Brothy cannellini beans, a crunchy radicchio fennel salad, and a night out at the ballet.

Plus, a bit of This & That.

A Night Out At The Ballet

Andre and I love gifting experiences to people. When we found out Andre's parents were visiting for the holiday, we knew the perfect Christmas present would be a night out at the Teatro Reggio Torino. Nestled in the heart of Turin, this historic theater stands as a testament to the city's rich cultural heritage and love for the performing arts. Over the centuries, the theater has gone through various renovations and architectural styles and was a must-do on all of our Torinese friends' lists of things to experience while in Turin. The theater hosts incredible performances by world-renowned artists throughout the year, from opera to symphonies and ballets. We chose the season's ballet, a rendition of Don Quixote by the Kyiv National Opera Theater company.

It was so much fun to have such a special night out. Everyone was dressed up for the evening, and as we made our way to our seats, we got to take in the beauty of the space. The theater is relatively small with wonderful acoustics, so you will have a great experience watching a performance no matter where you are. The dancers were spectacular, and we were all transported to another place and time throughout the performance. It was a beautiful reminder to invest in experiences with the people we love, making memories that will stay with us forever. So, next time you want to do something special for someone, consider buying tickets to that concert, going out for a night at the ballet, or seeing one of your favorite old movies in the theater.

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Brothy Cannellini Beans with White Wine, Fennel, and Pecorino Romano

A new year is here, and now that all of our kitchen supplies have arrived from Los Angeles, we've finally started cooking again. And, to me, there is no better feeling than using what you have in the fridge and coming up with a new recipe that hits all the notes. These brothy beans are just that. I grabbed leftover vegetables and white wine in the fridge and added some dried cannellini beans. In a few hours, the result of this slow-cooked dish was brothy, savory, and unbelievably satisfying creamy beans that I ended up using three different ways over the week:

1. I folded the finished beans into cooked Ditalini pasta, making a fagioliesque dish.

2. I warmed the beans in the morning and topped them with a fried egg. If only I had some toast to dip in the runny yolk!

3. Just on their own, piping hot in a bowl drizzled with olive oil, a generous grating of pecorino romano, and some freshly cracked black pepper to finish.

It's a no-fuss one-pot dish and the kind of dish I dream about. Andre keeps saying, "Babe, those beans!!!!!".

BROTHY CANNELLINI BEANS WITH WHITE WINE, FENNEL, AND PECORINO ROMANO

Serves 6

• 400 grams dried cannellini beans (about 14oz dried beans)

• 2/3 cups pancetta, finely diced

• 1/3 cup dry white wine

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and left whole

• 2 small onions peeled and quartered 

• 1 fennel bulb, ends trimmed, thinly sliced

• 4 small celery ribs, ends trimmed, cut into large chunks

• A few sprigs of parsley

• 1/2 cup olive oil + more for finishing

• 6 cups water 

• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 

• Sea salt 

• Black pepper

• Pecorino Romano