Cooking for the Holidays

December 2020

The holiday season is all about bringing together family and friends with fantastic food. And there’s no better place to host than the no-fee luxury rentals at 555TEN. The kitchens here feature premium stainless-steel appliances for storing and cooking—plus quartz-stone countertops for food prep and dishing up in style. Here are some delicious recipes to try in your apartment as part of a seasonal soiree.

Spinach Tortellini Soup

A steaming bowl of soup is just what’s called for on a chilly Midtown day. This spinach tortellini recipe is blissfully simple to make: add cheese tortellini to stewed tomatoes, chicken stock, and spinach, then season with minced garlic and basil. Top tip: this soup tastes even better if your guests have begun their visit to 555TEN with a bracing dip in the Skytop Pool, with its dazzling views of Manhattan and the Hudson River. Send them up there first, and it’ll give you the time you need to finish making the meal too.

Black Bean Spaghetti Carbonara

Carbonara is a sure-fire winner in the winter months. But for this particular main course, eschew the usual weighty pasta in favor of this black bean spaghetti dish. It’s got all the rich flavors of a carbonara—smoked pancetta, eggs, double cream—but it’s lower-carb and a tad healthier. The unusual color of the spaghetti provides a talking point as well. Serve it up in the apartment living room, accompanied by wintry vistas of NYC plus a bottle or two of organic Toscana red from local Odyssey Wine & Spirits.

Barefoot Contessa’s Old-Fashioned Apple Crisp

Here’s the show-stealer for your get-together: a good old-fashioned apple crisp spiked with zingy orange and lemon juice and spiced up with nutmeg and cinnamon. This scrummy dessert is all about the juxtaposing textures and tastes: a soft, molten apple filling; crumbly, chewy oatmeal topping; and a generous scoop of vanilla ice cream to finish. If you hadn’t already won your guests over, you have now.

After-Dinner Digestif

The food may be polished off, but the party’s not over yet. Ascend to the 56th story of 555TEN to indulge in post-dinner digestifs with a view. While you and your friends and family sip a Calvados or Armagnac in the intimate lounge and bar—complete with indoor-outdoor fireplace—drink in the expansive views and regale yourselves with stories of holiday seasons gone by. 2020 may have been a strange year, but your guests will always remember this party fondly.