New Year's Eve: What are You Eating or Serving?

[Shamanjoe]

Those look great, especially the platter.

Our dessert ended up being a box of donuts that a party-goer brought, as well as the aforementioned red wine cake. Both were excellent.

Somebody also brought a case of cream soda, and not wanting it to go to waste, I whipped up a simple mixed drink with it:

Cream Soda Cocktail

1oz passion fruit vodka

1oz mango rum

1/2oz coiuntreau

cream soda (I prefer Jones, but we had A&W that night)

Shake the alcohol with ice and strain into a pint glass filled with ice. Add the cream soda to the top and give a quick stir with a barspoon. Delish!

[Kim Shook]

Wow! Everything sounds so elegant and delicious, I’m embarrassed to post mine! We did what we always do - play canasta and eat '70s 'party food' with another couple. We've done this since our kids were all small and babysitters expensive and now we are too old and lazy and boring to change. We've tried going out a few times, but really didn't have that much fun. She makes crab meltaways, artichoke dip, Knorr spinach dip, pigs in a blanket, etc. I actually like all that stuff once a year. They usually request that I make ‘those meatballs’ – meatballs in a slow cooker w/ BBQ sauce and apricot preserves and ‘Taco Dip’ – salsa and Velveeta with ground pork and beef . No one said anything about them this year, so I ‘forgot’ to make them. Instead I did Tequila/Lime Shrimp, Deviled eggs and little puff pastry roll ups with bacon, cream cheese, shallots and poppy seeds.

[Darienne]

. They usually request that I make ‘those meatballs’ – meatballs in a slow cooker w/ BBQ sauce and apricot preserves

NYE I just went to bed early with a hot toddy and tried to live through whatever was attempting to do me in.

However...I would really like that recipe for 'those meatballs'. Something is pulling me towards them. And truth be told, I have never used my large cooker except for candying fruits.

Thanks. Ms Kim

[Jmahl]

Soup

Roasted Red Pepper and Shrimp Bisque

Main Course

Whole Steamed Maine Lobster

with drawn butter

Coleslaw

Corn on the Cob

Dessert

Bananas Foster

sautéed bananas, flamed brandy caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all.

Jmahl

[Kim Shook]

. They usually request that I make ‘those meatballs’ – meatballs in a slow cooker w/ BBQ sauce and apricot preserves

NYE I just went to bed early with a hot toddy and tried to live through whatever was attempting to do me in.

However...I would really like that recipe for 'those meatballs'. Something is pulling me towards them. And truth be told, I have never used my large cooker except for candying fruits.

Thanks. Ms Kim

Glad to! If you use homemade meatballs, this really is good. I just mix an equal portion of good BBQ sauce (homemade is great, but we also like Montgomery Inn sauce) and apricot jam (some folks use grape jelly, too - but we prefer the apricot). Cook the meatballs (or use a good quality frozen brand). They should be cold or frozen. Add enough of the bbq and preserves to generously coat the meatballs. Toss it all in the slow cooker and cook on low for 4-6 hours - until heated through. These are good with light yeast rolls.

[DTBarton]

We had 12 people. Started at 7:30 and served courses gradually, last non dessert course at about 11:30PM. Everything served hors d'oeuvre style, no sit down dinner.

On arrival:

Kir royale (supplied by a generous guest)

Salmon roulades - diced fresh dill and green onion in cream cheese rolled up in Nova lox

Steamed asparagus and brussel sprouts marinated in EVOO and balsamic and garlic with dijon sauce

Cheese straws

Hot courses:

Baked brie with honey, balsamic vinegar, toasted walnuts and pecans, cranberries

Pan seared foie gras on buttered toast points with fig/pear butter

Sauteed lobster chunks flamed with cognac with lobster cream sauce

Sauteed tenderloin of beef with wild mushroom demi glace

Dessert:

Bouche de Noel

Bourbon balls

Dark chocolate covered dried cherries and blueberries

[Jaymes]

New Year's Eve parties in the American south often include some sort of black-eyed peas to be passed around at midnight.

You can either do a traditional ham and black-eyed peas dish, or a Texas caviar, but there's often something.

And if there are a lot of Latinos present, there will always be grapes. The idea is that at midnight you eat twelve grapes - one with each clang of the clock.

