The Rest of the Year

Latkes, leisure, and doing less (or trying to)

Dec 23, 2024

Hi friends,

Let’s start with the good news: we marked the winter solstice which means the days are getting longer and we have more daylight. I look forward to this moment every year.

The less good news is thatI’m dealing with more health issues as we wind down 2024. This time, it’s bronchitis. After the past 6 weeks, I’m leaning hard into rest, which is very difficult for me. Time without plans inspires me to add more to my do list. If I’m home without a scheduled activity, shouldn’t I be organizing my closet or deep cleaning the apartment or reading great novels? The answer is no. I need to be sleeping a ton, hydrating, and watching and reading feel good content (I’m watching Rivals on Hulu and reading Nora Ephron). My goals for the rest of the year include lots of that, with some gratitude journaling and low key hangs with loved ones sprinkled in for good measure. I deleted Instagram off my phone to take away some of the noise of comparison.

If I have the energy, I’ll share some 2024 favorites before we wrap the year but I’m giving myself permission to listen to the message my body is sending me and rest. If you’re feeling run down in any way, I hope you can do the same. My friend Alicia called this month Diva Down December and at least it made me laugh.

Now, let’s dive in!

Something to cook:

Zoe hosted a lovely dinner party featuring latkes (my first of the year), this delicious creamy tomato white bean dish, which she also made with chicken, and mushroom risotto. It was so nice of her to host and she was a very calm host since she made almost everything ahead of time and just had to reheat once we arrived. Also she used labneh with za’atar as a latke topping and we might need to add that to the Latkes and Vodkas rotation.

My dad gave me some za’atar croutons he made and I had them in a lil caesar salad at home (I used these pea shoots that were labeled as protein greens, which is weird but they were good). Homemade croutons are so good and a good way to avoid wasting stale bread.

Eggs and toast in a cast iron have been a staple the past month. One pan, protein, and comfort. I cover the pan for a few minutes to finish cooking the eggs and melt any cheese.

Brandon and Alyssa had a latke party so my latke consumption is progressing nicely. They had spritz stations and lots of toppings, as one should.

Something to order:

We celebrated Dale’s aunts birthday in Bronxville at Underhills Crossing and I had a delicious cavatelli with broccoli rabe. It was so garlicky and flavorful.

Leah and I got out of our respective homes on Friday for dinner at Good Thanks. I was not feeling that good but sometimes it’s better to feel bad outside of your house. It’s a change of scenery at least. We split the caesar salad and curry mussels with bread and it did not make me feel worse.

Leah spent lots of dinner convincing me to watch Real Housewives of Salt Lake City. Should I take the plunge?

On Saturday, I took a long walk to run some errands and get a much needed massage. It was very chilly so I stopped in Triple Decker Diner for a hot chocolate. I really love a not fancy hot chocolate, the kind that’s made with water and whipped cream from a can. It was also under $3 and exactly what I wanted.

everything tastes better in these cups, it’s a fact

Dale and I got Inday for dinner on Saturday, which has become a favorite in our household. I love their saag paneer and garlic naan and the leftovers are something to look forward to.

On Sunday, we got lunch at Soho House and I got this veggie panini that I would love to recreate: it’s sweet potato hummus, lightly pickled cucumber, kale, sprouts and pepperjack cheese on ciabatta. I could not recreate their fries unfortunately but that’s why we go to restaurants.

Julia and I went outside in the cold for tacos and guacamole at Mesa Coyoacan. I can always walk in there which makes it underrated in my book.

Something to read:

Should you bake your own wedding cake? A lovely read from

Alicia Kennedy

, who did just that

Dr. Lilly Jay’s essay on losing her professional anonymity and having her worst fears come true is a must read

I love Cafe Gitane and apparently it’s cooler than ever. The avocado toast is good and they also have a fantastic salad with orange, endive, and hearts of palm.

How to make guests feel special

This newsletter about the green of pine trees made me appreciate winter more than most other things I’ve read on the subject (and I’ve read a lot)

Color Stories

Chi Osse got rid of broker fees! Here are his favorite things

I’m in this story and I don’t like it: No, You Can’t Just ‘Bank’ All Your Rest During Vacations and Breaks

Why the Black American origins of mac and cheese are so hotly debated

Why Are The NY Rangers Limiting Their Social Team’s Access to Players? by

Rachel Karten

Hand a Child a Big Sharp Knife

How to be Glamorous with Chelsea Fairless and Lauren Garroni

Kara Haupt

on doing something without attempting mastery