WHAT I'VE BEEN MAKING IN JANUARY

With all that is going on in 2025, I’m trying to stay busy by getting back into the routine, decluttering, and of course, cooking and even baking. Reading the Ina Garten memoir Be Ready When the Luck Happens, has brought back memories of my childhood kitchen, where my parents would host epic dinner parties thanks to Garten’s cookbook collection. For my high school and college graduation party, my father made all Ina recipes from scratch. It’s been fun to peruse the cookbooks and make her dishes as an adult. Our bookclub hosted a Barefoot Books, Bites & Brunch event that was a huge (delicious) hit. I’ve also enjoyed Garten’s protege, Lidey Heuck. Her debut cookbook Cooking in Real Life is full of approachable weeknight meals. So far, every recipe we’ve made has been a hit. Lidey also contributes to The New York Times, which is a constant recipe resource for me.

Lastly, food writer David Lebovitz’s My Paris Kitchen is a lovely book filled with essays and stories of living in Paris. I now subscribe to his newsletter and am the proud baker of a galette des rois!

If you’re looking for some inspiration, please find a few recipes that I’ve enjoyed this month:

  • Carrot hummus, courtesy of Anchor & Sail from One Table Cohasset.

  • Sweet potatoes with lemongrass and creme fraiche by Yotem Ottolenghi from Plenty

  • Beans & greens by Lidey Heuck from The New York Times. This lasted me lunch for an entire week and Marin loved it as well.

  • Outrageous brownies by Ina Garten. The vanilla and ground espresso adds extra depth and flavor.

  • Galette des rois by David Lebovitz. The galette des rois is a French epiphany king cake with a buttery crust and almond filling and features a surprise or “feve.” While I usually buy the cake at my local French bakery, I decided to give it a whirl following Lebovitz, which resulted in a flakey, buttery, and nutty delight.

Marisa Olsen