I love the holidays! Gathering and hosting friends and family fills me up, and I love every aspect of the process - planning, prepping, cooking, styling, and enjoying the gift of being together. Holiday traditions are so vital - they bring us together, steady us, and remind us of what is truly important.
One of my favorite traditions is making pasta on Christmas Eve with my children. We've been keeping this tradition alive for 15 or 20 years now, and we look forward to it every year. At PPI, designing spaces to gather with family and friends—places to celebrate old traditions and form new ones—is at the heart of what we do. So for the past few years, l extended my beloved pasta-making tradition to our team. We switched it up and, in place of a more typical holiday party, we came together at home to cook together and gather around the table, deepening relationships. It's on repeat for this year and, just like that, a new tradition is born!
Cheers!
A FEW OF PAULINA'S FAVORITE THINGS
Beginning a new tradition can be as easy as gathering around the stove - or in our case, the
pasta-maker! Here are a few of Paulina's picks to get you started.
"Making pasta is as easy as picking up the pasta-making attachment for your Kitchen Aid mixer."
"Keep it easy by making the sauces ahead. My favorite sauces are Classic Bolognese and Basil Pesto. My favorite pasta recipes are from Mario Batali's Cookbook: Simple Italian Food."
"It's all about the fun. I love the cheeky cocktail napkins from Hudson Grace. I pull them out every time."
OUR FAVORITE COCKTAIL FOR THE HOLIDAYS:
ST. GERMAIN CRANBERRY ELIXIR
What's In It?
½ oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur
1 oz Vodka
1 oz Cranberry Juice
½ oz Fresh Lemon Juice
1 tsp Simple Syrup
How To Make:
Fill a cocktail shaker half full with ice cubes, add all ingredients and gently shake. Pour into a rock glass and garnish with a slice of lemon.