New Year's Cooking 2025/2026

[Maison Rustique]

I couldn't find a topic about this so am starting one.

 

I just made a small batch of this to see how it is. I had issues. First I burned the salami (not a problem for me). Then the salami didn't give off much fat so I had to add a splash of evoo. Then I used a salt I hadn't used before and over salted it. I'm fine with it and the recipe is tasty. I just need to pay attention next time. 

 

Yesterday I made my black eyed peas, but for the first time since RG began, I did not have their beans to use. I had to make do with supermarket beans! We did not have ham over the holidays so I had to buy a little bit and was not happy with that. Couldn't get the mustard greens I wanted, so have collards and turnips greens. I decided on a whim to use Penzey's Ozark blend in it. Fingers crossed it turns out OK.

 

[Darienne]

That first recipe with salami, dates and pecans sounds like a strange one to me...but then I put chocolate, almonds, olives and fruit in my Picadllo which tends to 'freak' folks out.  And I remember the first time I fed the young man working on the farm...one of son Ken's buddies... a grilled cheese sandwich and he asked where the maple syrup was.  

[Maison Rustique]

The nut recipe was a real hit today with my sister and BIL. I definitely have to make it again. And after it sat a while, it didn't seem so salty.

[TdeV]

Thanks for that recipe, @Maison Rustique. Looks Delish.

 

How did you eat it? With spoons? Or crackers? Or cheese?

[Maison Rustique]

10 hours ago, TdeV said:

Thanks for that recipe, @Maison Rustique. Looks Delish.

 

How did you eat it? With spoons? Or crackers? Or cheese?

 

Just as nibbles--like a snack mix. I did decide that when I make it again, I may cut some small cubes of a semi-hard cheese of some sort to add to it.

[TdeV]

1 minute ago, Maison Rustique said:

Just as nibbles--like a snack mix. I did decide that when I make it again, I may cut some small cubes of a semi-hard cheese of some sort to add to it.

 

With your fingers then.

[Duvel]

We are still in Spain and had some friends over. Little one opted for Japanese, so I had to improvise a bit without my pantry …

 

Hakushu highball (not improvised) for the cook …

 

 

Half of the table (second part was blurry)

 

 

Pickled cucumbers & pickles radish (on the right) …
 

 

Edamame …
 

 

Tuna tataki …
 

 

Karaage. Three plates of this disappeared in a flash …
 

 

Fried aubergine, marinated in mentsuyu …
 

 

Spinach tofu salad with sesame dressing …
 

 

Okonomiyaki …
 

Steamed shrimp with ginger & mentsuyu …

 

Yakisoba. Little one requested ramen, but that’s difficult for 10 people …

 

 

“At least make some marinated eggs” … ok 😎
 

 

Choya plum as dessert wine, with chocolates & fruits.

 

 

 No complaints 🥳

[Ann_T]

@Duvel HAPPY NEW YEAR!!.  What a way to bring in the New Year with that amazing feast.   

At some point will you please share your recipe the for the Karaage.

 

We kept it simple with just the smoked salmon with homemade bagels.

 

Served with a bottle of  a 2022 Blanc de Blanc Brut from Fort Berens Estate Winery.  

[gfweb]

Tapas-ish dinner on NYE

 

Tinned octopus with lemon and olive oil

 

Deviled egg with candied bacon, bacon-wrapped dates with chorizo inside

 

Butter-poached (SV) pimenton shrimp

[Shelby]

Splurged on some lobster tails.  Thanks to @weinoo @KennethT@gfweb @rotuts and everyone else that helped me on the SV thread!  They turned out perfectly.

 

 

Also splurged on some Wellfleet Oysters (always makes me think of @liamsaunt)

 

 

 

Cheesy potatoes and roasted asparagus

 

 

Ronnie didn't get any apple galette on Christmas Eve so I made another one for dessert

 

 

 

Happy New Year everyone!!

 

 

[Darienne]

Gosh, we old guys had steamed broccoli with a cheese sauce for Ed and olive oil and lemon juice for yours truly.  Yes, that's the entire dinner.  We have 'dinner' at noon.  My go-to chocolate cake for dessert and we turned out the lights at 10:00 pm.   Be still my beating heart.

 

Todays noon dinner is salmon with lime juice and baked potatoes.  With newly churned vanilla ice cream for Ed...I make it and he churns it...and a couple of dark chocolate wafers for me.

[YvetteMT]

My NYE is closer to @Darienne than anyone else's!

This is the first year in many that partner and I were together- he is usually away hunting and both of us asleep long before the ball drop! We made it to midnight this year. 

Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, brussel sprouts with bacon. 

 

Since we are both northerners, neither greens nor beans are a tradition for us.  I've usually tried to do pork of some sort for the first and partner requested BLTs a few days ago so that's for dinner tonight. 

 

[ElsieD]

We were going to have tourtière, gravy, squash and Serious Eats Crispy French Fries.  But then, since my Dutch heritage calls for appleflappen and oliebollen for New Years Eve by the time i made them, 2 dozen of appleflappen, 4 1/2 dozen oliebollen, I couldn't face the thought of making the fries.  So instead I thawed out some cabbage soup and baked some ham and cheese scones to go with it.  Oliebollen for dessert.  Today will be tourtière and fries day.

