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Happy Birthday @Maison Rustique! Your birthday meal looks fabulous! Looks stellar! Sure you’re not from the south? This is a cheat picture. I cooked and ate this New Year’s Day meal (except for the cornbread, unfortunately), but this is not my plate.

Your version of “making do” is creating a feast! You always have the most beautiful and inventive spreads, and this is no exception. Kudos. This seems like a perfect NYE meal. Presented beautifully. 😍 🔥 Lovely feast. Those bacon wrapped dates are calling my name! Lobster, oysters, apple galette! 😍 Let the celebrations begin!

Happy Birthday @Maison Rustique!! I'm superstitious too, @Norm Matthews. The last few months of 2025 were a lot but I know it could have been worse so why not do all we can for luck lol. I did ham steak with mustard sauce, Hoppin John --used Super Lucky 2026 Rancho Gordo BEP's, deviled eggs and cheesy brussels sprouts (I figure those count for cabbages/money)

Patti, you did so great! I'm sitting here wishing I had a big plate with everything on it. I don't ever soak black eyed peas, either.

You know those big water pitchers they use for drinking water in meeting rooms and buffets? For a 4 inch-deep hotel pan, I used those and did 2 of rice, 3 of water. Cover the pan well (we used the heavy commercial plastic wrap, then foil) and pop it in your oven. Sadly I don't recall the actual cooking time, which is fairly important, but it was probably something in the range of 45 minutes to an hour.

Was taught a similar cake way back in grade 7 - Schwenkfelder Cake it was called - had saffron in it. Got replaced with another breakfast type cake later that didn't require yeast - but it was my go to for a number of years.

Here's a look at my quail condo this morning, looking more like a quail-sized "ski chateau." And yes, the deep snow in front of it is my driveway, so the snowblower and I will be taking some exercise together once I've finished my article this morning. Not pictured: the chicken run, the middle of which has collapsed under the snow load. I really should have thought about that when I got home and saw how the snow was falling. If I'd swept the roof then, and again at 10 when I was out to give the critters their night-time feeding, it probably would have been fine. Now I have a reclamation project ahead of me that will soak up a few afternoons of my time.

🎵 Let’s start at the very beginning. A very good place to start. 🎵 As previously posted, a generous eGullet member donated a variety box of Rancho Gordo beans to be used in community fridge meals. That box included two packages of black eyed peas, which southerners believe symbolize coins and abundance. Usually served with some type of greens (money) and cornbread (gold). Prosperity and good fortune for the coming year! Because my goal is to make 24 meals of generous portion sizes (and my neurotic desire to make sure there is “enough”), I decided to also cook 2 more pounds of peas, using the local favorite brand, Camellia. Also, my husband wanted to be sure there was enough for his own New Year’s Day meal! I found out just last week that you can buy ham bones from the Honey Baked Ham store when they are available. They were available, and I bought two, at $5.99 each. I consider it a bargain because there really was a good amount of ham attached. A ham for each pot of beans. First things first. Rinsing and sorting. There is often debate about whether or not to soak the beans, and if you do, for how long? I decided against soaking for two reasons. First, I wanted the longer cooking time to make sure the ham bone had time to do its job. B, Rancho Gordo black eyed pea package instructions did not include soaking! Who am I to argue (this time)? It’s probably because they are thin skinned, comme moi. So. After the rinsing and sorting, aromatics were sautéed in bacon grease from my bacon grease crock. The RG peas were cooked in an 8 quart stock pot, while the Camellias were cooked in a larger roaster. Instead of choosing pots for their usual function, I have to choose by size. My largest Dutch oven is 7 1/4 quarts, but I have larger roasters and stock pots. Two pounds of beans or peas needs at least an 8 quart pot. After the veg was sautéed, the ham bone, rinsed and sorted black eyes, and a few bay leaves were added to the pot, along with enough water to cover the beans by an inch or so. Pot 1 Pot 2 And eventually: Pot 1 Pot 2 At some point between those pics, smoked sausage, seasoning, and a couple of tablespoons of tomato paste were added. I didn’t add salt early in the cooking, according to package directions. But the ham added salt, so I don’t know if that is theoretically a bad thing or not. Taste wise, it was a good thing! The pot of Rancho Gordo beans had more liquid and it was brothier. I didn’t want to cook the liquid down at the risk of over cooking the peas, and they were done, and tasted delicious! I was very pleased with the result. The Camellias took a little longer to cook, and in the end, were thicker. There were a number of variables at play, but both pots of beans tasted good. While the original plan for the cabbage included tasso, getting the ham changed that. I’d already bought smoked sausage, and decided to use that in both the peas and the cabbage. Here is the beginning of the cabbage prep. I used five heads, and this was one. Fried cabbage usually starts with bacon. This was two pounds. The onions need to fry in the rendered bacon fat. And so did the cabbage. Seasoning included celery seed, salt, black pepper, sugar. A little chicken broth to let it lightly simmer to tenderize some, but I wanted a little bite to it, no mush. For the cornbread, I did my usual 6 packs of Jiffy in a sheet pan, adding some grated cheddar and some pickled jalapeño slices into the mix. The last time I made cornbread for a CFM, the cornbread seemed a little dry. This time I took a stick of butter and rubbed it all over the surface of the cornbread while it was still warm and uncut. I used half a stick of butter over the 24 pieces. It looked purty. No pics of the two rice cookers making rice. I really need to learn how to make rice in the oven in a hotel pan. Note: I usually like to mix the food cooked in separate pots, but I didn’t do that with these. I wanted the flavors of each to show. But about midway, I admit I did start mixing a scoop of the brothier peas with a scoop of the thicker peas. Apologies to the purists. The plated meal: Delivered, about 12:30 pm yesterday. There are only 20 plates in the fridge because a mother and her children took four as we were unloading. Happy New Year!

