Ringing In the New Year
Hosting a New Year’s Eve bash doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Keep the celebration simple and focus on the reason you’re gathered together – to ring in the new year with friends by your side. As you raise your glass of champagne or sparkling juice at midnight, your guests will appreciate the little touches that make the night memorable. Happy New Year!
Fifteen Toast-Worthy Tunes
Music is a simple way to set the mood for your New Year’s Eve gathering. Make a great mix CD or program your MP3 player with a toe-tapping list of classic and cozy winter melodies. Here are fifteen toast-worthy tunes that will have your guests feeling festive as they usher in a new year.
- “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” Bette Midler
- “Warm December” Julie London
- “Baby It’s Cold Outside” Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan
- “Winter Weather” Jo Stafford
- “Let It Snow” Dean Martin
- “The Merriest” June Christy
- “Linus & Lucy” Vince Guaraldi Trio
- “Bringing in a Brand New Year” B.B. King
- “Winter Wonderland” Peggy Lee
- “Sleigh Ride” Ella Fitzgerald
- “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm” Billie Holiday
- “Marshmallow World” Bing Crosby & Ella Fitzgerald
- “Sugar Rum Cherry” Duke Ellington
- “My Favorite Things” Tony Bennett
- “Auld Lang Syne” James Taylor
Easy and Elegant Appetizers
Many of these simple yet sophisticated appetizers can be prepared ahead of time, so you won’t have to spend the last hours of 2011 running around the kitchen.
Fig and Prosciutto Flatbread
Recipe Courtesy of Todd English
Ingredients:
- Two 12-ounce balls of pizza dough (room temperature)
- All-purpose flour
- 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1/2 cup fig jam (from a 6-ounce jar)
- 1/4 pound Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled (1 cup)
- 3 ounces sliced prosciutto
- 1 scallion, white and green parts thinly sliced
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees and place a pizza stone in the bottom of the oven for 45 minutes, to heat thoroughly. On a lightly floured surface, roll out one piece of the pizza dough to a 13-inch round. Drizzle with about 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, sprinkle with half of the garlic and rosemary, and season with salt and pepper. Spread 1/4 cup of the fig jam on the crust, leaving a 1-inch border of dough at the edge. Scatter half of the cheese and prosciutto over the dough. Place the flatbread onto the stone and bake for about 15 minutes, until puffed and golden. Transfer the flatbread to a cutting board and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing. Repeat with the remaining ingredients to make the second flatbread. Garnish with the sliced scallion and serve.
Sugar and Nut Glazed Brie
Recipe Courtesy of Paula Deen
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chopped macadamia nuts or pecans
- 1 tablespoon brandy
- 1 (14-ounce) round brie
- Apple wedges, for serving
- Pear wedges, for serving
- 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- Crackers, for serving
Directions:
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, nuts, and brandy and mix well. Cover and chill for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Place the brie on a pie plate and bake for 4 or 5 minutes, or until the brie is slightly softened. Spread the sugar mixture in an even layer on top of the warm brie and bake for and additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until the sugar melts. Brush the fruit wedges with lemon juice and arrange them around 1 side of the brie, and place crackers around the other side.
Goat Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
Recipe Courtesy of Food & Wine Magazine
Ingredients:
- 24 large cremini mushrooms (1 1/2 pounds), stems discarded
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon rosemary leaves, plus one 3-inch sprig of rosemary
- Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
- 3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
- 6 ounces fresh goat cheese, cut into 24 pieces
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the mushrooms with 3 tablespoons of the oil and the rosemary leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Transfer the mushrooms to a baking sheet, rounded side up and roast for about 30 minutes, until tender and browned around the edges. Let mushrooms cool for about 15 minutes, until they reach room temperature. In a skillet, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil. Add the rosemary sprig and cook over moderately high heat until the leaves are crisp, about 30 seconds. Drain on paper towels, then strip off the leaves. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon of the rosemary oil and reserve it for another use. Add the bread crumbs to the skillet and toast over moderate heat until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Stir in the fried rosemary leaves and season with salt and pepper. Gently press a piece of goat cheese in the center of each mushroom, sprinkle with the bread crumbs and serve. Note: The goat cheese–filled mushrooms can be made ahead of time and refrigerated for up to one day. Bring to room temperature and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs just before serving.