Not so easy as it sounds.

____________________

Edited January 4, 2010 by Jaymes (log)

[plattetude]

Cocktails

Manhattan

Chrysanthemum Cocktail

Twenty-First Century Cocktail

Monte Cassino

Yeoman Warder

Negroni Tredici

Reveillon

Perfect Parallel

Champs Elysées

Seelbach

The Benediction

ChamPino

Amuse

shot of Rabbit consomme w/ shiitake duxelle and parsley oil

First Course

Rabbit terrine w/ warm radicchio in mustard vinaigrette

Main Course

Oxtail Ragu w/ potato gnocchi

Dessert

Tart Noir (dark chocolate tart on a shortbread crust)

Mmmmm.

[Shamanjoe]

That cocktail list is certainly impressive. I wish I had enough friends who appreciated good cocktails to offer it myself.

An interesting happening, I had a bunch of leftover onions from New Year's. They were already cut and in the bowl, marinated with the salt, pepper and olive oil. I kept them in the fridge with foil over them until last night. There was a bunch of liquid at the bottom of the bowl, but I grilled the onions anyway and they tasted just as good as when they were fresh.

[Prawncrackers]

Main Course

Whole Steamed Maine Lobster

with drawn butter

Snap! We had four lobsters too for New Years Eve. I helped to cook a Cantonese/Malaysian feast for 8 people, we had:

4 Assam Lobster (grilled split lobsters smeared with sweetened tamarind paste)

2 Steamed Wild Sea Bass - ginger and scallion in the Cantonese manner

1 Poached Chicken with Dipping Sauce

1 Cantonese Roast Duck

Ox Cheek Rendang

Braised Beef Brisket

Brocolli and Chinese Leaf

For dessert there was Apple Crumble with Custard and Black Forest Gateau! We were mightily full. Sorry no photos of the meal this time, my relatives are impatient so I couldn't get the shots off.

[Lapin d'Argent]

New Year's dinner turned out to be a giant antipasto spread, followed by

Broiled mussels with gremolata

Dozens of raw oysters

Shrimp cocktail

Smoked salmon and rye toast

followed by a cheese course, then the two desserts I brought, plus apple pie. It was, to say the least, quite a meal.

Kim -- I love your concept: I have friends who could totally party with your friends! We make bad 70s food for each other all the time!

All those lobsters sure look fabulous, and make me think that next year, we're going to have to insist on bringing a lobster course with us...

- L.

[Peter the eater]

Our tasting menu went well on NY's Eve. I really enjoy messing around with lots of ingredients, techniques and tiny plates.

Baby greens pomegranate salad, lobster tail marjoram gnocchi, braised rabbit saddle, rare beefeater steak with artichoke & foie, and grapefruit blueberry granita. No pics of the pheasant, cheese, pink champagne or Propeller Porter Ale.

[heidih]

Snap! We had four lobsters too for New Years Eve. I helped to cook a Cantonese/Malaysian feast for 8 people, we had:

4 Assam Lobster (grilled split lobsters smeared with sweetened tamarind paste)

2 Steamed Wild Sea Bass - ginger and scallion in the Cantonese manner

1 Poached Chicken with Dipping Sauce

1 Cantonese Roast Duck

Ox Cheek Rendang

Braised Beef Brisket

Brocolli and Chinese Leaf

For dessert there was Apple Crumble with Custard and Black Forest Gateau! We were mightily full. Sorry no photos of the meal this time, my relatives are impatient so I couldn't get the shots off.

As others have noted this sounds wonderful. To get a complete picture, was just plain steamed rice served alongside or any other starches?

[Prawncrackers]

Heidi, yup our meal was served with plain steamed jasmine rice. If i was cooking the meal at home I might have made chicken rice but it was a big hit nonetheless. In fact, we've been ordered to cook the same meal for Chinese New Year which is on Valentine's day this year.

I'm holding out for an invitation to Peter's house next NYE. Peter, if you need a commis/extra-mouth you know how to get in touch with me!

[rhinopias]

Invited to a party with eight couples. Each couple was to bring a small plate and a pairing. We served first...Amuse, albeit a large one....

Pomegranate seed and Mango Guacamole w/ a Plantain chip

Salmon ceviche spoon w/ Orange and Capers

Masa boat w/ Goat Cheese Chipolte salsa and Watercress

paired w/ Corzo blanco Agave margarita

Very happy with the results.

