New Years Eve is tomorrow night. Before kids, the hubs and I would pick a great restaurant, go out with friends, drink too much, and spend way too much money. After several years of that, we switched to cooking an amazing meal at home, made great cocktails, invited friends, and played board games until dawn.
Then we started a family. When Eli was young, we grabbed my parents and made 6p.m. reservations at The Palm. Came home, put on our sweats, and played games. We now bring in the New Year with friends, great food, cocktails, and lots of board games. The kids like to stay up until 12(I rarely make it) and the evening usually ends with someone else’s kid sleeping here, and one of ours sleeping elsewhere.
This year we are having cocktails with friends. A light snack of cripsy potato skins and a simple “French Blonde Cocktail” to start off the evening. After that, a huge Tripoli match is on tap along with chocolate lava cakes. Let’s just hope I make it until 9p.m. That way I can at least bring in the New Year, east coast time!
Happy New Year everyone. Thanks for filling my year with blessings and gratitude.
French Blonde Cocktail
Ingredients
1 oz. gin
2 oz. fresh grapefruit juice
1/2 oz. elderflower liqueur(I used St. Germain)
A few dashes lemon bitters
Instructions
2. strain liquid into a fancy glass
3. garnish with a lemon rind
Crispy Potato Skins
Ingredients
truffle salt
1/4 cup(2 oz.) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
Celtic Sea Salt
canola oil
Instructions
2. preheat oven to 350*
3. grate cheese. set aside.
4. using a vegetable peeler, slice potatoes about 3-4″ in length. set aside.
5. fry potato skins in batches, until browned and crisp. using a slotted spoon, ransfer to a small rimmed baking sheet lined with paper towel. sprinkle half the skins with truffle salt (you may have to do in 2-3 batches).
7. transfer the other half of the potatoes to a different rimmed baking sheet and generously sprinkle with the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. bake until the cheese melts, about 4 minutes.
8. remove from oven and let cool. transter to a serving bowl.
9. serve with mustard dipping sauce
Mustard Dipping Sauce
Ingredients
1 tsp. sesame oil
4 Tbsp. honey
1 tsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. dijon mustard
2 tps. grainy mustard
1-2 squirts Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
Instructions
2. can be made the day ahead
The Urban Baker / SusanSalzman.com
More Yummy Cocktails and Appetizers around the Web:
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Appetizers
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Beer Battered Onion Rings – Saveur Recipes
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These potato skins look savory and great! I love the walk down memory lane. I think I am still in the pre-kids day of spending too much $$, drinking and feeling like death the following morning. Ha.
Have a great New Years, Susan!
Lucky you, Allison. Kids absorb any expendable income, thus – nice dinners are far and few between. Have a great New Years, Allison. Much love and happiness in the new year! xx
Happy New Year Susan! Have a fun New Years Eve!
You too, Gilli. We need to make a pack to see more of each other in the new year! xxx
All of this looks perfect for New Years Eve! I hope it’s going to be great for you… I too hope you will have a wonderful 2012 year!
What a beautiful combination! Love the exotic cocktail idea! Happy New Year 🙂
Lori, I have never been a big drinker, but found Lillet in the early 80’s. It made me feel like I was “joining in” and I kind of fell in love with it. When I found this recipe, it was a must make!!
Sounds like the perfect new years plans…hope you had a great night 🙂
I WANT THESE NOW. Wow!!! You rock. Seriously… what an amazing post! My family would flip if I made these tonight… such deliciousness!!!
Amanda, these are so easy and so good. If you don’t mind your house smelling like “fried oil”, I highly recommend!!! Next time I am going to use my electric fryer and do it outside!
Oh my goodness those potato skins look amazing and the dipping sauce sounds so tasty! I am going to making these like tomorrow!!
I’d stay home if all these goodies were on the menu! Happy New Year!
Great snack idea!
These look amazing! So amazing!
Oh gosh, these look so amazing! I imagine they don’t last long!
These looks so crispy! Yum!
They are crispy and decadent! It’s a once a year kind of thing!
These look so so good!
Ugh…almost too good!!! If you know what I mean!