Croissant and Chocolate Bread Pudding
Recipe Courtesy of Real Simple Magazine
Ingredients:
- unsalted butter for the baking dish, at room temperature
- 6 large egg yolks
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 6 croissants, cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 pound)
- 4 ounces bittersweet chocolate, cut into chunks
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
Directions:
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square or other shallow 2-quart baking dish. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, milk, cream, sugar, vanilla, salt, and nutmeg. Add the croissants and chocolate and mix to combine. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish and bake until set and a knife inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Retro Cocktails
Just as New Year’s Eve inspires us to look ahead with great expectations, it’s also a time to look back with fond memories on years past. Take a trip back in time with these retro cocktails (courtesy of FoodNetwork.com) that celebrate decades past. Or, if you’d prefer to say “cheers” with a nonalcoholic cocktail, click here for ten fun, festive, and alcohol-free beverages.
Classic Cocktail of the 1950′s: Kokomo
Ingredients:
- 1 ounce vodka
- 1 ounce amaretto
- 1 ounce creme de cacao
- 1 ounce cream of coconut
- 1 ounce heavy cream
- Toasted shaved coconut, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice. Add the vodka, amaretto, creme de cacao, cream of coconut and heavy cream. Shake well and strain into a cocktail glass. Garnish with coconut, if desired.
Classic Cocktail of the 1960′s: Sage Advice
Ingredients:
- 1 cup brewed black tea
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 fresh sage leaves
- 2 dashes Peychaud’s bitters
- 3/4 ounce fresh orange juice
- 1 1/2 ounces rye
- 1/2 ounce Averna bitters
Directions:
To make the syrup, combine the tea and honey in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Reduce until syrupy, about 10 minutes, then let cool. To make the cocktail: Combine 1/2 ounce tea syrup, 2 sage leaves, the Peychaud’s bitters and orange juice in a cocktail shaker. Gently muddle the sage with a muddler or the handle of a wooden spoon. Add the rye and Averna and fill the shaker three-quarters of the way with ice. Give it a short shake, then strain into a martini glass and garnish with the remaining sage leaf.
Classic Cocktail of the 1970′s: Mama’s Little Helper
Ingredients:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 1/4 ounces gin
- Splash of fresh lime juice
- Splash of simple syrup
- Chilled seltzer
Directions:
Slice a piece of cucumber and reserve for garnish. Peel, halve and seed the remaining cucumber. Puree in a blender until smooth, then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add 2 ounces cucumber puree, the gin, lime juice and simple syrup and stir. (To make a batch of simple syrup, simmer equal parts sugar and water in a saucepan until the sugar dissolves, then cool.) Fill the glass with seltzer and stir again. Garnish with the reserved cucumber slice.
Classic Cocktail of the 1980′s: Wally World
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces strawberry-flavored vodka
- Chilled lemon-lime soda
- 1/2 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- Strawberry, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add the vodka, then fill the glass almost to the top with soda. Add the cranberry juice cocktail and stir. Garnish with a strawberry, if desired.
Classic Cocktail of the 1990′s: Peach Cosmo
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces strawberry-flavored vodka
- Chilled lemon-lime soda
- 1/2 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- Strawberry, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add the vodka, then fill the glass almost to the top with soda. Add the cranberry juice cocktail and stir. Garnish with a strawberry, if desired.
Classic Cocktail of the 2000′s: Captain Handsome
Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 ounces strawberry-flavored vodka
- Chilled lemon-lime soda
- 1/2 ounce cranberry juice cocktail
- Strawberry, for garnish (optional)
Directions:
Fill a highball glass three-quarters of the way with ice. Add the vodka, then fill the glass almost to the top with soda. Add the cranberry juice cocktail and stir. Garnish with a strawberry, if desired.
Best wishes for a happy and healthy new year!