New Years Eve menu

E

evan

Well-known member
Are any of you hosting dinner on New Years Eve?

I am, and as usual I'm terrified about everything that can go wrong.

So I have opted for a "safe" road, not really taking any chances. And my theme for the night is Italian:

For a starter, I am making cream mushroom soup (small bowls only, sincce the main course is kind of heavy). Then I'll have a "resting" course of honey dew melon and Parma ham (one slice only) and as a main course, I'm making Bollito Misto.

I was thinking of making semifreddo for dessert, but it's been so cold here lately that serving anything frozen is out of the question. So I'm making tiramisu, which I know everyone loves.

I'm serving coffee with Lemoncello after dessert, and then we'll have Champagne at midnight

What do you think? Should I change anything? I still have time to adjust them menu, because I really want my guests to have a great night smileys/smile.gif

 
The soup has been my concern too. First I was thinking of a consomm

then I thought maybe it's too light?
Do you have any suggestions on soups that are less filling but still good? smileys/smile.gif

 
The Silver Palates Zuccinin Watercress soup is elegant, lite and easy. I often make it when serving

a large meal. I made it last nite again with arugula

Rec: Zucchini-watercress soup from the Silver palete cookbook
Zucchini- Watercress soup.

This soup is wonderful- and elegant and
delicious.
I double this recipe and usually add a bit more stock.
4 tbs. sweet butter (I use olive oil)
2 c. finely chopped yellow oonions
3 c. Chicken stock
2 lbs. zucchinin (about 4 med)
1 bunch of watercress
fresh lemon juice to taste
Note: for richer soup, sub 1 cup heavy cream
for 1 cup of liquid added after processing.
(that could milk too - Anne)

1. Melt butter in pot, add onions, cover &
cook over low heat,stirring occasionally,
til oonions are tender and litely colored -
about 25 minutes.
2. Add stock & birng to boiil.
3. Scrub zucchini well, trim ends,and chop
coarsely. Drop zuc. into stock & return to
boil. Reduce heat, cover, & simmer til zuc
are very tender - about 20 minutes.
4. Pull leaves & smaller stems off cress-
you should have at least 4 loosely packed
cups , rinse well.( I just put it all in)
5. Remove soup from heat, add watercress ,
cover & let stand for 5 minutes.
6. Pouur souup thru strainer, reserving
liquid, & transfer solids to bowl of food
processor with blade or food mill with med.
disc. Add 1 c. of cooking stock and process
til smooth.
(I puree the entire pot with the hand immerser)
7 Return pureed soup to pot and add
additional cooking liquid-about 2 c more
cups till soup is desired consistency.
8. SEason with salt, pepper and lemon juice.(sometimes I
forget to add lemon juice and it is still wonderful)


.

 
Eva, your guests will have a great night no matter what. I think the menu sounds wonderful

A big platter of bollito misto will be so festive. I like elaine's idea of a watercress soup but the mushroom soup would be fine in small servings. If your recipe has lots of cream in it you could use more stock and less cream.

If you do appetizers I would keep them light--not a ton of antipasti cheese and salami--maybe seafood instead and marinated mushrooms, artichokes. olives, etc. All of that can be store-bought

Good luck!

 
I wouldn't change a thing - I think NYE is a nice time to have a more substantial meal,

I think your menu and flavors sound perfect!

 
What about a small cup of french onion soup?

It is a little heavier than consomme, but not overly filling. A good rich beef stock would make this. It can be made ahead and just reheated. Personally, I would love just a cup of homemade beef stock with some very thinly sliced mushrooms and green onions floating in it. We are brothy people. smileys/smile.gif

 
Salmon Wellington....

...will probably be the main dish, made with phyllo dough instead of puff pastry. It becomes a much lighter dish, and still very very nice

oysters on the half shell if we can find them in town - so far we've been very lucky and had fantastic oysters available every time we felt like it. If I make a dessert, it will be a pomegranate gelatin concoction I saw on a blog of a friend of mine.

It wil be just the two of us and our dogs - we intend to put some music on and dance as if we were in Maui last year! We started 2012 dancing... . The year had its ups and downs, but still, no better way to set a year going than dancing with the partner you love!

 
I checked, and the stores here don't carry watercress this time of the year BUT

I'm saving your recipe for later because it looks delicious! Thanks for sharing smileys/smile.gif

 
Great idea. I've also been thinking about serving brooth with just a few tortellini......

 
I love your menu and I think your dinner sounds wonderful...

... and VERY romantic! smileys/heart.gif. Have a wonderful night, and I wish you a Happy New Year smileys/smile.gif

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top