Photo by Lis Parsons
First things first: Happy New Year! But it’s not enough to wish for it, I want to do everything I can to cook it into existence. Of course, there’s more to life than food, but I find it so dismal the way people carry on once we hit January, almost as if they wanted to guarantee an unhappy new year, intent on stripping their lives of flavour and joy. Those of us in the Northern Hemisphere already have a challenge on our hands and, quite frankly, when it’s dark and cold and the skies are cheerless, the last thing I want is a meagre, self-denying, carb-free existence.
Photo by Francesca Yorke
I have a general distrust of New Year’s resolutions but, if anything, I resolve to concentrate both on the good fortune of having food on my table as well as the pleasure that brings. Accordingly, I’ve given much loving thought to what I’ll be cooking and eating in the week ahead. So far, my plans include the hearty goodness of Italian Sausages with Lentils, the fantastic Baked Macaroni (aka Imqarrun il-forn, from Malta by Simon Bajada) and some zingy winter sunshine in the form of my Lemon Polenta Cake. Inbetween these delights, I shall be happily in my kitchen, playing around with new ideas and recipes to make 2026 extra-specially delicious for all of us!
Photo by Simon Bajada
