The New Year, no matter when or where you celebrate it, is a signal of hope and rejuvenation. It is a time to reflect and think through both the good and bad that touched our lives throughout the past year. As we step into the start of our next cycle, it is also a time that we look forward, often beckoning a desire for change and betterment, however that may look. In Italy, this inevitable progression of time is celebrated with various customary practices and tradtitional food to both bid farewell to the past, and welcome the forthcoming future.

A savory-sweet scent hangs in the air, filling your head with a comforting, familiar warmth. the smell of toasted, crispy, melty cheese and rich, mouthwatering ragu instantly floods your chest with the ache of nostalgia. Ah, lasagna. This slowly braised short rib ragu layered with a simply perfect bechamel sauce makes for a lasagna worth celebrating over. Don't be afraid of the timing. Yes, it will take time, but we promise it is worth it.

One of our favorite ways to incorporate fish into a tradition Sicilian Christmas dinner is by baking it to perfection in a dome of salt. Trapping moisture within its crust, salt baking a fish results in delicate, melt in your mouth bites of fish. Serve with our preserved lemon salsa to bring a fresh taste of the Mediterranean to your Christmas table this year.

Filled with figs, spiced rum, toasted pistachios, ginger, nutmeg, and orange zest, buccellati are a delicious and decorative cookie to make with the whole family. Brimming with soul-warming spices, they speak to Sicily's history, bursting with flavors from its time under Muslim, Greek and Roman rule.

Bitter, sweet, and creamy with a zing of alcohol to tickle your throat, tiramisu is the adult version of a chocolate fudge Sunday: if it's on the menu, you're getting dessert. Traditionally made with savoiardi (lady fingers) soaked in espresso and marsala wine, mascarpone cheese, eggs, sugar, and cocoa powder, it is a rich and balanced cake that will wow any crowd.

Velvety, nostalgic, and needy, risotto is a lot like love. Much like your first encounter with the heart-hurting, all encompassing emotion, your first bite of a perfect risotto will haunt you forever. Just like love, the creamy yet textured, luscious and balanced taste of risotto has been carefully worked, ardently watched, and patiently nurtured. We've put together a little guide to help bring this beloved friend into your home on a regular basis.

Bringing influences from Arabia, Greece, Spain, and France, Sicilian caponata is an expression of the islands history. Stewed into a deliciously tangy, sweet and sour agrodolce sauce, eggplant is traditionally the hero of the classic dish. This adaptation swaps eggplant for hearty squash, making it the perfect dish to serve for the holidays.

As one of the world's leading almond producers, the delicious nut flavors many Sicilian dishes. From pastas, to fish, salads, and of course desserts, almonds have been worked into various shapes, tastes and uses to flavor local cuisine for centuries. Crisp on the outside and soft on the inside, Pasticcini Siciliana alle Mandorle (or amaretti) are a holiday favorite.