New Year's Eve 2014

New Year's Eve 2014

Chinese hot pot
 ...with beef, chicken, shrimp, and fish balls
 ...with cellophane noodles, Nappa cabbage, and peas
Redux: fruitcake

Roasted Fish with Lemons, Olives, and Rosemary

Roasted Fish with Lemons, Olives, and Rosemary
 ...with Atlantic haddock
Brussels Sprouts with Bacon
Red Rice Pilaf with Mixed Vegetables, Scallions, and Cilantro
Redux: fruit cake

Take Out

Yay, Anja's SATs!

Take Out
 ...from Gregoire Restaurant (Berkeley, CA)

Southern Red Beans and Rice

Southern Red Beans and Rice
Collard Greens with Bacon

Potluck

Potluck
 ...with the Brouet/Saunders, Tao/Jones, Zlokapa families

We contributed:
Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo, Raisins, and Olives
Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas
Salad of baby greens with pears, red onions, pecans, and goat cheese

Salty-Sweet Peanut Butter Sandies
Chewy Chocolate Snowcaps

Made by... Norbert (chicken empanada filling and salad); Anja and me (empanada assembly)

New: Chicken Empanadas with Chorizo, Raisins, and Olives (Gourmet, January 2005), Mushroom and Butternut Squash Empanadas (Gourmet, October 2002), Salty-Sweet Peanut Butter Sandies (by Julia Moskin) and Chewy Chocolate Snowcaps (by Kim Severson) (in Moskin and Severson's, "AChristmas Quarrel: Christmas Cookie Recipe CookFight," in The New York Times, December 2, 2014)

Dinner @ Monster Pho (Oakland, CA)

...with the Wainscotts after seeing The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

Dinner @ Monster Pho (Oakland, CA)

Momofuku Bossam

Christmas 2014

Momofuku Bossam
 ...with lettuce cups and kimchi
Jasmine rice
Pan-cooked green beans
Fruit Cake