Happy & Healthy New Year!

My holiday season has been very busy, starting with the premier of the Detroit City of Chefs documentary and segueing into celebrations with friends and family. On Christmas Eve, 20 immediate family members gathered at my home. It was awesome to have my 95 year old mother in presence along with my sisters, nieces and nephews... I was the “cook” so I decided to make Shepherd’s Pie, Clam Chowder and Butternut Squash Lasagna out of my book, Looking Back, Cooking Forward. It is so cool to follow a recipe that is mine. I chose these recipes as they are good for serving a crowd and easily made ahead of time.

I’ve had a lot of nice feedback about the book. While getting ready for my family party, I received 3 messages from different people that tried Jill’s Cranberry Cocktail, the Guinness Chocolate Cake and the Mushroom Pate. All within an hour of each other. It made my day.

I’m gladly spending New Year’s Eve with friends—we’ll follow our tradition of “staying in” by making sandwiches with the fixings from a  Zingerman’s Ruben Kit. There’s a bit of cooking, but not much, and lots of fun and catching up on our holiday festivities. And, there are usually some leftovers for the first day of 2025.

I WISH YOU MANY MILLION DOLLAR DAYS!

XXOO,
MARY, PUPS AND PONIES