Ho ho ho!

Some gifts I received for Christmas:

• a pizza stone
• a food mill
• a blown glass ornament in the shape of a fat chef
• an All-Clad 1/2 quart butter warmer
• an AudioBook of My Life in France by Julia Child
• a Lunares platter, shaped like an artist's palette (perfect for garde manger)
• The Kitchen Diaries by Nigel Slater; Setting the Table by Danny Meyer
• three heat-resistant spatulas (red)

Today's project: minestrone soup.