CooksCorksCuisine

NEW YEAR’S EATS

By Tanya Noffsinger

Help to ring in the New Year with these tasty treats and libations. Unlike the malls which have all become generic, these offerings will add some character to your to your soiree’s buffet table and keep it from being mezzo blah!

STUFFED RADISHES

18 radishes, cut crosswise

4 ozs. softened creamed cheese

1/2 cup chopped Kalamata olives, minced

1 Tbsp. capers, drained, chopped fine

2 Tbsps. finely minced parsley and a sprig for each olive

a soupcon of caviar, optional

Cut each radish in half.  Using a melon baller, scoop out 3/4 of the radishes cavity and slice off a thin end so that the radishes will stand upright.  As they are prepared, drop them into a bowl of ice water.  In a separate bowl, cream the cream cheese and mix in the olives, capers and minced parsley.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  After mixing, transfer to a pastry bag with a 1/2 plain tip.  Place the chilled radishes on a paper towel to drain for 5 mins.  Pipe the cream cheese mixture into the radish, place a sprig of parsley on the radish and if you wish garnish with just a bit of the caviar.

CHEDDAR PECAN CRISPS

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

8 ozs. coarsely grated Cheddar cheese

1 lg. egg yolk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cayenne

2/3 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup finely chopped pecans

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Beat the butter and Cheddar together in a bowl with an electric mixer until smooth, and then beat in the remaining ingredients.  Roll rounded teaspoons of the dough into balls and arrange 3” apart on buttered baking sheets.  Flatten each ball into a 1 1/2” disc and bake in batches in the middle of the oven for 15-18 mins. or until golden.

SAUERKRAUT BALLS

8 oz. sausage

1/4 cup chopped onion

1-14 oz. can sauerkraut, drained and chopped (I always use Silver Fleece)

2 Tbsps. breadcrumbs

1-3 oz. pkg cream cheese

2 Tbsps. parsley chopped

1 tsp. prepared mustard

1/4 tsp. garlic salt

dash of pepper

1 egg

3 Tbsps milk

1/3 cup flour 1 1/4 cup breadcrumbs
cooking oil for frying

Brown sausage and onion and drain.  Add the next 7 ingredients; blend well and chill until firm.  Beat the egg, milk and set aside.  Shape the chilled mixture into small balls and coat with flour lightly.  Dip each ball into the egg mixture and then the bread crumbs.  Deep fry (in a skillet or deep fryer) at 400 degrees until golden brown.  Drain on paper towels and serve.

PINECONE CHEESE SPREAD

1 pkg. softened cream cheese

2 cups reduced fat shredded Cheddar Jack Mexican Style Cheese

2 Tbsp. Grey Poupon Dijon Mustard

2 Tbsp. chopped canned green chilies

1/3 cup sliced almonds

Toasted Ritz crackers (or use the Cheddar Pecan crisps from above)

Place the cream cheese, shredded cheese and mustard in a food processor and process until blended.  Stir in the chilies.  Place this mixture into a 4” oval on waxed paper and shape the mixture into the shape of a pinecone.  Insert almonds in rows around the “pinecone” until it is covered.  Cover and refrigerate for 2 hrs. or until firm.  Remove from the refrigerator 15 mins. before serving.  Serve with crackers.  If you wish to make this more spicy add a tsp. of Tabasco to the cheese mixture.  (I make differnt sized pinecones and serve them on a mirror with some greenery and miniature balls resting on the surface of the mirror)

BEVERAGES

A SASSY SANGRITA

2 cucumbers, each 1 1/2 ins. in diameter (this will make 4 drink containers)

1/2 dried ancho chile, stemmed and seeded

1/2 cup fresh orange juice

1/2 cup tomato juice

2 Tbsps. fresh lime juice

1 Tbsp. minced onion

1/2 tsp. Worcestershire Sauce

salt and freshly ground pepper

Cut two 3 1/2” lengths from each cucumber to use as cups.  Peel each of these pieces about 2/3 of the way down the length.  With a melon baller scoop out the seeds and some of the pulp leaving at least half and inch of cucumber at the bottom.  Refrigerate for 10 mins.  In a small skillet toast the ancho chile until it begins to blister about 1 1/2 mins.  Remove from heat and cool on work surface.  In a blender combine the orange, tomato and lime juices with the onion and Worcestershire sauce; crumble in the ancho chile and puree.  Strain through a coarse sieve.  Season with salt and pepper and chill for at least 20 mins.   Pour the sangrita into the cucumber cups and serve.  The sangrita can be chilled overnight and placed in “cups” when you are ready to serve.

And what is New Year’s Eve without champagne?

RASPBERRY SPRITZER

1-10 oz. package frozen raspberries, thawed

1-12 oz. can frozen cranberry juice drink concentrate, thawed

1-12 oz. can frozen pink lemonade concentrate, thawed

2-2 liter bottles of ginger ale (for the designated drivers or 4 liters of champagne

Process raspberries in a blender until smooth.  Combine raspberry puree and concentrates in a 1 1/2 gallon container.  Stir.  Add ginger ale or champagne before serving.  This makes 5 qts.

But my favorite champagne drink if I don’t have a bottle of Krug nearby is:

KIR ROYALE

raspberries

Creme de Cassis

Champagne

Place several raspberries into a champagne flute topped with 1 Tbsp. of Creme de Cassis.  Add you favorite champagne and toast the new year.

Health to you all in 2008 because with that you can have everything else.

Gotta run.  Soup’s on.

To contact this columnist with questions, comments, recommendations or recipes email musicalfeast@aol.com.