We had a great time at our New Year's Eve party last night. We followed a concept one of our friends had found in Minnesota Monthly magazine. There were five couples and each provided a course for the meal and an accompanying beverage. We had fairly small portions for each course, so at the end of the evening, we weren't over full on either food or drink. We did get a ride home, incidentally, something I highly recommend. Here's what we had:
Appetizer #1- bacon wrapped dates with reduced apple cider sauce and Cava (a Spanish sparkling wine)
Appetizer #2- Baked brie infused with brandy and wrapped in phyllo dough served on either sourdough bread or apple slices. Served with a selection of beers, Asti, or Reisling.
Entree#1-Lemon chive fettuccine with Greek shrimp served with Pomelo Sauvignon blanc.
Entree #2-Tenderloin Roast stuffed with mushrooms and onions with béarnaise sauce and asparagus served with a Shiraz.
Dessert- Flourless chocolate torte served with vanilla ice cream and caramel topping with coffee with Kahlua and Bailey's Irish Cream.
Everything was as delicious as it sounds and although it may sound like we were drinking a lot, we had small glasses. Each course lasted quite awhile and the rest of us would sit around and visit while whoever was in charge of the next course prepared it. Anyway, it was a wonderful evening spent with good friends and a great way to ring in the New Year.
Short & Sweet (Weekend!)
21 hours ago
2 comments:
My goodness....sounds like some very gourmet dishes were served. Very good idea, and not alot of work doing just one course each. Good plan. Did each couple choose what dish to make or was each item designated beforehand? It would be a great way to experience new foods.
Each couple gave some options of what they thought would be their "best dish". Then we chatted beforehand and decided who would bring what. I could see where it would work great for a theme, for instance a particular ethnic food. We also talked about doing it in the summer when we could use local fresh produce. It really does minimize the work for everyone (except the hosts who have a lot of dishes and glassware to wash) and having several small courses makes more sense from a dietary standpoint also. I think it could be adapted for family get-togethers also.
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