Gary wants to eat a Mediterranean diet and I want to learn better cooking techniques, so I bought myself an early Christmas present: The Complete Mediterranean Cookbook from America’s Test Kitchen. (You can preview the first 91 pages here.)

So far, I’m addicted. After thirty years of cooking, this cookbook is finally teaching me not just what to cook, but how. I’ve learned how to cook shrimp on the grill to perfection, how to make rice that’s neither starchy nor dry, and how to dress curly endive.

As I putter around the kitchen enjoying the slower pace of Christmas break, I’m grateful for this rest and abundance.

(And seriously, try the flank steak with peperonata - the addition of two tablespoons of the capers’ brine liquid to the sautée does something magic to bell peppers.)

Merry Christmas!