We finished out 2010 at home with two of our three children and their significant others. We spent the afternoon playing games and then split up dinner duties so that we were all in the kitchen involved in preparing our feast.
We kicked off the festivities with Italian Margaritas, a combination of Amaretto, sweet and sour mix, tequila, and triple sec and had Antipasto Sausage Skewers, a small skewer of cooked Italian sausage, a piece of artichoke heart, a sliver of sun-dried tomato, a piece of roasted red pepper and a basil leaf. A great way to start!
We then moved in to the dining room for our appetizer which was Hot Mussels. Mussels were steamed and left on the half shell. They then were topped with an herbed butter which had chives and fresh tarragon, a sprinkling of break crumbs and a final grind of fresh black pepper. They went under the broiler for a couple of minutes to melt the butter and crisp the breadcrumbs before being served hot from the oven.
Next came our entree which was Surf and Turf. Each plate had a filet mignon topped with a Bearnaise Sauce and steamed lobster with drawn butter. Our sides were French green beans with shallots, frizzled brussels sprouts and a warm French bread. Frizzled brussels sprouts are sprouts that have been peeled apart into individual leaves and sauteed in olive oil with a sprinkling of salt and pepper. Everything was cooked perfectly due to the team effort.
Dessert was S'mores Tartlets. These individual sized desserts had a crust made from ground hazelnuts, graham crackers and melted butter which was baked and cooled before being filled with a chocolate pastry cream. The final touch was a topping of marshmallow meringue and the tartlets went under the broiler to brown the tops. Definitely an upscale S'mores.
We finished off the evening with more games waiting for the magic hour to wish everyone a Happy New Year!
January 2nd is the day we buckle down and get back to eating healthier.
Happy New Year everyone!
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