For the past three years Leah and I have had our families to the house for a big dinner and celebration on New Year’s Eve. It’s pot luck, and I usually do the main course. This year Rachel suggested a French theme, which turned out fantastically well (if I do say so myself).
Without further ado, the dishes:
We started with Georgie’s French onion soup. It was so rich and delicate; I was surprised she’d used red onions, it came out so mild. Breaking through that asiago-smothered crostini to get to the broth filled with tender strips of onion was a perfect start to this meal.
Next up was a delicious green salad featuring pears and cheese, which was prepared by my mother. Along with it we had stuffed tomatoes and mushrooms from Kevin and Rachel. The tomatoes, in particular, were a pleasant surprise, as late December is not a time I normally associate with a tasty, ripe tomato. I made cassoulet (Cook’s Illustrated recipe from January 00, via Marcia). What a great dish to make on a day when you have a house full of family. Chicken thighs, boneless pork roast, bacon, kielbasa, and tomatoes simmered slowly and then baked before serving. Golly. The flavors were unreal. The Mark West pinot didn’t hurt matters any (if you’re in I.C., go get some at John’s. Wally’s selling it at $7.99 while supplies last).
For dessert Kevin crafted a mousse au chocolat that is, to date, the absolute chocolatiest thing I’ve ever tasted. I had some port I’d been saving from last year’s dinner, and it made an exquisite accompaniment to the mousse.
Finally, my brother came through with a lime-basil sorbet. It didn’t set up quite in time for the end of the meal, so we enjoyed some spoonfuls while we sipped champagne at midnight. Simply unique and fabulously flavorful.
It’s amazing how good a meal like that can make you feel, especially when you share it with family. We’d barely finished cleaning up before we were brainstorming ideas for next year’s theme. Mexican, Spanish, and Greek came up. I’ve been mulling over the idea of a “trailer park” theme, an oft-neglected culinary niche chock full of simple, satisfying, inexpensive dishes. I’m open to other suggestions…