 

Made it to 11:40 last night.  John tells me he lasted through midnight but not by much.

[Darienne]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

We were going to have tourtière, gravy, squash and Serious Eats Crispy French Fries.  But then, since my Dutch heritage calls for appleflappen and oliebollen for New Years Eve by the time i made them, 2 dozen of appleflappen, 4 1/2 dozen oliebollen, I couldn't face the thought of making the fries.  So instead I thawed out some cabbage soup and baked some ham and cheese scones to go with it.  Oliebollen for dessert.  Today will be tourtière and fries day.

 

Made it to 11:40 last night.  John tells me he lasted through midnight but not by much.

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

[paul o' vendange]

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.

Edited Thursday at 07:48 PM by paul o' vendange (log)

[TdeV]

7 hours ago, gfweb said:

Tapas-ish dinner on NYE

 

<snip>

 

Butter-poached (SV) pimenton shrimp

 

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

[gfweb]

2 hours ago, TdeV said:

 

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

 

🙂

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.

[Norm Matthews]

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. 

Edited Thursday at 11:54 PM by Norm Matthews (log)

[Maison Rustique]

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. 

[Shelby]

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]

On 1/1/2026 at 7:07 AM, Duvel said:

We are still in Spain and had some friends over. Little one opted for Japanese, so I had to improvise a bit without my pantry …

 

Hakushu highball (not improvised) for the cook …

 

 

Half of the table (second part was blurry)

 

 

Pickled cucumbers & pickles radish (on the right) …
 

 

Edamame …
 

 

Tuna tataki …
 

 

Karaage. Three plates of this disappeared in a flash …
 

 

Fried aubergine, marinated in mentsuyu …
 

 

Spinach tofu salad with sesame dressing …
 

 

Okonomiyaki …
 

Steamed shrimp with ginger & mentsuyu …

 

Yakisoba. Little one requested ramen, but that’s difficult for 10 people …

 

 

“At least make some marinated eggs” … ok 😎
 

 

Choya plum as dessert wine, with chocolates & fruits.

 

 

 No complaints 🥳

 

Your version of “making do” is creating a feast! You always have the most beautiful and inventive spreads, and this is no exception. Kudos.

 

On 1/1/2026 at 7:32 AM, Ann_T said:

@Duvel HAPPY NEW YEAR!!.  What a way to bring in the New Year with that amazing feast.   

At some point will you please share your recipe the for the Karaage.

 

We kept it simple with just the smoked salmon with homemade bagels.

 

Served with a bottle of  a 2022 Blanc de Blanc Brut from Fort Berens Estate Winery.  

 

This seems like a perfect NYE meal. Presented beautifully. 😍 🔥

 

 

On 1/1/2026 at 7:54 AM, gfweb said:

Tapas-ish dinner on NYE

 

Tinned octopus with lemon and olive oil

 

Deviled egg with candied bacon, bacon-wrapped dates with chorizo inside

 

Butter-poached (SV) pimenton shrimp

 

Lovely feast. Those bacon wrapped dates are calling my name!

 

22 hours ago, Shelby said:

Splurged on some lobster tails.  Thanks to @weinoo @KennethT@gfweb @rotuts and everyone else that helped me on the SV thread!  They turned out perfectly.

 

 

Also splurged on some Wellfleet Oysters (always makes me think of @liamsaunt)

 

 

 

Cheesy potatoes and roasted asparagus

 

 

Ronnie didn't get any apple galette on Christmas Eve so I made another one for dessert

 

 

 

Happy New Year everyone!!

 

 

 

Lobster, oysters, apple galette! 😍 Let the celebrations begin!

[patti]

2 hours ago, Maison Rustique said:

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. 

 

 

Happy Birthday @Maison Rustique! Your birthday meal looks fabulous!

 

36 minutes ago, Shelby said:

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)

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

 

[Steve Irby]

We had some pretty cold weather forecast for the Florida Panhandle so I decided to devote NYE and NY to sausage production.  I prepared my spice formulations on NYE and mixed them with the requisite ratios of pork shoulder, belly and fat.  I prepared two different formulation for a total of 12 kg of sausage.   On NY day I ground and linked up the sausages.  I prepared the Salsiccia di cipolla (sausage with onion) in hog casing  with no problems.   The second batch of Nürnberger Bratwurst in sheep casing was beset with technical problems.  My sausage horn was sized for larger sheep casing and I ordered a smaller casing.  It was  struggle to get the casing on the horn and more of a struggle to have it feed smoothly.  I also had air pockets in the stuffer which further complicated matters.  I finally called it quits and bulked out the last three pounds.  I grilled a few of the culls and the taste and textures are very good.  

 

 

 

  

[patti]

I’m sorry you struggled, but all of the pictured sausage looks wonderful!

[Steve Irby]

@patti Thanks,  it's a bit of production but we get to enjoy the results for the coming year.  I ordered the correct size horn for the sheep casing that I have on hand so I'll be ready for the next batch.