New Year's Eve 2011

New Year's Eve 2011

Olie bollen
Stuffed turkey breast
Green beans with toasted walnuts and dried-cherry vinaigrette
Mashed potatoes
Gravy
Cranberry sauce with dates and orange
Chocolate crackled cookies

Made by... Anja, Norbert, and me (turkey), Anja (cookies)

New: chocolate crackled cookies (CriscoProducts.com)

Turkey taco dinner

Turkey taco dinner
Home made corn tortilla chips
Salad with snap peas

Mexican layered tortillas and kidney beans

With the Liew family

Tuna empanaditas
Blue tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole*
Mexican layered tortillas and kidney beans
Spinach salad with orange and grapefruit
Bittersweet chocolate cake with whipped cream

Made by... Pam (salad)

Dinner @ California Pizza Kitchen (Emeryville, CA)

Dinner @ California Pizza Kitchen (Emeryville, CA)
with the Tao-Jones family

Cilantro-lime chicken fajitas with grilled onions

Cilantro-lime chicken fajitas with grilled onions

Grilled Stemple Creek Ranch top round steak

Grilled Stemple Creek Ranch top round steak
Salad
Apple sauce*
Latkes

Made by... Norbert (steak)

Christmas 2011

Christmas 2011
with Kris and Louise Wainscott

Mulled apple cider with orange and ginger
Caramelized-onion tartlets
Miniature crab cakes with mustard mayonnaise
Parmesan black-pepper biscotti
Panettone and hazelnut-chocolate spread*

Smoked duck and walnuts salad
Sweet potato and yam galette
Cloverleaf rolls

Spiced cranberry bundt cake
Vanilla ice cream

Made by... Anja and me (galette, duck salad, and cake); Norbert (apple cider); Maxime (ice cream), Kris and Louise (brought panettone)

New: mulled apple cider with orange and ginger (Gourmet, October 1991 on epicurious.com), caramelized-onion tartlets (Gourmet, October 2004), miniature crab cakes with mustard mayonnaise (Gourmet, October 1995), Parmesan black-pepper biscotti (Gourmet, December 2006), smoked duck and walnuts salad (based on "smoked duck and walnuts with winter greens," Bon Appetit, December 2001, on epicurious.com), sweet potato and yam galette (Bon Appetit, November 1997, on epicurious.com), spiced cranberry bundt cake (Bon Appetit, November 2008, on epicurious.com)

Tuna noodle casserole

Tuna noodle casserole
Sauteed green beans

Made by... Norbert (casserole and green beans)

Quick chicken and chorizo paella

Quick chicken and chorizo paella
Brussels sprouts with cream

Red beans and rice, Southern style

Red beans and rice, Southern style
Oven-roasted cauliflower
Rice

Stir-fried Dungeness crab with ginger and scallions

Stir-fried Dungeness crab with ginger and scallions
Vegetarian chow mein

Pasta with cannellini, bacon, and sage soup

Pasta with cannellini, bacon, and sage soup
Sauteed collards with bacon

Pure-cut chicken with ginger-scallion sauce

Pure-cut chicken with ginger-scallion sauce
Spicy eggplant
Rice

Grilled Stemple Creek Ranch lamb riblets and sirloin steaks

Grilled Stemple Creek Ranch lamb riblets and rib steaks
Broccoli
Mashed potatoes

Made by... Norbert (lamb)

Take out...

Happy belated birthday sleepover party, Anja!

Take out...
from Zachary's Pizza (Berkeley, CA)
ice cream cake from Ben and Jerry's (Berkeley, CA)

plus...
salad with lettuce, green beans, dried cranberries, and toasted walnuts

Baked penne with turkey meatballs

Baked penne with turkey meatballs
Pan roasted summer squash

New: baked penne turkey meatballs (from "baked ziti with turkey meatballs" in Gourmet, February 1994, on epicurious.com)

Chicken and Chinese sausage clay pot

Chicken and Chinese sausage clay pot
Winter melon and spinach soup
Rice

Fish tacos

Fish tacos
Salad

New: fish tacos (by Mark Bittman, "Broiled, Sauteed, Roasted, Poached," The New York Times Magazine, March 31, 2011)

Black bean tart

Black bean tart
Salad

Hunan chicken with tomato-ginger sauce

Hunan chicken with tomato-ginger sauce
Stir-fried baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms
Rice

Maple pork ribs

Maple pork ribs
Oven roasted Brussels sprouts
Oven roasted potatoes

Jessica Alba's chicken enchiladas

Jessica Alba's chicken enchiladas
Pan roasted Belgian endive

Black bean soup with fresh tomato salsa and cheddar

Black bean soup with fresh tomato salsa and cheddar
Sauteed kale
Rice

Pad Thai

Pad Thai

Simple fish curry

Simple fish curry with Pacific sea bass
Sauteed white zucchini
Rice

Moroccan lemon chicken

Moroccan lemon chicken
Wilted cabbage with carrots and bacon
Rice

New: wilted cabbage with carrots and bacon (Gourmet, February 1997)

Penne with white beans and sage

Penne with white beans and sage
Sauteed broccolini with onions and kielbasa

Pizzas...

Pizzas... with pepperoni, or turkey Italian sausage, black olives, and green bell peppers
Caesar salad

Made by... Norbert (salad)

Regular: pizzas

Dinner @ Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers (Berkeley, CA)

Dinner @ Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers (Berkeley, CA)

Grilled chicken teriyaki

Grilled chicken teriyaki
Sauteed long beans with garlic and soy sauce
Japanese short grain rice

Chunky beef and vegetable soup

Chunky beef and vegetable soup
Garlic bread from Semifreddi's ciabatta roll and wheat panini*