16

2 sticks unsalted butter, plus more to grease pan

2 cups granulated sugar, plus more to dust pan

one 24-ounce jar of good-quality applesauce

4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

2 teaspoons cloves

2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup raisins

Grease bundt pan with butter and dust with granulated sugar; set aside. With your mixer and whisk attachment cream 2 sticks butter and 2 cups sugar and fold in applesauce. In a mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda and spices.

Add to creamed butter and sugar gradually and until well incorporated. Fold in raisins and pour mixture into bundt pan. Bake at 350 degrees 1 1/2 hours or until toothpick comes out clean.

Fresh Sage-and-Sausage Stuffing

Makes about 3 to 4 cups (enough to stuff a 15-pound bird)

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 large onion, small dice

5 ribs celery, small dice

3 tablespoons chopped garlic

8 links Italian sausage, sweet or hot, removed from casing

kosher salt

freshly cracked black pepper

4 loaves of good-quality white bread, cut into medium-sized croutons

4 eggs, beaten

6 cups turkey stock, made from neck and giblets

3 tablespoons fresh sage, chiffonade

2 tablespoons fresh thyme

2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped

2 tablespoons fresh marjoram, chopped

freshly grated nutmeg, to taste

In saute pan, melt butter and add onions, celery, garlic and sausage. Cook this mixture until the sausage is cooked through and vegetables are tender. Season with salt and pepper.

In a mixing bowl add croutons and onion-and-sausage mixture. Mix until just combined. Add eggs and enough stock to moisten the bread but not make it soggy. The amount of stock you use will vary because of the type of bread used for the stuffing.

Start with about 3 cups and go from there. Remember you can always add but you can't take away. Add herbs and nutmeg and adjust seasonings with salt and pepper.