NEW YEARS EVE CULINARY MASTERPIECE

                        We celebrated the end of 2011 with affordable luxury. Friends and family, eight all together inclusive Donna and myself, arrived at 6 o'clock Saturday night with bags full of their favorite beverages, some even with overnight bags. We all enjoyed cocktails and at 7:30 we proceeded to the dining room most with the anticipation to experience and indulge a truly classic Swiss luxury dinner.

                       
                          I wonder if people recognise how much time and effort it needs to pull of a dinner party for 8 like this. After planing the menu, I had to search and go shopping for all the ingredients, and this during the busiest time during the holidays. ( I had to visit 3 different butcher shops before I found the right quality beef tenderloin ) The menu itself took three days to prepare. Donna did a beautiful job on getting the dinning room ready and assisted me with some other things, like making sure that I did not run out of Bacardi and coke. Just Saturday morning it took me close to four hours to stage the canapes for our midnight snack.
                      
                           This is only for people like me who truly enjoy doing this.

 Finally this is what we served:

 MENU

BALSAMIC, TARRAGON

GLAZED JUMBO SEA SCALLOPS

polenta milanese, fire roasted peppers and spinach

lemon caper cream sauce

*

MONTRICHER SALAD

butter lettuce, romaine, radishes and plum tomatoes

herb, mustard dressing

*

ROAST BEEF TENDERLOIN WELLINGTON

foie gras, mushroom and shiitake duxelles wrapped in puff pastry

grilled tomatoes, sauteed baby carrots and asparagus

sauce bourguignonne

*

SOUFFLE GLACE GRAND MARNIER

frozen mousse of eggs, whipped cream and grand marnier

                         This was our 5th annual new years eve party here at home, in my opinion it was so far the best dinner by a gigantic margin and will be hard  to top.

                         After dinner we played some games, socialized and  enjoyed our favorite beverages. Of course, we could not live with out trying some shots.This time it was Eric's Apple Pie Moonshine that did the damage. Midnight we toasted in the new year with some champagne. After that the party slowed down for some of us, Gina falling asleep on the couch, and Donna & I were the first ones retiring to the bedroom to sleep for a few hours.  

                     It looks like everybody had a great time the whole night as you see in the following pictures.



New Years Eve theme table set up

It was really festive, great job Donna

6:30 pm, not everybody is here yet

Karla and Eric arrived

Gina organized the bar behind her

I am about ready to serve dinner

Appetizer is served

I had plenty of time to enjoy the meal between courses

They are all ready to eat

Main course

Even Daniel looks satisfied

Ones again, perfect Wellington 

After dinner Party



Daniel, Gina, Sara and Karla

Eric and Daniel debating about drinking some moonshine

Happy party goers

Donna waiting for her turn

Eric the stand up comedian

Not quit sure of herself?

Gina holding on to Daniel

watch out Eric, wrong woman

finally the puppies calmed down

Breaking out the midnight snack, 84 delicious assorted canapes

Steak tartar, shrimp salad, smoked salmon, veal pate, Bavarian ham, roast chicken, salami

The ball dropped

Happy new year 2012

We survived another year

Check the time behind Eric

 The morning after

We all got up around 9 am, and Daniel fixed us some chilaquiles

the perfect hangover breakfast food. 
Some ware brave enough and had some bloody Mary.

A little ruff but not to bad

Back to normal !! Newspaper and fresh coffee.