Year end was a busy time for cooking.  Learned how to make pure levain bread — no added yeast.  Made one version with whole grains, plus olives and walnuts.

Puréed San Franciscano beans, topped with sautéed greens with salt and garlic — yummy.

I really love beans, especially in the winter.  This was a mushroom-bean soup that was very satisfying.  Hearty sustenance for wintry weather.

Several glugs of Puglia olive oil are essential to every meal.

How about grilled homemade levain with a red pepper-bean purée and some chopped red onion?

Sometimes I go back to cookbooks I haven’t examined in decades.  One of those was Cirò and Sal’s Cookbook from 1987.  This was from an acclaimed chef of a famous Italian restaurant in Provincetown on Cape Cod.

I had some small calamari to play with, so I made this dish, but without the cream (unnecessary in my view).  It was perfect!

Another day I had some leftover pasta that Barbara had made.  It had butternut squash and a good bit of cheese in it.   I chose to add some contrast to the rich flavors, using radicchio di Treviso and some almond milk, then roasting it in a very hot oven.  Crispy and good.   Barbara decided to add a French chocolate cake to the menu that night.  That was pretty special, too.

Of course, we must remember to stay in tip-top physical condition.  This tea towel says it very well.  Thank you, Lynn and Dave.