Happy Fig Newton Day, everyone. I am afraid that as on top of things as I was last year, this year I am without newtons on this special day. After the celebrations of Peach Melba day just a few days back and the arrival of new reading in the form of cookbooks (I love after holiday sales) — well, I just plain forgot. Result? There will be no fig newtons consumed in a timely manner here. Why no last minute dash to the shops to pick them up? Especially in light of the fact that I live in Gotham and everything is either right next door or can be delivered? For two reasons.

• I am not having fig newtons delivered. That’s silly. Not out of the question if you are some people who live in my building but then, those people have the doorman carry their briefcase for them – even more silly).
• It is 10 degrees outside and yours truly, though perfectly happy to indulge in newton nibbling on occasion, isn’t such a fan that I am willing to head out into that sort of temperature (even bundled up as I would doubtless be). No.

So, I wish you and yours a Happy Fig Newton Day. I’ll be over here, prepping for some of the other key holidays of the month

• National Cheese Lover’s Day (January 20) – you know, there can never be enough said about cheese and I am really looking forward to this one.
• National Pie Day (January 23) – I still feel that this one might be just a tad out of season. I associate pie with so many others times of the year – other than January.
• National Irish Coffee Day (January 25) – after an Irish coffee breakfast most mornings of my Caribbean cruise, I have a new appreciation for this beverage.
• National Pistachio Day (January 26) – which is really for Dad since I am both lukewarm on nuts in general and late in coming to appreciate pistachios.
• National Popcorn Day (January 31) – which I am very excited about because popcorn is the BEST.

And now if you all will excuse me, I’m going to go immerse myself in Starting With Ingredients by Aliza Green. I’m rather taken with the book’s premise – or rather with its non-traditional information structure. You see, each chapter (there are 100 of them) focuses on a single ingredient – showing the different ways of prepping it, flavors to pair it with and showing its place in various ethnic culinary traditions.

It’s a book I meant to get to some time ago but I was slightly daunted by its size – 1024 pages! Enormous for a single-volume cookbook. And so I hesitated. But I’ve got it in my hands now and have started thumbing through. I shall report back.