Happy almost New Year!
(plus what’s ahead for 2024)
Well, here we are at the end of December. I hope your Hanukkah was happy and your Christmas was merry. What’s left to celebrate? New Year’s Eve, of course!
Too pooped to party? Me too. Does anyone go out for New Year’s Eve anymore? I mean, other than the people jammed together in Times Square wearing Depends so they don’t miss the ball drop at midnight.
My husband and I try to avoid crowds. We aren’t fond of amusement parks with long lines of excited patrons, sports stadiums packed with slightly inebriated fans, and shopping malls on Black Friday. So you can probably guess we don’t go out on New Year’s Eve.
Several years ago, I read an amusing article by a young woman (and by young, I mean someone the same age as my 20-something adult children) who described her parents’ celebration of New Year’s Eve: they stayed home. For years she thought her parents were crazy to miss out on the fun and excitement of a celebratory evening.
But after a few years of drinking watery Cosmos, noshing on mediocre potato skins, and walking home on icy streets in stilettos because she wasn’t able to hail a cab, she concluded that her parents were on to something.
So how did her parents celebrate at home? A few days before NYE, they would stock their fridge and pantry with all their favorite things. They went to the butcher to procure fresh steak tartare, to the wine shop to purchase their bubbly of choice, and to the bakery for sourdough bread.
When the big evening came, her parents, snug in their pajamas and robes, would partake of their goodies sitting at their kitchen table. They would retire to their bedroom to watch Masterpiece Theatre, occasionally going back to the kitchen for a snack. At midnight they would flip the TV channel, watch the ball drop in Times Square, toast the New Year, and go back to watching what they wanted, eating what they wanted, dressed as they wanted.
Appetizers or Hors d’oeuvres?
My husband and I are fond of appetizers. I think that they don’t get served and eaten often enough. What’s the difference between appetizers and hors d’oeuvres, other than the latter being definitely harder to spell? Essentially they are names for the same thing: small, bite-sized finger foods, usually served at parties and receptions.
For several years now, I have made an all-appetizer dinner for our New Year's Eve at home. I’ve been trying out several appetizer recipes recently and some of my favorites include these:
Spinach and goat cheese tarte soleil
Easy vegan hummus with toppings
5-ingredient pumpkin tart with maple bacon
They all are a delicious addition to any NYE menu and are irresistible accompanied by a glass of champagne.
The writer of the aforementioned article didn’t talk about what her parents had for dessert, but I bet it was something good. I found this gem in Bon Appetit magazine many years ago and have made it far too many times. These brownies are not only easy to make but taste better than any brownie mix I’ve tried. What’s more, the ingredients are usually sitting in my pantry and fridge.
The Best Brownies Ever
Yields 16 brownies
½ cup butter
1 cup sugar
¾ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 large eggs
⅓ cup all-purpose flour (or GF 1-to-1 flour)
½ cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Preheat oven to 325F/162C. Line an 8x8-inch pan with foil or parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang on the sides. If using foil, coat it with non-stick spray oil.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over low heat or in the microwave. Whisk sugar, cocoa, and salt together in a medium bowl. Pour melted butter into the sugar mixture, and stir to combine. Add vanilla and eggs, stirring well.
Tip in the flour and walnuts (if using) and mix until just combined. Scrape batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake for 25 minutes. A toothpick or cake tester inserted in the center should come out clean with just a few crumbs on it. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Remove brownies from the pan by lifting the foil or parchment overhang. Place on a board and cut into 16 squares.
What’s Ahead for 2024
I appreciate you being here with me! I’ve had so much fun writing my newsletter on Substack since September of this year. While my website bettyeatz.com is a repository of recipes and my Instagram is a snapshot of what I’m currently making and eating, this newsletter is where you and I get to dive deeper into food-related topics.
Your responses and comments are important to me, so please keep them coming!
Starting in January (um, next week), I am starting a Good to Know series. These good things include
lowering grocery bills
meal planning
utilizing in-season produce
enjoying plant proteins
stocking a pantry
growing herbs
plus other topics that I think you will find helpful!
Maybe it’s because grocery prices are ridonkulous, or because I miss teaching, but I am eager to share some valuable and delicious information with you.
The Betty Eatz Newsletter will continue to remain free for all subscribers. At some point after the new year hubbub, I will turn on a paid subscriber option so that if you want to contribute, you can. Either way, thanks for being here!
I hope you have a wonderful time regardless of what you do on New Year’s Eve. Cheers, and Happy 2024!
On New Year's Eve, I'm all about tuning in to see the ball drop in every US time zone—got the hookup for that. Loved ringing in the new year with fun people. But, man, my fave times were back in the day when we'd crash at Grandma's place with all 75 of us family. At midnight, she'd toss cash in the air, and the stockings had an envelope with new years cash. Those were the days, ya know? Miss 'em. This year hubby wants to stay home. My first quiet NYE just me and him. 😭 Looking forward to the new content!