Guide to New Years Dining 2021_12_24

GUIDE TO DINING

a blank slate a blank mediaslate / litmor media publications special section special • december section • 24, december 2021 22, 2017

24 NEW YEAR’S DINING GUIDE • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 24, 2021

Ring in the New Year with festive party ideas A

lthough New Year's Eve parties tend to be similar from year to year, hosts can explore the many ways to make their celebrations stand out from those of years past. This handy guide provides ideas to your get creative juices flowing. · Establish a color palette. Many people equate New Year's Eve with the gold and silver hues of champagne.

However, you can use any festive color for your party. Use the same colors on everything from invitations to dinnerware to take-home favors. · Encourage guest input. Guests understand the cost of hosting and the amount of planning necessary to throw a festive party, and many will likely reach out to ask what they can do or bring. Figure out in advance which aspects of the party you want your guests to take care of so you have a ready answer when the inquiries start rolling in.

· Keep musical tastes in mind. A fun party usually includes an array of familiar songs and music that appeals to the masses. When compiling a party playlist, choose songs guests are sure to know and love. Mix these in with a few of your favorites. You can even ask guests to provide the names of three favorite songs when they RSVP. · Dim the lights. Bright lights can make guests feel intimidated and awkward. Set the mood by turning off overhead lights, opting for ambient lighting instead. For a fun effect, string holiday lights around the room or use a portable disco ball to spread sparkling colors on the floor and ceiling. Candles are another option for intimate affairs, but should be avoided as a safety measure if you're having a large crowd. · Set out New Year's fill-in-the-blank cards. Encourage guest participation with an entertaining idea. Print out small cards that guests have to

complete. Phrases like, "The bad habit I want to quit is ___" or "____ was the silliest thing I did last year," can be fun to do and share. Guests can take turns guessing whose card is being read.

martinis or vanilla cake-flavored vodka mixers, may be the right flavor for your affair. As the host, you should remember to provide non-alcoholic alternatives as well.

· Have the party catered. Unless you want to spend the evening in and out of the kitchen, invest in catering.

Guests of a late party won't expect a three course meal. However, platters of sandwiches, appetizers and other little munchies will fit the bill. Remember, caterers may book up fast this time of year, so be sure to reserve service well in advance of your party.

· Consider more substantial food after midnight. Encourage guests to eat more and drink less once the clock has struck midnight. Casseroles and other baked dishes are easy to make in advance and have on hand. A breakfast buffet of pancakes, toast and omelets also will fill guests up with something more substantial than chips and dips.

· Create a specialty drink. In addition to toasting champagne or sparkling wine, serve a specialty drink creation. This can be a beverage that ties into your color scheme or the theme of the party.

Dessert drinks, such as chocolate

New Year's Eve parties are a great way to reflect on the last year and look forward to a new one, and hosts can take steps to make their parties memorable for all the right reasons.

Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 24, 2021 • NEW YEAR’S DINING GUIDE

Go gourmet for your New Year's Soirée ew Year's celebrations wouldn't be the same without food and, of course, drinks. But while you may already have the champagne on ice for when the clock strikes 12, you may not already have plans in place with regard to feeding your guests as you ring in a new year.

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If you really want to send the year out in flavorful style, consider the following recipe for "Cocktail Dates" from Bob Blumer's "Surreal Gourmet Bites: Showstoppers and Conversation Starters" (Chronicle Books).

Cocktail Dates Yields 12 bites 12 large dried Medjool dates 1 4-ounce chunk Parmigiano Reggiano cheese 6 slices bacon, cut in half widthwise Preheat oven to 350 F. Insert a bamboo skewer or a similar facsimile in the bottom of the date until the pointy tip rests on the bottom of the pit. Push the pit out of the stem side.

Reserve dates.

Using your sharpest knife, cut Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into 1/4-inch slices. Cut those slices into 1/4-x-1-inch pieces (the resulting 1-inch pieces should be approximately the same diameter as a pencil). Cut the tip of each piece at a 45-degree angle.

Leading with the pointy end, stuff a stick of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese into the pit hole of each date.

Wrap each date with a slice of bacon.

Set dates on a baking sheet, seam-sides down, and skewer each with a toothpick to hold bacon in place.

Bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until bacon is crispy. Caution: These cocktail dates are like molten lava when they come out of the oven. Let cool for a few minutes before serving.

Note: Mejdool dates or any other dried date can usually be found in Mediterranean stores or specialty food stores.

Note: Dates can be stuffed and wrapped up to 24 hours in advance

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26 NEW YEAR’S DINING GUIDE • Blank Slate Media Newspapers, Friday, December 24, 2021

What are the differences between sparkling wines?

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s midnight approaches on New Year’s Eve, revelers anxiously anticipate toasting the arrival of a new year with a glass of something bubbly. Once the cork is popped and the drinks are poured, the party can truly begin. Although revelers may assume any fizzy beverage they are served is champagne, by the true definition of the word, they actually may be drinking something else — one of many varieties of sparkling wine.

fermentation in bottles and creates an earthy, yeasty flavor.

Sparkling wines Champagne is sparkling wine, but not all sparkling wines are champagne.

Other notable types of sparkling wine include Italian Prosecco and Spanish Cava. Sparking wine is produced in regions of France as well as in the United States and Canada. But sparkling wine can be made just about anywhere grapes are grown.

Sparkling wines are often doublefermented in steel containers instead of bottles.

True champagne Authentic champagne is named after Champagne, France, the region where the grapes used to make it are grown, fermented and bottled.

According to European law, the only labels that are allowed to include the name “Champagne” must be bottled within 100 miles of this region, which is close to Paris.

The taste of champagne is unique thanks to the soil in which the grapes are grown. It is a mineral-rich soil and imparts that flavor into the beverage.

Champagne is made from a unique base of grapes that include Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Chardonnay grapes. Experts with Wine Country also say that roughly 90 percent of all blended champagnes use a ratio of

People are drawn to other sparkling wines besides champagne for various reasons. For some, cost is a heavy consideration, as authentic champagne can be considerably more expensive than sparkling wine.

In addition, some people find less expensive champagnes are not as palate-pleasing as sparkling wines.

2⁄3 red and 1⁄3 Chardonnay mixes.

Another component that sets champagne apart is the process by which it is made. It is strictly controlled by the Appellation d’Origine Controlée. This certification dictates how a producer may grow

the grapes and how the grapes can be harvested and processed.

Champagne is produced by méthode champenoise, a process that is said to have been invented by a monk named Dom Perignon.

This procedure involves double

Few things are more universally associated with celebrations than a bottle of bubbly. Subtle differences set sparkling wines apart from champagne, but personal preference is oftentimes the deciding factor when choosing which beverage to choose for a special occasion.

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