Even for New Years Eve, this was a feast to remember. Stretching through four courses and four hours, we served a leisurely dinner at casa Thomson/Bisio to a small group of friends. Claudio shared photos from his recent trip to Cambodia, I cooked a batch of new recipes, and all the stars aligned perfectly in a beautiful evening capped by fireworks viewed from our Park Slope rooftop.

I never remember from year to year what I make, so this post is for me—doing duty as my memory scrapbook. But it’s for you too, as almost all the recipes are online. And they harmonized wonderfully, making for one big, happy family—a cook’s dream.

ANTIPASTO

Roasted Peperoni with Bagnetto Verde

This was Claudio’s piemontese contribution: Roasted red peppers with a topping of minced parsley, garlic, anchovies, and capers.

Goat Cheese Marinated in Rosemary, Fennel, Red Hot Pepper (Gourmet)

I’ve been making this every year since Gourmet published it in 1991. It’s pretty in a glass jar (making a nice gift) and it gets better over the weeks, as the flavors infiltrate and infuse the cheese.

Prosecco NV, Zardetto

PRIMO

Creamy New England Clam Chowder (in Health, October 2000; not online)

My husband loved this recipe. It didn’t quite live up to my memories of the lobster-shack chowders I had as a kid vacationing in Maine and Cape Cod, but it had enough comfort-food-thing going on to make everyone happy.

Chablis 2007, Domaine Le Verger

SECONDO

Spinach and Mushroom-stuffed Pork Tenderloin with Sherry Cream Sauce (Fine Cooking)

I think any meat that’s tied up with string looks pretty impressive. Even moreso when it’s a colorful pinwheel when sliced. But the best part of this recipe is that the pork loin was oh-so-tender—an iffy proposition with that cut. So much so that the yummy sherry cream sauce was hardly needed.

Offerus Saint-Joseph 2008, Jean-Louis Chave

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 1998, Avignonesi (from our cellar in Italy!)

CONTORNI

Mom’s Collard Greens (New York magazine)

The. Best. Ever. This is the Platonic Ideal of comfort foods—collard greens with tang, spicy heat, decadent bacon, and just the right amount of melt.

Wild Rice and Quinoa Pilaf with Pecans, Green Onions, and Dried Cranberries (New York magazine)

This, too, was a keeper. A medley of textures (pecans, cranberries, quinoa, rice) with some unexpected ingredients (whiskey, Earl Gray tea).

Pickled Red Onions (Food and Wine)

Slicing bermudas is so much easier then peeling those darned pearl onions, so I’m keeping this recipe around for my future sweet-sour-onion fix.

DESSERT

Panettone & torrone

Moscato Passito, S. Stefano Belbo

Marsala Superiore Oro “Vigna La Miccia”, Marco De Bartoli

Happy New Year!