I’m doing intermittent fasting and keto for the epic New Year’s feast we are planning.

This is the traditional Ukrainian cold meat in jelly called holodets’. It’s different from the Russian version in that the jelly is clear and almost transparent while the Russian is more cloudy.

In the meantime, the non-dieters in the household will be eating the salad called “Chrysanthemum.” Potatoes, Christmas turkey leftovers, cucumbers, boiled eggs, corn, and cheese:

Of course, my absolute favorite is the traditional Ukrainian kulish:

Kulish is supposed to be cooked outside, on an open fire, which gives it a beautiful, smoky flavor. This time, however, we didn’t bother because it takes forever to wash the soot off the pot. Kulish has ham, chicken, potatoes, egg and millet. It’s like a very thick soup or a watered down porridge. Unfortunately, it’s the opposite of keto.