Auguri & last minute cookies

Wintertime, and the living is easy

“Auguri” means best wishes in Italian and can be used for all festive occasions

Hello my friends,

can you believe this is the first Christmas in decades that I spend in a European city?

Before the pandemic and the-storm-which-took-our-lives, we used to spend the end of year holidays in Asia. By today, we would be likely found wandering in a Bangkok market or admiring orchids in Singapore.

I must admit, I felt well pleased to be able to escape the winter for a while, enjoy exotic scenery and cultures as well as taste so many delicacies.

Long distance travel is on hold, but I don’t complain. I live in Rome, one of the most beautiful cities of the world and, as an added bonus, the winter is a joke compared to Umbria! When it’s “really” cold, I go out wearing a light twin set, a light jacket and a silk scarf. My last cooking class guests showed up in t-shirts a few days ago!

And did I mention that the food offering is dazzling? I don’t think a lifetime will suffice to taste all the interesting food I see all the time.

What’s up

Well, I have been food shopping for days and starting to build up the Christmas menu.

There’s only 5 of us, and we’ll have a simple, traditional lunch with absolutely everything cooked from scratch: salmon crostini, cappelletti pasta served in a chicken broth, pork involtini with a side of greens and my legendary pear-amisu (tiramisù with poached pears).

There will be plenty of citrus, coffee, chocolate and some of my homemade orange liqueur and, above all, we’ll be so glad to be able to be together and talk to our heart content.

What to cook right now

I am sure you have plenty to cook lined up for the next couple of weeks. However, if you want to add some Italian flair to the collection, you could check the oil and wine ciambelline cookies — naturally vegan —

and the orange and chocolate cookies. Also, the spiced almond biscotti with candied orange and figs are just perfect for this time of the year.

Spiced biscotti with dried figs and homemade candy orange

Auguri and gratitude

I wanted to thank you once again for being here to read my stories and for supporting me in so many ways.

Special thanks to all of you who have pledged a paid subscription or gifted one to a friend who loves cooking and wants to learn true Italian food and culture.

If, besides cookies, you need a last minute gift, please consider to:

I am told you can pick the exact date when you’d wish it to arrive in your friend’s inbox.

My recipes will always be available for free on my website. With the next newsletter, however, paid subscribers will receive special cooking tips and menus ideas which are generally only available to my cooking class guests. They will also be welcome to participate in a private chat (the Test Kitchen) where you can obtain personalized assistance about my recipes and share your results, difficulties, and ideas. I am looking forward to seeing you there!

Photo by Gabriella Clare Marino on Unsplash

Tanti auguri, happy holidays and see you next year!