[Peter the eater]

I'm holding out for an invitation to Peter's house next NYE. Peter, if you need a commis/extra-mouth you know how to get in touch with me!

If you can find Shad Bay, Canada in the middle of winter, you're on. I think my favourite dish was the lobster tail -- I forget how easy and delicious gnocchi can be.

[Shamanjoe]

I'm close enough to Canada to drive Peter, mind if I show up too? Do I just sniff the air and follow the good smells to your place?

[NickDawson]

Wow, its a good thing that I did not see these images and menus before planning my dinner - we would have had 10 more courses! Everything looks stellar!

We tried to limit the amount of time we would be in the kitchen and away from the table - although as a universal truth everyone ends up in the kitchen anyway. I also used NYE as an excuse to play with my new sous vide supreme - did almost everything in the cooker (the only regret: brussels sprouts sous vide -never again!).... and of course being NYE I got a little carried away with the descriptions on the menu (it was an attempt to poke fun at pretentious, overly flowery, menus)

These came out as awesome one bit dishes - a "faux croque madame" - admittedly borrowed from both Rhulman and the French Laundry cook book... toasted brioche, home cured scotch & maple bacon, scant bit of aioli and water cress for color topped with fried quail egg

Edited January 6, 2010 by NickDawson (log)

[PopsicleToze]

Typical Southern New Years Day meal: roasted pork, smothered cabbage, black-eyed peas, a light dirty rice (just used what I had on hand) and cornbread. The pork was better than it looked. It couldn't have much pink or else my family wouldn't eat it, but it was very juicy and flavorful stuffed with garlic and onions and covered with a cane syrup glaze.

Rhonda

[Shamanjoe]

That cornbread looks so good. I'm, going to have to go home and make a batch right now.

[sadistick]

Figured as the time of year is rapidly approaching, and not to Hijack the X-Mas Dinner thread, I would resurrect this one.

The Menu as it stands now (still a work in progress, not nearly tweaked) - Would love to hear about others as well, and also would welcome and feedback:

Start off with a table of 'nibbles' for people to slowly enjoy

- Home made Gravlax w/ Caper/Dill/Honey/TOasted mustard sauce served w/ Toast points

- Foie Gras pate

- Assortment of pickled veggies

- Salmon Mousse

- Roasted Garlic Soup w/ Artichoke/Emental croutons

- Caramelized Leek/Goat Cheese puff pastry bite's

- Some type of Ravioli - either a sweet potato filling or a wild mushroom version.

- Dry aged steak with aged balsamic

- Selection of cheeses

- Linzer Torte for dessert.

[mathewr]

my friend is hosting a party. 2 of us are helping out. One hosting is in charge of the space. Another person is in charge of alcohol. And im in charge of food. Im going with a theme called mini this mini that. It will be a collection of small things. ie mini tacos mini burgers mini soups. if u have any other suggestions for things that i can minify id take them. thanks

[Marlene]

We;ll be at the cottage over NYE and it will likely be just the two of us, so I'm thinking a fondue or raclette for us.

[Marlene]

my friend is hosting a party. 2 of us are helping out. One hosting is in charge of the space. Another person is in charge of alcohol. And im in charge of food. Im going with a theme called mini this mini that. It will be a collection of small things. ie mini tacos mini burgers mini soups. if u have any other suggestions for things that i can minify id take them. thanks

mini tourtieres. Mini quiche. pizza bites, soup in shot glasses, a rich bell pepper soup would work very well. Mini popovers. I do an asian beef thing in wonton cups.

[Mel Z]

Could definitely use some help from the eGulleters out there--My boyfriend and I typically do NYE dinner for his extended family, about 20 people of various tastes. Ages range from 10 to 85, and there are the expected concerns of diabetes, cholesterol, etc. In past years we've done rosemary roasted chicken and braised ribs. The catch is that the hosts live on a military base, so grocery shopping is a bit limited, especially for the protein (we cleaned them out of ribs last year!). We have basic kitchen equipment to use, and we usually bring our own spices. I'll be making a couple of loaves to go along with dinner, but the rest of the menu is pretty open. Suggestions of things that are "festive" enough but still easy to get ingredients?