When we gather the right people around our table, even a simple supper can become unforgettable. Gather was born from that spirit. This refined, low-carb dinner party for six offers more than a menu. It’s a blueprint for hosting with ease and intention, from the first text you send to invite your guests to the last bite of dessert.

It began with YouTube, which I cruise regularly for international food inspiration. Mostly I’m looking for cooks whose food makes me stop searching. That’s how I found Keiran Mustafa, a Turkish Cypriot chef in the UK whose cooking sent me straight down a rabbit hole and into a world of the incredible food of the Eastern Mediterannean.

Every year I feel torn about Thanksgiving. I love the holiday, the pause for gratitude, and the ritual of sitting down to a turkey dinner with people I love. But I’ve grown weary of the traditional treatment. So, this year I decided to take a different route: move with the spirit of the season, keep the icons, and infuse the menu with the magic of Italian flavors.

Every meal I cook for others begins with a fundamental ingredient: love. Never more so than when I’m cooking for our adopted granddaughter, Sahara, who has been a light in our lives since the day she was born. Every other Saturday, we gather for a meal, good wine and great conversation. The menu for this meal started with a new flush of tarragon in the herb pots outside my door.

If you add up all the time I’ve spent in Italy, it comes to a little over a year. But there is one trip that stands out above the rest. In 1990, we traveled to Tuscany for a series of art classes held in a castle called Gargonza. Cooking in my little kitchen in a cottage there, I discovered the legendary alchemy of Tuscan cuisine, the way their extraordinary simple ingredients created food that was truly magical.

This is one of many love letters I could write to the food, people and places in Germany that have enriched my life immeasurably. On my first visit, I was astonished by two things: the breathtaking beauty of the countryside and the absolutely incredible food. This menu draws inspiration from several distinct regional cuisines, and every dish reflects my love for Germany’s culinary traditions.

For us, Christmas Eve is a time to slow down. It’s food-focused, but not overly fussy, and sometimes we’ll go out for dinner. Last year, we indulged in a Roman-inspired Feast of the Seven Fishes at one of the few restaurants here that are open that evening. The meal was amazing, and it prompted me to put seafood at the center of our Christmas Eve menu this year.

At the first chill in the air in autumn, my thoughts inevitably turn to the question: What will I cook for a low carb Thanksgiving this year? It can take me weeks to decide. This menu is crafted from some of my very best recipes for the time of year. It’s a meal so sumptuous, no one will miss the usual carb-laden fare. Most of the dishes can be made in advance, so you can avoid the last minute frenzy.