The plan is: there is no plan

Covid, traditions, and latkes

Dec 09, 2024

Hi friends,

I had grand plans for the last week but instead I got Covid. I’m doing a lot better after a quarantine and lots of rest but it meant that I missed Latkes and Vodkas and a bunch of other festivities. Getting sick is always a bummer but in this period of extra festivity, it’s an extra bummer. I was sad to miss gatherings I look forward to all year and isolating physically can also be emotionally isolating. I made the best of it and was very grateful for friends who called to check in and entertain, people who dropped off food and smoothies, and anyone who sent general good vibes my way. The past month has been hard health wise and I hope I’m firmly on the upswing.

Before I got sick, I was planning to write more about holiday traditions and the rituals I look forward to during this time of year.

Lindsey Stanberry

included my watching The Holiday with Baked Pasta routine (recipe here) in this delightful round up of ways to get into the holiday spirit. I also took some notes, as a winter hater, from

Katie Stone

’s How to become an optimist. I think being intentional during this time of year makes a big difference—to savor the excess and make room for joy and traditions, old and new. That means letting go of things sometimes, to make room for new ones. Personally, I’ve never had a huge Christmas tradition—we sometimes went to the movies, but it’s not a day that I have super strong memories of or attachment to. For the past three years though, Dale and I have gone to the Knicks Game on Christmas, and we have our tickets ready for this year. It’s become a special tradition that’s new to both of us, and very New York. I love seeing all the celebrities courtside, the families in Knicks gear, getting snacks, and taking the subway home. We usually watch a movie in the evening. It’s never too late to start a tradition.

When I think back to the past few holiday seasons, the common denominator is things not going to plan. From grief to illness to stress, the holidays are a tough time for so many. Less pressure is a good thing and it’s okay to do what you can. Now that I’m out of my ~~dungeon~~ bedroom, I want to fill my calendar with plans and people. I want to see the lights in Dyker Heights and eat Italian food after. I want to make latkes and bake things and sip some Champagne. That means I’ll probably cook less and sleep a little less. That’s temporary though, just like this season.

I also have to return to the idea of Gentle January, which is only a few weeks away. One of the reasons it’s helped me so much is that it makes the contrast between December and January less stark (because January culture/year in review culture is intense). It’s not healthy or fun to make December the fun magical month of memories and matching pajamas and January a month of eating your vegetables and early bedtimes. If something is just another day, you can fill it however you wish—with cheesy movies, delicious cookies, cranberry lime seltzer, string lights, or none of the above. What’s more festive than that?

Now, let’s dive in:

Something to cook:

I did not lose my sense of taste this time (hurray—get your booster if you haven’t already) so I did some light cooking while I was sick. That mostly meant I made coffee and english muffin egg sandwiches in the cast iron. I toast the muffin and fry the eggs in the same pan (we love fewer dishes) and I cover it briefly to melt cheese on the muffin and finish cooking the eggs.

My parents brought me leftover Chex Party Mix from Latkes and Vodkas and it is so good.

Julia dropped off her famous ginger cookies which did brighten my spirits.

Something to order:

Before I was sick, Leah and I saw Oh, Mary with Cole Escola, which was a delight. Before the show, we split a giant sandwich at All'Antico Vinaio, an Italian sandwich shop with a few locations around the city (an Isa rec). The bread was amazing and we got La Broadway with pistachio cream, stracciatella, sun dried tomato, eggplant (we swapped out the zucchini) and arugula. The sandwiches are huge (we split one) and at $15, it’s a pre theater bargain. It’s small but we were able to find an area at the counter to eat.

Lucy’s Vegan Ginger Chicken Pho is the perfect food for when you’re sick. The mushroom broth has healing properties.

On Saturday, Dale wanted to get latkes to maintain the party spirit so he picked up Veselka. Storebought latkes are never that good (they make them too thick and large, I like them thin and crispy), but Veselka has great food and the pierogi are so comforting. I also enjoyed their veggie burger and they had great fries that didn’t get soggy in transit. Instead of vodka, he got me a Phony Negroni and a Topo Chico.