Chef Santa German Nutcracker by Christian Ulbricht

Oh, I do love a piece that knows its way around a kitchen. This is Christian Ulbricht's Chef Santa, and the very first thing you should know about him is that his hands are not idle. He is holding a silver platter. On that platter is a golden-brown roasted turkey, drumstick and all, ready to go to the head of the table. Every family I know has one person who carries the bird from the oven to the dining room. In your house, starting this year, it can be him.

Look closely at his toque — and this is what a collector notices — Ulbricht bound that tall chef's hat in red and white gingham and tucked a tiny sprig of holly at the band, a quiet wink from Seiffen that this is a Santa first and a cook second. The wire-frame glasses perched on his round peach nose are a Christian Ulbricht signature, and the real-hair beard flows the way only the Ulbricht workshop ties them, a technique that goes back to the 1950s. He is one of only 2,500 in the world. That number matters when your granddaughter asks someday how many others there are.

In the Castle, he lives in our dining hall all year round, standing by the sideboard where I set out the bread. Every Sunday, the whole editorial board gathers. Herr Stahlbaum carves. Fritz steals a roll before grace. And the Chef Santa — well, he just watches, patiently, the way the best cooks always do. Welcome him to your table. There is room.

— Mother Ginger