Coco for Carrots: From Instagram Scroll to Christmas Tradition

Just before Thanksgiving my mom forwarded an Instagram reel. It was a yummy looking cooking video, a recipe that felt a lot like Thanksgiving stuffing but with a distinctly French flair. She actually sent it to Carrie, my wife and co-winemaker, who then showed it to me, knowing full well that I somehow manage to be our social media director while barely following social media at all. Small family business irony at its finest.

The account belongs to Coco Larkin, who has over one million Instagram followers. My mom ended up making that stuffing dish, panade, for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, we missed it since we were out of town for our daughter’s soccer tournament. Still, the reel stuck with me enough that I went back and started scrolling through Coco’s posts.

Two dishes caught my attention.

The first looked like a deeply caramelized, almost blackened scalloped potato dish. Only it was not potatoes at all. It turned out to be celery root, sliced and baked until charred and bubbly. I had never cooked celery root before, but suddenly I was intrigued.

The second was a creamy carrot dish that Coco claimed she makes every Christmas, inspired by a recipe from Julia Child. That alone hit a nostalgic nerve. As a kid, I loved watching The Galloping Gourmet, and occasionally Julia would come on with Jacques Pépin. Years later, I was equally thrilled seeing Julia’s kitchen meticulously recreated at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC.

Fast forward to Christmas 2025.

Carrie’s mom, Holly, was recovering at home from a hip replacement, so we planned to bring the feast to her house. Her only request was a leg of lamb, which I was more than happy to cook, using a past wine club recipe we have been making for over twenty years. But I insisted we also make those two Coco-inspired dishes. It felt like a bit of a gamble since I had not cooked either of them before. Christmas is not the time to experiment unless you are willing to eat the consequences. But our group was game.

The celery root turned out beautifully. Earthy, rich, and surprisingly elegant. That said, next time I would absolutely add some cheese for extra depth. It is Christmas after all. The creamy carrots, though, were flawless. They were cooked slowly in a roux, infused with fresh bay leaves gifted to us by our former wine club manager Connie. Simple, comforting, and quietly luxurious.

Even our daughter’s boyfriend agreed that the carrots were the highlight of the meal. Better yet, they paired seamlessly with our Patriarche wine. The carrots’ natural sweetness and creamy texture softened the wine’s structure, while the savory bay leaf brought out its herbal notes.

Now this is where I would normally paste in the recipe, but Julia’s version is quite different from Coco’s. We ended up watching the reel over and over again, following her steps and winging it along the way. She does have a Substack where you can pay for her content, but sometimes it is more fun to improvise.  We do have our lamb recipe below, however.

It was one of those moments where everything at the table lined up perfectly. Sometimes all it takes is a random Instagram reel forwarded by your mom to spark a new holiday tradition.

Thanks Mom. I love you.
Josh Bendick
Co-winemaker

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

Marinade
1/3 cup olive oil 4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/3 cup red wine
¾ tsp dry mustard
1/2 tsp black pepper
¾ tsp paprika 1 tsp kosher salt
¼ cup chopped mint leaves
1 tbsp herbes de Provence
1 leg of lamb, boned & butterflied

Combine Marinade ingredients in bowl and whisk. Add lamb to marinade and let sit
overnight. Grill over medium- hot coals until cooked to desired doneness. Let rest
and then slice and enjoy with good friends and Holly’s Hill wine!