Thanks for your suggestion about the ladyfingers. I more or less settled on a method that is like yours, but with less work. I use whole eggs and beat the mixture, but not over heat (it doesn't rise much). Then I spread it on Silpats and bake it until it begins to brown, and then grind it into powder. It is the taste I want, so the rise is not important. I could not tell the difference in taste between this version and the traditional method. My recipe for tiramisu bonbons is one I developed based on the ideas of others (and my own experience of tasting tiramisu). I first tried Kalle Jungstedt's recipe, but tiramisu must be different in Sweden because it had an almond flavor. So I use a typical coffee ganache, with cream (steeping coffee beans in it beforehand) and a mixture of extra-dark chocolate, white chocolate. and a little extra cocoa butter. To that I add mascarpone and Kahlua. This combination gives a noticeable coffee flavor, but it's diluted enough (with white chocolate and cocoa butter) so that the coffee doesn't totally dominate and the mascarpone and ladyfinger flavors show up. I pipe this ganache into a mold, filling the cavities about 2/3. Later I mix the ground "ladyfingers" with caramelized white chocolate, cocoa butter, and sea salt and pipe that on top of the coffee ganache. I haven't tried Madeira or marsala; I don't think I would want to add additional flavors, but it is an idea worth pursuing. The aW reading of my ganache is 0.83. According to Melissa Coppel, that translates to 3-6 weeks. First, I think a span of 3-6 weeks isn't a terribly useful guide. Second, 0.83 is higher than I like to go. I think that if I replace some of the glucose added to the ganache with sorbitol, I could lower the water content, but haven't had time to try that yet.

Since NYE is my birthday, my sister and BIL treated me to a night out at our favorite local restaurant, Osteria Bianchi. It was absolutely stellar. Here is the menu. We all started with the beet salad and it was fantastic. I had the Rotolo and sis and BIL both had lobster risotto. Then I had Veal Osso Buco and both of them had the short rib. For dessert, we had Pistachio Souffle. We had their wine pairings so I don't recall what they all were. I know we started with a French Chablis and a Chateauneuf du Pape with the Osso Buco. We had a bottle of prosecco with dessert and then a little champagne when we got home--most of which went home with them the next day, as we went to bed at 9:30. Old people.

A quiet New Years Eve for husband and I. We had steak frites and salad for New Years Day… two sauces one green peppercorn with cream and the other creamy horseradish. i couldn’t choose which one, so had both.

Thank you! What did you end up making with them?

