For many, the best way to celebrate New Year's Eve is to stay in, cuddle in front of a roaring fire, eat great food and drink a toast to the New Year quietly, whether with fresh mint tea or champagne. At-home celebrants also enjoy saving hundreds of dollars on a night out, they miss the giddy hoopla and bland bean dip, plus they avoid getting their car t-boned by an over-served party animal. What's not to like?
What's not to like is this: an evening at home can easily turn into a big nothing, spent watching reruns and snacking on week-old potato chips - kind of like any other Tuesday night of the year. So here are some ways to rev up the revelry.
Many people enjoy cooking a fancy meal together on New Year's Eve. Whether you're used to cooking together or not, it can be simple and fun if you take a few preliminary steps. For a smooth operation - and a meal served before midnight - just buy the food the day before, leaving the mixing, laughing and cooking for the big night.
Set up a mise en place (ingredients prepared and set in bowls on the counter) just like on the cooking shows, put the proper pots on the stove, line up the mixing spoons, and things will go amazingly smoothly. Recipes taped to a nearby kitchen cabinet door keeps them up out of the way and easy for everyone to find and see.
Another tip for easy group cooking? Follow a cooking video together. How many times have you watched those KCTS cooking shows and wished you could have that particular entree for dinner that night? Well, here's an opportunity to do it.
For Christmas this year I got my sugar pie a Kaspar's Restaurant cooking video ($15, available from the restaurant at 19 W. Harrison, 298-0123), although any "cook this dinner" video will do. We'll watch the video and get the salmon and apple tart ready on Dec. 30 (recipes below). On New Year's Eve we'll cook it all up while we're whooping it up, and then feast in front of the fireplace. Since I've spent many a New Year's Eve with those aforementioned reruns and stale snacks, I'm already free of any culinary angst, knowing there's a dandy plan in place.
Of course, not everyone likes to cook. Short of a homemade dinner, you can also order Chinese takeout or even pare down the menu to symbolic or delicious snacks to nibble on throughout the evening. Black-eyed peas are good luck (à la Hoppin' John), and the Dutch like to eat donuts because a circle is considered good luck. Caviar is always high glam and is especially nice on a Belgian endive leaf spread with sour cream.
If you have a fireplace, roast and eat some chestnuts, or set some oysters-in-the-shell to roast amongst the coals. When the oyster shells pop open, they're ready. New Year's Eve is also a fine time to set out a big bowl of fortune cookies to read and interpret all night.
Depending on your cooking/snacking schedule, there may even be time to play Scrabble or poker. I'm fond of No-Peeky-Night-Baseball-Everything's Wild poker, but of course that's an acquired taste. You could also visit neighbors and friends and share good wishes for the New Year.
Others may want to read inspirational passages or pen special wishes for the New Year - frivolity, peace, appreciation, comfort, joy and the like.
And if all this sounds too sedate or like too much work, not to worry. There's probably still time to get reservations for a big, fancy blowout.
Recipes courtesy of Kaspar's Restaurant.
King Salmon in Crispy Potato Crust with Merlot Aioli
(Serves 2)
2 6-ounce king salmon fillets, skinless and boneless
Salt and pepper
I medium russet potato, washed
4 tablespoons olive oil
6 large basil leaves
4 tablespoons Merlot Aioli
* Season the salmon with salt and pepper.
* Cut potatoes into matchstick-sized pieces, using a mandoline, grater or food processor. (Do not rinse potatoes after cutting. The natural potato starch is necessary to hold the potatoes together.)
* Season grated potatoes with salt and pepper.
* Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat in an 8-inch non-stick pan.
* Spread 1/4 of the potatoes evenly on the bottom of the pan
* Place 2 basil leaves and then salmon fillet on top of potatoes.
* Spread 1/4 of the potatoes on top and cook over medium heat for approximately 7 minutes, or until potato edges are brown.
* Using a wide spatula, gently flip and sauté the other side for approximately 5 minutes.
* Remove from heat and carefully lift onto a plate, or keep warm on low heat in the oven.
* Repeat for each additional salmon fillet.
* To serve, place salmon on plate, top with a basil leaf and then place the Merlot Aioli on the leaf.
Merlot Aioli
1-1/2 cups Merlot wine
2 tablespoons red onions, very finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh tarragon, chopped finely
1 cup mayonnaise
* Pour Merlot into a small saucepan and simmer over medium heat until reduced about
3/4 to a syrup texture.
* Cool to room temperature in the pan.
* Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
* Refrigerate until ready to serve.
This aioli may be served with grilled fish, poached chicken, salads or as a vegetable dip.
Caramelized Upside Down Apple Tart
(Serves 8)
5 medium Granny Smith apples
1/2 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups sugar
1 sheet puff pastry
Fresh mint to garnish (optional)
Vanilla ice cream or whipped cream flavored with cinnamon (optional)
* Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
* Peel, quarter and core apples.
* Place butter and sugar in a 10-inch ovenproof sauté pan and caramelize mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until approximately the color of peanut butter.
* Remove pan from heat and arrange apple slices tightly in the caramelized sugar.
* Cut out a circle from the puff pastry 1 inch wider than the pan and place over the apple slices. Gently press pastry down around apples, tucking edges inside the pan.
* Bake for approximately 25 minutes.
* Remove from oven and cool for 10-15 minutes at room temperature.
* Place serving plate on top of the pan and flip tart out onto plate so pastry is on the bottom.
* Cut tart into 8 pieces with a serrated knife.
* Serve at room temperature. Garnish with fresh mint and vanilla ice cream or whipped cream flavored with cinnamon.
Freelance writer Alicia Comstock Arter is a Queen Anne resident.
Questions or comments? Address them to Comstock Arter at qanews@nwlink.com or the Queen Anne News and Magnolia News, 4000 Aurora Ave. N., Ste. 100, Seattle, WA 98103.
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