I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday, whatever that means for you. 

Post Christmas whirlwind, this week has been a pretty nourishing one. Fresh air. Dinner with a friend. Tucked under the blanket with a good book. Making the perfect turkey broth and a new comfort food on repeat; congee ( with leftover turkey with homemade broth is pretty special). Cheering on the nephews at their hockey tournaments where I’m the fan that brings homemade posters; next time I might even paint my face - yes I’m going to be ‘that’ aunt. Last and most importantly, lots of quiet.

And while in the past I would always feel pressure (of my own making most of the time) to fast forward to the new year and jump into all the planning, goals and resolutions. The past few years, this week has changed to instead intentionally slowing down and lots of reflection on the year that's passing.

The new things I cooked and ate of course!

The new things I learned.

The new people and connections that were made. Including YOU!

The memories. So many special ones.

How I've become stronger and softer at the same time through all the bumpy parts. 

The lessons. 

I'm celebrating all of it. 

And as I step into a new year, it's less about the big goals and instead about being more of me - my weird, creative, ridiculously optimistic, sensitive, big hearted self, and building a life that fits all of me. I'm leaving the rest behind.

I hope you take some time to celebrate and reflect on your year and bring more of YOU into a brand new year!

Wishing you the most nourished, creative, joyful start to 2023!

Cook This Now: Prawn Fettuccine 

Here's one of my go tos for New Years' either tonight to celebrate all that was 2022 or tomorrow to welcome in 2023. You can't go wrong with pasta, right? It also always reminds me of one my favourite lines in the movie, The Holiday where Miles says to Iris;

"We're going to cook some fettuccine, pop some bubbly, and celebrate being young and alive."

Yes. Yes we are!! Life can be hard AND we can still choose to celebrate that we’re still here experiencing it all. ox

Prawn Fettuccine  

• 12 ounces fettuccine

• 1 pound large prawns, peeled and deveined, tails removed

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 stick (4 tablespoons) unsalted butter

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 1/2 cup dry white wine

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 2 pinches freshly grated nutmeg

• zest of half a lemon

• 1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced

• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for finishing

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, and salt generously. Add the pasta, until al dente, tender but still slightly firm. Reserved about a cup of pasta water then strain and set aside.

2. Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp in a single layer on a large pie pan or paper plate, and pat them with a paper towel until completely dry. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, and add 1 tablespoon of the butter. When the butter melts, raise the heat to medium-high, Add the prawns to the pan. Cook without moving them, until the underside is pink, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip the shrimp, and cook until fully pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes more. Add the garlic in the last 30 second of cooking then transfer the prawns to a bowl.

4. Reduce the heat to medium, and add the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to release any browned bits. When the butter has mostly melted, whisk in the flour. Cook until thick and bubbling, about 3 minutes stirring often. Add the white wine whisking constantly. until smooth. Add the cream, lemon zest and nutmeg and bring to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes or until the sauce has thickened. Lower the heat to keep the sauce warm.

5. Whisk the Parmigiano-Reggiano into the sauce. Add the prawns. parsley and cooked pasta, and toss well. Add some of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick Season with salt and pepper. Serve with more parmesan and fresh ground pepper. 

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