so this is Christmas, what have you done?

…me? I’ve been relaxing at home and getting fat. Our family celebrated the holiday as we do every year. We have our big dinner during Christmas Eve, which is more or less my responsibility. Although I used to be semi-decent at cooking, after moving to the city my kitchen repertoire consisted of well-organized delivery menus and recipes that involve either a microwave or toaster oven. So then my repressed inner chef breaks out every year during the holidays, when I temporarily take over my parents’ full-sized suburban kitchen and cook up a storm.

This year was no different – in fact, after being out of the country for so long, I spent half a day walking up and down the aisles of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s, ogling at the perfectly shaped produce from every season, and at the endless varieties of every kind of food. After I thoroughly amused myself by looking at all 200 types of of snack bars that has surfaced since I last stepped foot inside an American supermarket, I managed to drag myself back home and put together a pleasantly delicious, mostly organic Christmas Eve Dinner menu:

• L’Antipasto
  • Tossed Mesclun Salad with Chili Italian Dressing
  • Baked Whole Wheat Rolls
• Il Primo
  • Green Apple and Blue/Cran-berry Stuffing
• Il Secondo
  • Herb-Encrusted Prime Rib Roast
  • Apple and Pecan stuffed Chicken Breast
• Il Contorno
  • Chili-Sauteed Broccoli
  • Oven-Roasted Baby Potatoes with Garlic and Herbs
  • Seafood Casserole
• Il Dolce
  • Almond Parfait with Peaches and Mixed Berries
  • Jamaican Rum with Berry Compote (after-dinner drink)

And on Christmas day, we followed our yearly family tradition by going out to watch a movie – Juno, which by the way, is an excellent film that had me laughing and tearing simultaneously without feeling odd since everyone in the theater was doing the exact same thing.

and now, another Christmas is about to be over. Soon it will be New Year’s Eve, during which I’m assuming I will spend several hours at some cafe, writing about this past year and thoughts for the next year, as I do every year. And pretty soon, even that will be over. Ever since I’ve come back home, time seems to be moving at an incredibly fast speed. It has been a good year. And if I can help it, next year will be a great one.

mft #5: Balthazar

I’ve been to Paris twice, and fell in love with it twice. And to me, with its frosted glass, crowded but cheerful atmosphere, Balthazar is my escape back there without leaving Manhattan.

Not to mention, the food is delicious. I’ve had all of their skate/cod/trout/bass entrees and liked each of them, although my absolute favorite is their Plateaux de Fruits de Mer, a 3-tier display of raw seafood (clams, oysters, shrimp, king crab, scallop, etc) on ice – just the presentation of the dish itself is impressive.

To be honest, I’ve found better French food elsewhere. And the need to make reservations a week ahead of time annoys me. But the ability of the restaurant, with its friendly waiters, to so accurately recreate the summer days spent at those Parisian brasseries and bistros makes the inconveniences well worth it, time after time. after time. This is consistently one of my favorite restaurants these past few years, and I can’t imagine life without it.

you can find it at: 80 Spring St., New York, NY 10012 (closest subway is 6 train to Spring St.). Balthazar Bakery is right next door, although their delicious goodness is shipped daily to many cafes, etc. around the city.

mft #3: Luna bars

If I were religious, healthy snack bars would be God (which, incidentally, is not why I am not religious). They fulfill my need for nutritious sustenance when can’t find the time for it. And of the countless brands I’ve tried, Luna is definitely the best. I remember going crazy once and deciding that I was going to order 50 of them online and have it shipped because I was sick of buying them one at a time, but ended up buying 50…dozen bars. For a while I hated them because I felt compelled to eat them for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But I’m happy to say that we’ve since rekindled our relationship, and I, again, can’t live without them.

Luna’s made by the same team as Clif Bar, but ‘reformulated’ for women. This means they are smaller, contain more calcium/iron, and have a slightly cheesy quote on each wrapper. Luna bars are excellent because they come in about 15 different flavors, 70% organic, and they’re all good. My favorites are Toasted Nuts n’ Cranberry and S’mores. I’m a huge fan of snack-bars to begin with, because they’re so easy to pop into my bag when I’m running around doing errands, or trying to catch the subways in the mornings. But I like Luna the best for their their taste, variety, and chewiness (I love chewy, nutty things jammed together). They also don’t melt as easily as other bars.

you can find it at: grocery stores, health-food stores, pharmacies. I’m sure I still have a pile of them somewhere if you’d like to purchase them from me. unopened!

mft #1: the real Bagel

So I will kick off the MFT series with the one thing that I’ve missed the most and that my life isn’t quite complete without – real, authentic Bagels, with a capital “B”.

Yes, there is a thing as an authentic Bagel. It’s the kind that is freshly boiled and right out of the oven – they are big and thick, with a crunchy crust and a warm, chewy center that is doughy but not overly so. Top with some fresh cream cheese, smoked salmon, tomato slices – hello, lover.

Any other type of “bagel”, especially those that need to be toasted, or come from bags(?!), are knock-offs. They are also known as crap.

you can find it at: the birthplace of the American bagel. In New York, the best-bagel war will never end, but my favorite is at Ess-a-Bagel, but don’t mind the line, and unless you’d like to be yelled at, don’t ask for your bagel toasted! and on the days i find myself on the UWS, i will almost always go to the original H&H Bagels on 80th st.