At Anna's Table: A Softer Start to the New Year With Thoughtful Intentions, a Clean Slate and Comfort Food to Nourish

My favorite week of the year is the ‘lost days’ in between Christmas and New Year, where you never really know what day it is, no matter how often you are reminded. It’s a time for lazing about, reading, napping, and basically doing not much at all. I enjoy being a homebody around this time, and I very easily get into the rhythm of wake, walk, read, nap, maybe cook, and then wonder what I’m going to do for New Year’s Eve. (No, I still don’t know, but it will involve Champagne and some stylish New Year's Eve decor ideas).

Time to Pause and Reset

I avoid hardcore New Year’s resolutions – any unrealistic expectations of fitness, diet, goals all go out the window in a fit of rebellion the minute we hit the last week of January, so no juice-a-thons for me. I’d rather use this time as a pause, a week to consider the year to come and start my new weekly Moleskine diary (Amazon) (I’m old school). I consider how I’d like to evolve, and I try to add one clean-up chore (too many are overwhelming). This year I’m considering either purging the wardrobe (how many holey misshapen tee-shirts can you have?!) or organizing the garage – I’m leaning toward the latter.

Switch to Lighter Dishes

Foodwise, after the gorging of the holiday season, I’m happy to return to simple, good-ish-for-you dishes. I never begin a diet in January, but I do crave a lighter touch. It’s easier to lean into that while I’m in Australia post-holiday (see my last column on my rules for a relaxing Christmas wherever you are) – having fled the snowy, windy North Fork and NYC – because it’s summer and the food is so fresh, with lots of Mediterranean and Asian influences. When I’m back in colder climates for January and February, that lighter touch shows up as cozy comfort food done gently: hearty vegetable-based soups and broths, bright winter salads, simple tomato-based curries bursting with flavor, roast meats, and chilis.

This is also when I start batch-cooking again – simply doubling everything and freezing it. This style of cooking gets me through most of the winter months. I love comfort food, but at this stage, my gut just isn’t happy with super-rich dishes anymore, so I save those for dinner parties or restaurant treats. Simple vegetable dishes, especially with Middle Eastern or Persian flavours, lift my mood the most.

A Favorite Recipe, Many Ways

One of these recipes that has sustained me for years is Ottolenghi's Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yoghurt from the cookbook Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi (Amazon). I’ve cooked this so often that my friends think I invented it, and I’m always asked to share it. It's heavy in my rotation because it’s all the good things: A main dish that’s quick to prep, uses just one pan, and is layered with those OMG-its-so-good gutsy flavours you just want more of. The magic of this dish is in the serving, when the bursting, charred, hot tomatoes contrast with the cold yogurt. I have adapted this recipe in so many ways, but I always double the base tomato recipe. Load up sheet pans, cook, cool and freeze flat in Zip Lock bags or plastic containers for later. I’ve also turned it into a base for baked eggs for breakfast, into soups and stews, but sometimes I just have it on toast as a snack.

Hot Charred Cherry Tomatoes with Cold Yogurt (serves 4-6)

I know this recipe by heart, and adapt it in many ways. Sometimes I add a teaspoon of fennel seeds or a grating of fresh ginger, always thyme sprigs, and I add the grated zest lemon directly into the pan rather than the yogurt. Sometimes I just roast the tomatoes for 20 to 25 minutes until bubbling and a little browned, other times I do as Ottolenghi does, and broil / grill for five to eight minutes to blister the skins.

I serve it as a main course for a mezze style appetiser with pita or sometimes as a side – it is great with grilled beef, roast lamb, pan-roasted chicken thighs, and a green salad.

• Heat oven to 400°F / 200°C. Toss 500g cherry tomatoes with 2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil ,1 tablespoon each cumin and fennel seeds, 3–4 garlic cloves flattened with the back of a knife and sliced finely.
• Add a strip of peeled lemon zest and finely grate the remainder and add to the dish with thyme and oregano sprigs, a pinch of chili flakes to taste, a pinch of sugar and season with sea salt, and a good grind of black pepper..
• Roast 20–25 minutes until bubbling and lightly browned. For blistered skins, grill/broil for an additional 5–8 minutes.
• Spread plain full-fat Greek yogurt (about 1 cup/240 ml) on a chilled serving dish and spoon the hot tomatoes and juices over the cold yogurt, scatter with fresh oregano leaves, a few extra lemon strips, and drizzle with olive oil.

Kitchen Must-Haves For the New Year

For many of my friends, a New Year’s 'resolution' looks less like a complete life overhaul and more like a thoughtful kitchen refresh – specifically, clearing out tired plastics and cooking with better, longer-lasting utensils made from non-toxic materials. If you’re thinking about resetting your kitchen this year, these are a few must-have pieces I truly can’t cook without. They’re the kinds of everyday essentials that make meals feel better from the start, replacing disposable or questionable tools with things designed to last.

With that, I hope yours is the celebration you want it to be. I'll be soaking up the sun in Australia with family and friends. Looking forward to a new year of eating, dining, gardening, and homebodying. Follow along for more food, style, and other adventures @Anna_Last on Insta and more in my newsletter Bread & Gravy. Cheers!

At Anna's Table is a biweekly column and modern guide to Savoir-Faire, in which Homes & Gardens' Editorial Director, Anna Last, shares a glimpse into the mindset of the moment, as well as what she's doing in her kitchen and bringing to the table with the best of the season's produce.