Tuesday, December 28, 2004

Food of New Year's Eve, 12-27-2004

(as published on www.outinamerica.com)

The Food of New Year’s Eve
By: Rodney Smiley
December 27, 2004


Celebrating the New Year is one of the oldest traditions observed. Beginning with the ancient Babylonians and their worship of the beginning of Spring, the New Year celebration has become pervasive throughout the World. Nearly every culture recognizes the turn of a new year, even though the actual dates may vary.

For example, the above mentioned Babylonians believed the new year began with the beginning of Spring. The Romans closely followed with their celebrations, but only for a time until 46 B.C., when Roman ruler Julius Caesar decreed the New Year to begin on January 1, thus establishing the Julian Calendar.

Each culture held their own practices and festivities, some of which would put our current New Year’s Eve celebrations to shame. Debauchery, drunkenness, orgy-riddled streets … oh wait. Maybe that’s not so different from our own celebrations.

However, one thing has endured since time immemorial: the significance of food in celebrating the New Year.

The Dutch, for example, believe that eating donuts will bring luck in the new year. This belief is based on the concept of coming ‘full circle’. The donut, in the shape of a circle with no beginning or end, signifies the coming full circle of a new year. Those lucky Dutch – if only Krispy Kreme would market a “New Year’s Eve Donut”!

In some Japanese Buddhist temples noodles are eaten at midnight, and in Cuba, eating twelve grapes at midnight signifies the past twelve months. Fidel be damned! We shall eat our grapes!

Here in the US, many believe eating black-eyed peas will bring prosperity in the new year. For each individual pea eaten, one more dollar will be earned in the coming year than in the past one. I’ve spent many a New Year’s Day sitting at my Grandmother’s table, shoveling in spoonful after spoonful of black-eyed peas, cooked with ham or seasoned with a soup bone. Alas, I’ve not found this particular tradition very profitable, unless you consider an expanding waistline a symbol of prosperity.

Cabbage, eaten cooked or raw, is also considered a ‘good luck’ vegetable to be eaten on New Year’s Day. The cabbage leaves are thought to be representative of paper currency, and thus work the same as black-eyed peas. The more cabbage eaten, the more money you’ll make in the new year. Or maybe it’s the more bloated and gassy your relatives will be. Either way, it lends itself to a more interesting New Year.

But for those of us with a more cosmopolitan air about us (read, queens with a fabulous party on our hands), a menu of nibbles and cocktails works just fine to ring in the New Year. Here are a couple of recipes to help make your New Year’s Eve bash one to remember – and, they hold up great over the hours until Midnight kissage.

(All quantities are subjective, depending on the size of your soiree)


Charcuterie of Pizza Skewers

Mozzarella cheese, cut into cubes
Salami or summer sausage, bite sized pieces
Cherry tomatoes
A handful of pitted olives
A collection of wood skewers
1 small loaf of Italian bread or the bread of your choice
Shaved Parmesan cheese

Create a charcuterie of pizza ‘fixins’ by placing each item on a clean cutting board, with a bowl of your favorite (homemade, if you have the time) pizza or marinara sauce in the center. Tear bite sized pieces of the bread and place around the ménage of nibbles. Scatter the wooded skewers around the cutting board to allow your guests the option of creating their own pizza skewer.


Loaded Endive Scoops

Endive leaves, washed and dried
Bleu cheese, crumbled
Chopped walnuts, toasted
Julianned tarragon

Arrange the endive leaves on a platter and fill with bleu cheese crumbles, walnuts and top with a little tarragon. For a less pungent alternative, instead of bleu cheese substitute your favorite olive tapenade. It’s less likely to linger on the palate, and come Midnight on New Years Eve, a clean mouth is a lucky mouth!

It’s a good idea, whether throwing your own party or attending someone else’s, to keep breath mints available. If you’re the host, place small bowls of mints around in inconspicuous places for your guests. If you’re out at a party, keep a tin of mints in your pocket. No one wants to smell your party-food breath, and with the Midnight Kiss looming, fresh breath is paramount!

Have a wonderful New Year!

Monday, December 06, 2004

Online Gift Shopping: The Alternative to the Mall, 12-06-2004

(as published on www.outinamerica.com)

Online Gift Shopping:
The Alternative to the Mall
By: Rodney Smiley
12-06-2004

Year after year we scramble around trying to find the perfect gifts for our friends and family. It’s a madhouse at the mall. Cars are everywhere. Frantic, stressed out housewives are pushing strollers filled with gifts, bags, and oh yeah, a baby, through the mall at breakneck speeds. Oblivious men are wandering around, dazed and confused and just a little afraid, navigating through the network of jewelry stores, intimate apparel shops and (my favorite), the Godiva stand.

You need combat schooling to survive Holiday shopping these days.

But there is an alternative: One that is growing in attractiveness, especially with the younger generations, and frankly with those of us who are afraid of “Death By Stroller-wielding Mom on a Mission”.

It’s the online gift order. You go online, choose what you want, type in the recipient’s address (and of course, your credit card number) and ZOOM, it’s off.

No muss, with very little fuss.

It’s important to remember that if you’re going to send a mail order gift or email gift certificate, you should make certain that the choice you make is perfect for the recipient. For example, I want to send my Dad a gift certificate, so I know that I should choose the Bass Pro Shop or Lowe’s for him – he’s not a gift basket kind of guy. Conversely, for my mother I might choose Bath and Body Works or Borders Books – she’s just not all that impressed with choosing between a new fishing pole and novelty stuffed raccoons.

You can also send gift certificates by email. The least personal of all gifts to receive, the email gift certificate should be reserved for last minute gifts – typically, they’re delivered within an hour – or for gifts to out of town friends or remote relatives. They’re also handy when your ‘shipping funds’ are running low.

I appreciate the email gift certificate as much as I would any store gift card: it’s just as easy to use as traditional gift certificates and, you don’t have to worry about losing them.

So here are some of my personal favorites - it’s important to note that most of these sites also sell Gift Cards or email Gift Certificates.


Harry and David - From nuts to fruits to cookies and nearly everything in between, Harry and David always combines gourmet quality with a reasonable price.

Netique - Candles, oils, wooden boxes and crystal, Netique is a great place to find gifts to please those hard to buy for family and friends.

Eleni's Cookies – Perhaps my favorite food related gift site. I squeal with delight each time I receive these wonderful cookies in gorgeous designs.

Pottery Barn – Ok, so The Pottery Barn shows up on most gift lists, but there’s a reason for that! It’s great, affordable merchandise that fits the lifestyle of anyone you know!

Smith & Hawken – We all have a little ‘Outdoor Martha’ in us, so who wouldn’t love a fantastic gardening gift from Smith & Hawken?

Amazon – The old standby. Everything you can imagine is available from Amazon, including last minute email Gift Certificates!


Enjoy your Holidays!