Between the Courses

The week between Christmas and New Year's

One of those paintings that stopped me mid-step, a favorite find at The Uffizi in Florence in 2019.

Merry Christmas!

The gifts are likely unwrapped, you have all your recipes ready for feasting and you’re enjoying time with loved ones.

Beyond Christmas, you may not have much planned, so my goal is to bring you a few recipes for that space between Christmas and New Years where you may have the time to try a few new dishes that will leave you feeling like you ate a healthy-ish dinner.

This first recipe is inspired by a “new” client and former boss who’s in Rome for what might be her 25th or 26th annual Christmas visit (#goals). I helped plan the two weeks she and her husband will spend afterward, exploring new-to-them areas, some I’ve been to and others still on my list. If you don’t have the classic Roman pasta, Amatriciana, on your quick dinner list, you definitely will now!

The next recipe is a really fabulous salad that could double for a dinner entree, especially amidst all the heavy foods and entertaining. It’s a play on the Waldorf salad that I created when we returned from NYC earlier this fall, after visiting the stunning, newly remodeled Waldorf Astoria.

Finally, I share one of my favorite holiday cookie recipes (better late than never). The original uses shortening, which I removed and instead added butter, a neutral oil and some sourdough discard! If you aren’t into sourdough, I provide the original recipe.

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Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas, a blessed holiday season and happy and safe new year! I’m so appreciative of this little newsletter, the joy it brings me and the community of people who love food, wine and travel.