These mini-meatballs enrobed in rich caramelized onions make this a perfect pop-in-your-mouth New Year's Eve treat.

Don't look any further for a succulent crab salad open-face sandwich. The little garlic toasts piled high with rich, moist crab can be polished off in one or two bites.

This bite of Gorgonzola dolce is pears and spiced walnuts, reminiscent of the classic pear, walnut, and Gorgonzola cheese salad --just deconstructed so the cheese is the focus.

Braised onions are the side of choice with beef Bourguignon but they are also wonderful with roast beef and other stews. Trader Joe's sells a pack of multi-colored pearl onions that cook up beautifully as braised onions. The catch? You have to peel them, which requires blanching first, then cutting off the ends so you can slip off the peels. You can of course skip this first step by using pre-peeled frozen pearl onions.

Continue reading "Braised Onions" »

Have you ever tried to eat twelve grapes in twelve seconds?

Last year we followed this New Year's Eve tradition with a Spanish couple who insisted the entire table should join in to bring us all good luck in the New Year. At the stroke of midnight, at each of the twelve chimes, we had to pop a grape in our mouths and chew and swallow it before the next chime. This is not easy!




All around the world, people set the table with food that symbolizes good luck, prosperity and longevity on New Year's Eve.

In Italy large bowls of lentils, symbolizing good luck in the coming year, are enthusiastically feasted upon. In some regions, rich sausages called contechino, which symbolize the richness of life, are also enjoyed with the lentils.

The Japanese slurp extra long soba noodles, being careful not to break them, to ensure a long life.

A cake with a coin baked inside, called a Vasilopitia, is shared in Greece. Whomever gets the piece with the coin will have good luck in the New Year.

A big slice of watermelon is good fortune in Vietnam due to its red colored flesh.

In the Southern U.S., black eyed peas are eaten to ensure wealth in the New Year. Often, collard greens or other greens accompany the little legumes, again to ensure a prosperous year.

In the Netherlands, food in the shape of a ring, such as doughnuts are considered good luck because the shape represents coming full circle.

Do you follow any cultural or family New Year's traditions?



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Welcome to your Morning Cuppa for December 30th, 2007
Today is National Bicarbonate of Soda Day

Bicarbonate of Soda is probably one of the most commonly found items in kitchens around the world, though you might not know it by that name.  Most of us simply know it as baking soda.  Or perhaps as the main ingredient in most antacids.  I personally feel that such a versatile chemical deserves its very own day.  There have been several meals that I’ve eaten in the last year that owe part of their composition to this substance, and I owed my thanks to it after I had finished.

Today in Food History:

1781 John Turberville Needham died. He was an English naturalist, and one of those who believed in the spontaneous generation of life. He boiled some mutton broth, sealed it in glass containers and when he found living organisms present after a few days, he believed they came from nonliving matter. He was wrong - boiling does not destroy all bacterial and fungal spores.
(Still not a bad science project, though!)

1817 The first coffee is planted in Hawaii.
(Thank all the Gods, Goddesses and any other deity that wishes to take credit.  Kona Coffee is the best !)

1851 Asa Griggs Candler was born. In 1887, Asa Candler (1851-1929) a wholesale druggist, purchased the formula for Coca-Cola from John S. Pemberton an Atlanta pharmacist for $ 2,300. He sold the company in 1919 for $25 million.
(Now if that’s not good business, I don’t know what is.  to top it off, it’s good business with bubbles!)

2003 The FDA banned the use of ‘downer’ cattle from the human food supply, due to ‘Mad Cow’ fears.
(The thought of that video still makes me cringe…)

Your Morning Recipe:

Irish Soda Bread Recipe , from recipes4us.co.uk

Today in food history information is gathered by FoodReference.com . Check out their food trivia quizzes and more!

New Year’s Eve Black-Eyed Peas Recipe - New Years Eve Recipes Make up a batch of black eyed peas in the slow cooker and then follow this link to learn our family favorite way to prepare and eat them for New Years. New Year’s Eve Black-Eyed Peas Recipes Here is a slow cooker recipes preparation method for Black [...]

A tall, cold, spicy Bloody Mary is the best hangover cure I know. New Year's Day is quickly approaching, so I recommend you prepare yourself by gathering these ingredients together, just in case!




Bloody Mary
makes 10 - you might have a few friends over, if not, you can always cut the recipe in half


8 cups thick tomato juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
10 ounces vodka
crushed ice
Pickled Okra or Pickled Mirliton for garnish (I like pickled green beans too)

1. Pour the tomato juice into a large pitcher. Stir in the salt, celery salt, pepper, lemon juice, lime juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco and vodka. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.
2. Fill tall glasses with crushed ice and add the mix. Garnish and serve.

from Louisiana Real and Rustic by Emeril Lagasse

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