I often utilize a Stella Parks recipe for ladyfingers which uses whole eggs. Whole eggs and sugar/salt are whisked to 165°F in a pate a bombe mixture in a double boiler (I use my mixing bowl as the top bowl since you will be moving it to the mixer next). Take to mixer, put on your whisk and whip until tripled or so in size (I think her recipe calls for quadruple, but I am not sure it ever gets that much). Fold in zest (if using), flour, and cornstarch mixture. You can search for her recipe or I can post it here. I have to assume you could spread on a silpat and bake like a cake instead of piping out the individual fingers. Even if you pipe them out, they puff up normal like a the old school separated eggs version. I make a lot of tiramisu for clients so I make it a lot. It's very easy and quick. If you do not mind, what are you doing for your mascarpone layer? I was wanting to do a bonbon and was trying to decide what to use. I thought about a mascarpone type of whipped cream stabilized with a little cream cheese? But worried about that shelf life. I saw a few years ago you tried the cheesecake mixture, but were unhappy with it. I think maybe that could still work if tinkered with. And get Madeira or Marsala in it to help with flavor and maybe the water activity?

I think it’s quite a Japanese thing to be able to get into a tiny restaurant with the help of someone who has already been. and that’s a neighborhood which has often been a center of good, little Japanese restaurants that fly or flew under the radar.

My first lunch of the year and boy, was I ready for it! 手撕鸡 (shǒu sī jī), Hand Torn Chicken in a spicy sauce. With rice. Originally, a Cantonese dish it has been adopted China wide and modified to suit taste buds in other regions. Not many Cantonese people would want my spicy version. Their loss!

New Years Day Hoppin John with skillet cornbread.

My mom was born into a poor family who lost their farm during the Depression in Arkansas She was superstitious about having black eyed peas (for good luck) on New Years Day. Just for fun I have had a traditional Southern New Years Day meal every year until I didn't. The next day I broke my ankle. Now I am superstitious too. Charlie is tired of ham hocks and does not like black eyed peas. He likes collard greens and corn bread. I was going to get a prime rib roast but a two rib roast was $100.00. That was too much money and too much meat for the two of us. I got two rib eye steaks, cooked the greens with some bacon and ham and made a cheesy dip with the black eyed peas. I think next year, I'll make Hoppin John to see if he will like eyed peas with rice. Oh the black beans are a Southwestern American Indian staple that almost went extinct when they were moved to reservations but is making a comeback.

🙂 132F x 30-40 min. Shrimps are ziploc bagged with enough melted butter to cover them, a tsp or 2 of sherry vinegar (don't leave this out) and half a tsp of sweet pimenton. Served on toasted baguette.

Finished off my Dungeness. Grilled crab sandwich with provolone. It was a much better price than Nick’s in Pacifica. They are up to $60 a sandwich 😵‍💫.

The turkey that keeps on giving, and yet another episode of “things in bowls”. I’m calling this poultry rice porridge.

I'm intrigued. Could you provide instructions for this Butter-poached (SV) pimenton shrimp please?

Sort of a combi-post as we spent Christmas together then my wife and son went up north to be with her ailing parents up until New Year's Eve day. So a non-traditional Christmas dinner of baguettes, little tartines with salmon cured and smoked at home, pork rillettes with plum butter; butternut squash soup; muscovy duck confit with Brussel sprouts, Joel Robuchon's pommes purée and mustard sauce (this and the soup directly from Keller's Bouchon book); and a Bûche de Noel (just a photo of the meringue mushrooms here - yes, from La Technique, which I cooked through cover to cover as a kid of 12-13). They drove home in terrible road conditions and a snowstorm once they arrived back to Madison, so we were all relieved. I'd made them boeuf bourguignon that started on Sunday and had been sitting in its jus until yesterday. None of us made it to midnight so tonight we continue with a smaller house Champagne that our wine store recommended, as we prefer good yeastiness/breadiness and they said this fits the bill and more. Never had it so we're eager to try it. Hope you all enjoyed a good holiday season and are looking forward to a year of peace, happiness and good cooking.

Do you deep fry your Appelflappen? That one was a Mr. Google lookup along with Oliebollen.

I’m going to use it to carry all my bad decisions. It’s surprisingly spacious.🥸 I am really thinking I will go back and snag a couple more of these.