Treat of the Week: A Happy New Year

Since this the great diet of 2013 continues, let’s revisit the delicious start that the new year had for me and Bertie Dog and our family.

As we do each year, this New Year’s Eve, my family and I settled in for some fun French movies and some delicious eats! We started the festivities with some delicious homemade miniature latkes--essentially potato pancakes made from shredded potatoes, finely chopped onion, flour and eggs. These were served topped with sour cream, caviar and chopped hard-boiled egg and Veuve Clicquot Champagne. I’d been looking forward to this treat all year. 

This time around, our caviar was accompanied by an old favorite—my mother’s mushroom turnovers. Savory mushrooms and herbs nestled in homemade corners of dough, we hadn’t had these in quite some time. Along with that, we had beautiful breaded and seasoned artichoke hearts. What a way to celebrate the end of the year.  But, there's more.

Regular readers know of my deep affection for sandwiches.  And, boy did we have sandwiches.  Whole ciabatta loaves were sliced horizontally in half and filled with salami, prime rib, prosciutto, rosemary ham, assorted imported cheeses, olive tapanade, sun-dried tomatoes and a variety of other delicacies. 

 Sliced into lengths, these sandwiches were pure heaven and, I ate far too many.

The next day, the first of 2013, began with the popping of peacock-purple crackers. Once Bertie had been convinced that the noise had subsided, we adjourned to the dining room to enjoy a roasted pork tenderloin served with a sour cream mustard sauce, and a lovely reduction.

Accompanying this perfect pork were the traditional black-eyed peas and greens. The black-eyed peas were fresh peas prepared with caramelized shallots and a balsamic vinegar reduction and the greens were delicious steamed baby spinach with a little garlic; the cloves of garlic were removed before serving. Freshly-baked biscuits added a rustic and rich touch. And, we all enjoyed the gorgeous saffron risotto (which I stirred, thank you very much, as my only contribution to the day). 

The real gem in the New Year's crown was my mother's gorgeous homemade cheese cake topped with a lush chocolate ganache. We all await this annual tradition eagerly. Baked atop a luscious homemade cookie crust, the cake was garnished with fresh raspberries and whipped cream rosettes. Glorious! 

With a start like that, 2013 has to be a good year.