Another New Year

Happy New Year!   Can’t believe it is 2013.  Kinda missing 2012; 2013 just doesn’t seem to have the same ring.  We did our best to welcome 2013 in with style.  As usual we had a New Years eve dinner gathering.   This is one of the few times in the year I pull out all of the stops.  The  table is set with my Waterford crystal, good china, the real silver, even individual salt cellars – everything that needs to be washed by hand!

I usually start planning this meal on December 26th, but we spent Christmas in Chicago with our kids so planning began when I returned home on December 28th. I shopped for ingredients on December 29th and 30th.   I spent half of December 30th and all day on the 31st preparing the meal.  George worries that it is too much work but I love cooking and, to me, the planning and execution of this meal is one of the great joys in life.  Though I no longer do 10 courses, I think the 6 we had made everyone happy.  So here’s what we ate.

Appetizer Course – A trio of endive boats; one filled with smoked trout pate, one filled with egg salad, capers and olives and one filled with an avocado whip

Soup Course  - Cold Cucumber Soup with Smoked Salmon and Chives

Fish Course -  Scallops with a wild Mushroom Ragout in Swiss Chard with Butternut Squash Sauce and Sage Oil

Salad Course –  Butter Leaf Lettuce with Mandarin Oranges and Dried Cranberries in an Orange Raspberry Vinaigrette

 Entrée –  Individual Beef Wellingtons with a Beef Madeira Sauce and Roasted Balsamic Butternut Squash Batons

Dessert -  Profiteroles with Vanilla Ice Cream and an Orange Dark Chocolate Sauce

We had white wine with the first four courses and a red wine with the entrée.  Champagne was served with dessert.  Can’t have a New Year’s Eve celebration without champagne.

After our guests left George and I washed and dried all of the crystal, dishes, silver, pots and pans.  We spent a quiet moment toasting the New Year (our guests like to toast the New Year on New York time and were home before midnight mountain time) and called it a night.

Beginning tomorrow I will share the recipes for the above courses.  Dinner tonight is homemade Mac n Cheese – that’s the most I’m up for!

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