Entertaining in the new year

In terms of hoping for a new you, think small.

The other day, my friend Asta said she decided to be nice to her husband till March, which I thought was sensible. In March you can renegotiate.

Remember your kitchen is the seat of all happiness and magic. The realm where you prepare food for other people should be a place where only good reigns.

Start the new year fresh by  going though your kitchen and throwing out any spice which has been in the cupboard for more than three months.

Take everything out of the fridge, clean it and put only the fragrant stuff back in.

Start the culinary year as you would like it to continue – eat and entertain seasonally.

Basil’s in full season in January, so make your own pesto and plop it on fresh vegetable soups or slather it on
lamb chops.

Stone fruit is also coming in. Drown them in verjuice, black pepper and vanilla syrup, or roast with chicken.

You want to be cooking food that looks fabulous but is relatively effortless and doesn’t keep you away from your guests.

Clear out clutter, throw away broken plates and trash all chipped glasses.

Make everything simple and new. Put white flowers everywhere.

If a whisk passes through the recipe of your life, stirring it up, don’t resist it.

Pesto
100g fresh basil leaves
8 tbsp olive oil
25g pine nuts (or more)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Sea salt
50g freshly grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp freshly grated pecorino cheese
40g butter

1. Put basil, oil, pine nuts, garlic and salt in the food processor. Blend till smooth.

2. Place in a bowl and stir in the cheese by hand. Mix in the softened butter.

NB If serving with pasta, add a tablespoon of the water the pasta has been cooked in before serving.